Feist

Add Date: October 18 

Artist: Feist 

Album: Metals 

Label: Cherrytree/Interscope 

Genre: Rock, pop, folk 

Comments: From SPIN Magazine: "Taken individually, each song is as sturdy as oak--the guitars have a magnesium shimmer, and every instrument seems bathed in its own spotlight, especially Feist's vocals, which feel like they're being whispered directly into your ear." 

Feist layers powerful melodies in a way that captivates the deepest corners of my musical appreciation. At first, I was quick to dub the beginning of the album "boring," as if it lacked some essential element that drove the songs forward. I was only half-hearing, and not intently listening. Once I began to focus on listening, the album came alive.

Feist explores whimsical and abrupt melodies and rhythms, sometimes echoing the sounds of St. Vincent. Metals is much less of a pop record than her most recent previous release, 2007's The Reminder. Nonetheless, it's a record most anyone can appreciate for its complexity and beautiful experimentation. Try tracks 4, 5, 9 and 12.