Like so many, I first heard of Feist early in 2007 following the massive surge of popularity provided by the 1234 ipod nano advert. A jolly tune, enjoyed it at the time, but wasn't quite enough to fully capture my interest and buy the album. It wasn't until much later, that I heard the song which galvanised me into buying the album as soon as I could. That song was "Honey Honey" (which some among you may recognise from the L word season 5, fabulous show, killer sound track!) As soon as I heard it, that song got under my skin, completely and utterly, and when a song provokes that kind of reaction from me, I know it's well worth further investigation. And I am so very lucky that I did.

This album is an absolute stunner, in every way. (I prefer it to her earlier work (Let it Die) which I then bought retrospectively, which is nevertheless also astounding) Most albums I buy takes me a few repeats to get to love most of the songs, but not with this. First listen and I was a… more »

Like so many, I first heard of Feist early in 2007 following the massive surge of popularity provided by the 1234 ipod nano advert. A jolly tune, enjoyed it at the time, but wasn't quite enough to fully capture my interest and buy the album. It wasn't until much later, that I heard the song which galvanised me into buying the album as soon as I could. That song was "Honey Honey" (which some among you may recognise from the L word season 5, fabulous show, killer sound track!) As soon as I heard it, that song got under my skin, completely and utterly, and when a song provokes that kind of reaction from me, I know it's well worth further investigation. And I am so very lucky that I did.

This album is an absolute stunner, in every way. (I prefer it to her earlier work (Let it Die) which I then bought retrospectively, which is nevertheless also astounding) Most albums I buy takes me a few repeats to get to love most of the songs, but not with this. First listen and I was a convert.
The album is made of 13 outstanding songs, inteligently ordered so that the album really has a sense of flow about it. In other words, to get the full impact of this album, listen to it in order, without shuffle, and sit back and let it take you on its emotional journey. The album covers a wide range of styles and instrumentation.

Songs like I Feel It All, Sea Lion Woman, My Moon My Man, and 1234, are high energy toe tapping "happy" wonders guarenteed to put a smile on your face. Then you're treated to some melody rich melancholy such as So Sorry, The Limit To Your Love, Brandy Alexander, How My Heart Behaves, which are filled with deep and richly layered instrumentation and with soul searchingly resonating lyrics. One of the styles Feist does best is stripped back accoustic at its best. The Park, The Water, Intuition, are such examples of back to basic music, a difficult genre as it leaves nowhere to hide, but her voice never falls short.
Honey Honey is my favourite song on the album, (which is proved as us lucky UK buyers are treated to it twice with the fabulous Live version bonus track, recorded in Toronto Music Hall) and for me it stands out more than the more popular 1234, which I find pleasant but not as gripping. The layered vocal background along with the organ bass (done fantastically by guest Pierre Luc Jamain) hook line captivated me instantly. Fabulous song, one of my favourites at the moment.
But despite this wide variation, the songs don't feel disjointed at all. They are all united by the key qualities of vocal excellence, complex and multilayered instrumentation, and poetic lyrics.

If you are a fan of easy, laid back, interesting and non-generic music, then I would strongly recommend this album, along with Let It Die (her earlier album) as both are brilliant and both are £5!! An absolute steal for albums of this quality. Magnificent voice, incredible talent, truly outstanding. 5/5, Perfect