Modern Rock October 2011 CD of the Month: Feist’s “Metals”
It’s been four years since Leslie Feist broke through with her fourth solo album The Reminder, which scored four Grammy nominations, and her hit single, “1234,” which helped sell boatloads of iPod Nanos, thanks to that ubiquitous Apple commercial. She’s remained relatively low-key after wrapping up a grueling world tour in 2008, but the Canadian singer-songwriter will end her break this fall with a new record Metals, due out Ocobter 4.
For the album, Feist joined longtime collaborators Chilly Gonzalez and Mocky and worked up a dozen songs in Toronto. Then they headed down to Big Sur, on California’s central coast, to complete the record with percussionist Dean Stone, keyboardist Brian LeBarton, and Valgeir Siggurdsson, who’s produced albums by Björk and Kate Nash.
The result — produced by Feist, Gonzalez, Mocky, and Siggurdsson — is a gorgeous collection of overtly poppy tunes, cinematic art-rock, and strummy ballads. It’s probably too early to say if Metals will yield a crossover phenomenon like “1234,” but the songs are definite growers.
