After four long years, Feist has a new album out and I’ll give you the bad news first: there is no “Mushaboom,” no “1234,” and there’s not even the trendier, hidden, poppy tracks like “Secret Heart” or “Inside and Out.” Metals is completely new territory for Leslie Feist. As an artist, she is — wait for it — evolving. As disappointing for junkies of indie pop singles as this might be, her development in musical style is better than the alternative; Weezer comes to mind in its post-Pinkerton stylistic Neverland of unchanging themes and power chords. So, she has abandoned indie pop, land of counting numbers and, er, mushabooming for a very moving and emotional album. The mood of each song evokes loneliness and heartbreak, and there is also this earthy naturalistic vibe present as well. This is clearly a work of maturity. The good news in all of this is that regardless of the somber moodiness, after a first listen, you might find yourself singing along.
