A natural, laid-back vibe
Canadian singer-songwriter Leslie Feist's third album The Reminder sounds like a recording of live music at a college summer camp.
That is not to say that the album is under-produced or the recording is unpolished. It's the natural, laid-back vibe of the tracks. For example, there are birds chirping on The Park, which was recorded in a 200-year-old manor house in Paris.
Feist and her band recorded the album after a 33-month tour that followed the release of her award-winning and bestselling record Let It Die.
Feist obviously enjoyed the break. Many songs, such as opening number So Sorry, are soothing enough to lull you to sleep.
Others will energise you: Sealion, for example, has mobile phone-like synths, chants, handclaps and a gospel choir.
The best tracks are The Water and The Limit to Your Love. The former is impressively poetic, with Feist's ethereal vocals layered over haunting vibraphone and piano music. The latter, full of soulful piano chords and percussion, is a dreamy meditation on love.
Feist's sound is a mix of Bjork, Norah Jones and Joni Mitchell. But she is hugely talented, and the album is hope that originality is soon to come.
