Every now and then a record comes along that ‘refreshes the parts’. It can be original and inspiring, intensely moving, or it can be intelligent but easy to listen to, like this one. Feist is a Canadian singer/songwriter with a cool, fluid, jazzy vocal style, and around six years performing experience (mainly with bands – “My first proper gig was supporting the Ramones at an outdoor festival when my high school punk band won a battle of the bands contest.”).

Gently plucked acoustic guitar introduces the opening title track Let It Die, and a jazzy, detached vocal that barely rises above whisper level. It’s a delightful, melodic song that is ideal for relaxing after a hectic day at the office and that hot, claustrophobic train journey home. The tempo quickens with the next bouncy track Mushaboom. It’s a sweet pop song high on melody and optimism, with the most infectious chorus that is sure to plague us all if it ever gets deserved airplay. Next song Gatekeeper is a darker, introspective tune of glacial pace with mournful Hammond and a more expressive Feist vocal. It’s a beauty with lovely choruses, another super-glue melody and welcome brevity.

This is a beautiful, intimate and massively accessible album that covers the full spectrum of personal emotions. Lonely Lonely is a contemplative, hushed and intense love song with a middle-eight of heightened tension and some simple, hugely effective instrumental passages. When I Was A Young Girl changes direction to offer a percussive backdrop to a song with strong folk foundations. It’s another musical delight, and one that exemplifies the album’s diversity, and Feist’s ability to match voice to vibe.

LET IT DIE is undoubtedly one of the year’s album highlights by a mature, distinctive and highly original young artist.

4.5/5