She's ready for her close-up
POP
Feist
The Reminder(Cherry Tree/Interscope)
Essential: "My Moon My Man"
Leslie Feist is probably best known for her 2005 album, "Let It Die," which earned two Juno awards. Or maybe you know her as a founding member of the Canadian super group Broken Social Scene or as a touring sock puppeteer for the electro- rapper Peaches. But "The Reminder," her dynamic third solo album, puts all of that behind her. Recorded in Paris and Toronto, "The Reminder" features Feist free from the polished confines of her previous effort. Instead, she opts for a more organic approach punctuated by subtle electronic elements, soulful vocal harmonies, and glam-rock guitar riffs. For ambient sound, there are footsteps, doors closing, and crowd chatter (how much more lo-fi can you get?), but Feist's airy vocals, as usual, are the central focus. The album's strongest tracks are at the beginning: "My Moon My Man " feels like a covert disco operation. Anchored by low, pounding piano, "Past in Present" is Feist's vaguely alt-country observation that there's "so much past inside my present," and "Sea Lion Woman" is a Nina Simone cover filled with hand claps, choir chants, and electronic bleeps . [Caitlin E. Curran]
Feist performs at the Berklee Performance Center on June 9. 