Feist

Almost a year after its European release, Leslie Feist's debut solo album, Let It Die, has finally been released stateside, to the delight of many a patient fan. The buzz surrounding Feist has slowly been building because of her work with the indie-rock collective Broken Social Scene and electroshock maven Peaches, but it's her recent work accompanying the Kings of Convenience on two of the best tracks from their latest release that most closely resembles what is in store on Let It Die. Here, Feist explores many genres with ease: folk, disco, doo-wop, even bossa nova. Somehow this range does not complicate what is and should be the focus of the record: Feist herself. The simple instrumentation lets Feist's sultry and commanding voice take center stage. Whether dissecting love found in a one-night affair ("One Evening") or musing about the conflicting desires found in growing older ("Mushaboom"), Feist's songs are surprisingly radio-friendly. Fans invested in her indie credentials may miss layers of guitar fuzz or electro-histrionics, but on this album, she seems quite comfortable in the spotlight without such distractions.