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Music

Retrospective Reviews: Feist's "Let It Die"

It begins with the now-trademark honey-laden voice exclaiming "Well it's time to begin as the summer sets in, it's the scene you set for new lovers". “Gatekeeper”, the opening track from Leslie Feist's classic Let It Die

It begins with the now-trademark honey-laden voice exclaiming "Well it's time to begin as the summer sets in, it's the scene you set for new lovers". “Gatekeeper”, the opening track from Leslie Feist's classic Let It Die, was exactly that, a gatekeeper at an entrance to one of the most beloved Canadian indie records of the last decade. The simple backdrop of the song allows Feist to shine, a shine that makes one want to pause from hectic schedules to bask in.

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Feist, having released her first album Monarch to a smaller audience, took 5 years to come up with a follow-up that spans pop, jazz, disco, R&B and numerous influences in between. Recorded mostly in Paris, the album is steeped in summer sunshine. Released in May of 2004, it was on heavy rotation in the following summer and has almost become synonymous with the season ever since. And while the Parisian influences (accordions and Francais) are evident, there is something distinctly Torontonian about Feist and the music on Let It Die. Her style, shaped by her years of collaborating with acts like Peaches and Broken Social Scene, is comfortably familiar despite its range. The lack of a single sound or focus is exactly what makes it such a Toronto album, itself a varied multicultural landscape with a bevy of influences. And Ron Sexsmith covers always help.

Before the Sesame Street appearances and Apple commercials exposed her to the masses, there was a Lacoste commercial first demonstrating the broad appeal of Leslie Feist's music to audiences beyond "indie crowds". The track in that commercial, "Mushaboom", is one of Let It Die's highlights and is appropriately one of her most recognizable songs. From its subtle handclaps to its whimsical swirling chorus, it was a perfect platform for Feist's unique charisma and one-of-a-kind voice.

Even then, it would have been hard to predict the success of that record and follow-ups The Reminder and Metals (both additional highlights in the Canadian indie pop pantheon). The heights that she has reached have opened the door for a number of her Canadian indie contemporaries and you can still hear the influence of those early records on artists like Basia Bulat and Serena Ryder. While her voice is fantastic (it was my favourite part about early Broken Social Scene records), her success is attributable to something beyond vocals and her masterful use of restraint. The vulnerability that she first best displayed on Let It Die, is one that lets listeners instantly connect to her songs. Singing of heartbreak, new love, and loss, she is able to swiftly move from sombre cynicism to optimism for the future. Whether over a backdrop of French disco or indie folk, it somehow all comes together as a genuine expression.

"Lonely Lonely" starts with hushed subtlety, building beautifully before erupting into the phrase "distance makes the heart grow weak so that the mouth can barely speak". “Inside and Out” made the disco revival cool before Daft Punk made it cool, with an infectious energy that is impossible to deny. The title track “Let It Die” encapsulates the tug-of-war nature of Feist’s lyrics on love almost perfectly as she states “the saddest part of a broken heart isn’t the ending so much as the start.” In perhaps the most intimate moment, the sultry "Leisure Suite" lets listeners into her bedroom as she smoothly states "quit talking". And indeed, her music is one that is one that demands attention.

Perhaps that's why her music is now so often found in coffeeshops and lobbies. Beneath the smooth, cozy lounge-like exterior is an honest window into a soul, a rarity that stands out amongst superficial conversations and passing time. It’s music that appeals to everyone, in the least pejorative sense. The heart-wrenching closer "Now At Last" showcases Feist with simple piano accompaniment. The closing statement: "What makes winters lonely? Now at last I know" is one that continues to resonate long after the record stops spinning. With her combination of vocals, beauty and Parisian je ne sais quoi, it was clear in 2004 that Feist was a star. At the time of its release, there was no knowing Feist’s full potential. Ten years later, it’s something we now all know.

Shawn Katuwapitiya is a writer living in Toronto