It’s been a while, but Feist is finally back with the reminder to The Reminder, Metals … not that you would have forgotten about her after that ubiquitous iPod commercial and Sesame Street stint a few years ago. Here we have an ambitious album chock full of steely romanticism and incessant praise for Mother Nature (tree-huggers rejoice!). Feist’s unique brand of eccentricity intact, Metals captivates in its subtlety. The signature lilting vocals and carefully chaotic orchestra of strings, brass and percussion are omnipresent, notably well done on opener The Bad In Each Other. The Undiscovered First infuses tambourine jangles and bass drum stomps, while the haunting Graveyard is a grown-up alternative to any other songs (*cough* Monster Mash *cough*) you were debating putting on your Halloween playlist this year. Metals is as ideally unpredictable as fall itself this year, and couldn’t have seen a better release date.

Published in Volume 66, Number 7 of The Uniter (October 12, 2011)