Feist The Reminder by: Tim Clare Mon:04-Jun-07 Label: Cherry Tree Year: 2007 WB rating 60 out of 100

The last six months have been a boon period for female artists. Joanna Newsom, New Buffalo, El Perro Del Mar and Laura Viers have all released critically successful albums and the recent tribute to the matriarch Joni Mitchell has highlighted the historical importance of the female singer-songwriter. Leslie Feist’s fourth solo album, The Reminder, is another to add to the ever increasing pile, contributing to a very rich period for female artists. Whether it’s worthy of its place among such company, however, is another story.

Taking time out from Arts & Crafts bubble-gum noise crew Broken Social Scene, The Reminder develops as a three-way main event fight between intimate minamalism, all-in fun fests and middle road blandness, with no real victor.

Let’s first take a look at our contenders:

Intimate Minimalism – Taking cues from Joanna Newsom, this contender uses space and voice. Instrumentation is limited here, usually to gradual acoustic guitar movements, or other associated stringed instruments. While such an approach may not carry a mighty armoury of weapons, it has the potential to floor the listener with the emotion that it carries. 

All-In Fun Fests – With El Perro Del Mar on side and learning from the Glaswegian way of Camera Obscura this contender is shaped by razzle-dazzle, the sugary coated goodness grounded in authenticity. The big moves that fill all corners of the ring possess the power to knock opponents firmly over the head. 

Middle Road Blandness – Citing Norah Jones as an inspiration, this contender carries none of the crowd pleasing characteristics of the former two. Overly produced, mahogany driven tones leave the audience hanging like the trailers from a porno. For main event enthusiasts there’s nothing here to like or hate, and it’s the major label influence that keeps this contender in the fight.
 
As the album opens, the fight begins, the anticipation dissipated from the opening blow. ‘So Sorry’ comes out all middle road blandness, with lounge-jazz overtones and lyrical nothingness: “I’m sorry/Two words I always think/After you’re gone/When I realise/I was acting all wrong”. Feist’s introductory display could have been totally stripped back; however the addition of brushed drums, wordless choir and piano backing ensures that middle road blandness takes the opener, and almost loses half the crowd.

‘Feel It All’ revels in the fun side, a relatively dirty electric guitar riff assisted by a sparkling vibraphone and piano combo, filling out the sound and goading Feist to stretch herself vocally. She obliges in spades as layers build upon layers and Gonzales’ masterful production techniques lure the punters back to their seats after a lacklustre first effort.

‘My Moon My Man’ is divided as to which direction to take, sitting squarely in the middle of the first two tracks. The song is a strong, driving anthem based around Gonzales’ stomping piano and Jesse Baird’s drum pattern, to which Feist’s slightly ragged vocal is added. As the chorus hits, a full gamut of melodica, electric guitar, cooing harmonies and other assorted noise contribute to its intriguing climax. Energy and space are developed through the use of an atmosphere track that includes random chatter and other ambiance which come to the fore on the outro. But the track is found wanting, lacking the vitality that it seems to need.

The aforementioned ambient sounds work nicely as the introduction to intimate minimalism’s first and best feature in The Reminder. Totally stripped back and wonderfully airy, ‘The Park’ is the best track on the album. It’s conjures the image of Feist relaxing on the balcony of a large country ranch, in a rocking chair, gazing into the setting sun listening to Will Oldham serenade her tranquility. Vocally Feist is at her best here, initially adopting Oldham’s frailty then stretching wide and high to engulf the listener with her longing tale of despair, which leads mournfully into the grief-stricken sound of ‘The Water’. The wide open space of this track is coloured by its light instrumentation, and Feist’s voice tastefully languishes the loved one now lost to the sea. 

As the battle nears the halfway mark (Intimate minimalism 2, all-in fun fest 1.5, middle road blandness 1.5), middle road blandness grabs hold and infects the next chapter of The Reminder, as ‘Sealion’, ‘Limit To You Love’ and ‘Brandy Alexander’ all miss their energetic and artistic aims.  

Nestled among the tedium are two jewels, ‘Past In Present’ and ‘1234’, which ensure that the middle of The Reminder is not an entirely misguided affair. ‘Past In Present’ steps up the energy with the introduction of slide guitars and banjo to aid the rollicking, hay-ride ditty with Feist singing on the brink of distortion – as if shouting her carefree lines through a megaphone. She’s with friends and they’re enjoying the ride with hand claps of approval that aid the bright, sunny jaunt through the meadows of farmland. Feist is at her best in this setting, as her cheery cadence is enhanced via brisk, layered pop songs.

‘1234’ is another strong indicator of Feist’s assets. With the assistance of Sally Seltmann’s (New Buffalo) carefree songwriting, Feist shines up a Newsom-like vocal with her signature touch of sun, relaxing into the pure pop song, and not tarnishing it by attempting to make it anything more. This is the biggest strength of the song and it is hard not to be buoyed by the climax involving all of Feist’s friends in party mode – strings, horns, banjos, claps and “whoah-oh-oh’s”. It’s delicious fun and a clear pick for lead single, which could have easily finished the album on a wonderful high. The actual close of the album is ‘Intuition’, which hints at the minimalism gone missing since ‘The Water’. It’s a late appearance, but a welcome one in the face of the album’s saggy middle section.

The 13 round length of The Reminder has sadly allowed middle road blandness, fuelled by its commercial acceptability, to win the battle. The final score stands at middle road blandness 6.5, all-in fun fest 3.5 and intimate minimalism 3, which is a real shame as the other two contenders seem like more fitting combatants. If only the The Reminder was a little more self-aware, it could have been a more exciting display.