A sweet tender album (The Reminder - Feist)

Member Name: Lakerfanster

Product:	The Reminder - Feist
Date:	29/04/08 (72 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Voice, Sound

Disadvantages: A couple of weaker links

...Introduction...

You may know of Feist from her track 1,2,3,4 in the popualr advert for the ipod nano. As a fan of a huge range of music I was quite suprised to find that Feist had recorded two albums before I had heard of her. So what do we know about Feist or Leslie Feist as she is more formally known.

Leslie Feist was born on February 13, 1976 in Amherst, Nova Scotia, Canada. She is known as having been in the Canadian Indie band Broken Social scene. She is known for singing, playing the piano, banjo and guitar.

...The Reminder...

Her third solo album "The Reminder" was released on April 23, 2007 in Europe, and on May 1, 2007 in Canada, the USA and the rest of the world. It was received very well by critics around the world and has won many awards including Juno Awards in 2008 for Pop Album of the Year and for Album of the Year. It has already sold over 1.2 million copies worldwide.

She plays acoustic and electric guitars, piano and banjo on the album and has a writing credit on every song and writes most of the songs on her own but the rest are collaborations with some songwriters who are well known in the genre like Jason Charles Beck who has also written with Peaches.

...Album Review...

1. So Sorry 3:11

This starts the album on a nice mellow note. the soft drums and acoustic guitar compliment Feist's clear vocals well. her voice sounds very good indeed even though she is very laid back in this song.

2. I Feel It All 3:39

This is different to the opening track and contains a catchy biting guitar with some pounding drums and some nice piano touches. This is a very flowing track and shows how natural her voice is. A really good track which will have you swaying.

3. My Moon My Man 3:48

This is a nice uptempo track, this has a style like Goldfrapp but the difference is that this is a good track. This will have you dancing around the living room. There's some nice guitar parts which sound very sixties.

4. The Park 4:33

A really lovely ballad which starts with guitar and then her voice comes in after a while. Her voice sound really good and very emotive. One of the best tracks on the album and possibly one of the best tracks of this kind in 2007.

5. The Water 4:46

This is a lovely soft track which starts with a soft piano and double bass intro and Feist's sweet voice sounds so lovely and tender. A really fantastic song which will leave you so relaxed with it's superb calm feel.

6. Sealion 3:39

This track is one of the weaker moments on this album and doesnt have the spark that the best tracks on the album have. It starts well with a catchy beat but carries on a bit too long without changing. by no means a bad track just not one of the best on the album. It is partly a cover of Nina Simone's sea lion woman.

7. Past In Present 2:52

This is a catchy track that loses out as it is a little short at under three minutes. It has a very catchy feel but doesnt have the instant attraction that the best tracks on the album do. Still good though with some nice guitar work.

8. The Limit To Your Love 4:21

This has a very nice piano and guitar intro and her voice joins the two instruments then the soft drums come in. Again she shows off her emotive voice very well and this is a very nice track. It has a very nice string background that is present throught the song.

9. 1234 3:03

This is her most well known track and the star of the Ipod nano advert. It is a lovely ballad which starts with a guitar and then the drums and strings come in. She plays the Banjo in this song and it works really well with the other instruments.

10. Brandy Alexander 3:36

This track has the firmest drum beat of the album and is one of the best tracks on the album. One of the most different tracks she has done and it really works well. A very listenable track indeed.

11. Intuition 4:36

This is a very gentle song that features Feist on the electric guitar, it works really well and is one of the best tracks on the album. the guitar has a great melody that Is a great part of the songs overall worth.

12. Honey Honey 3:26

This is another gentle track which has some nice train horn liike sounds. It is one of the most imaginative tracks on the album and I love the gentle sounds of the guitar and piano which are two key parts to the song.

13. How My Heart Behaves

This is the final track on the album and is a great end to the album. Another soft ballad with her voice sounding so tender and emotive. She has a great tone to her voice. This is a wonderful track which works so well as a final track.

...Her Voice...

She has a very natural vocal delivery but the best part of her voice is her tone, she has a very sweet vocal tone which makes her voice sound very emotive. She is one of the best singers in this type of music and she has the range to do a lot of things with her voice that makes her stand out from the crowd.

...Overall...

This is a very fine album indeed that loses a star for a few weaker links. There are no bad tracks on the album but they just don't live up to the same high standards that the best tracks on the album do. Still a very fine album though. I will watch out for her in the future as she could be around for a while.

Summary: A very fine album.