Peer Validated

Leslie Feist is frustrating as hell, at least as an artist. Yes, yes, we all know pretty girls are handed everything, but does this even extend to indie rock? Is indie rock primarily judged by over/under weight guys who are awkward around girls? Are they lonely, pasty, pathetic slugs who exist only by the good will of their parents? Do they love internet porn? Yes. A resounding yes.

Feist has yet to make a cohesive CD that can be listened to from beginning to end. What she has done, and continues to do is make singles. Amazing, beautiful singles. This is what has you hoping before every Feist release, that maybe this time she finally broke the fourth wall and came out with something amazing. It hasn’t happened yet, and if you’re holding out hope for her new record, I’m hear to tell you that it isn’t in the cards for this one either.

The Reminder is advertised as Feist’s third cd, which is bullshit. You can’t have one cd, record a COVER cd of your OWN material and have that be your sophomore album… unless you’re shaq, and that cd is “Shaq-fu”. So, for all intents and purposes, this is Feist’s sophomore record, and typical of a Feist CD, there are amazing moments. The first four tracks all showcase Feist’s indie-girl croon amidst jangly guitars and old, dusty pianos. After that, it gets… well, forgettable. It’s like a book your friend really liked, loaned to you, and then you sort of skimmed through, got the gist of it, but the long parts that sucked you tended to skip. By the end of it, you sort of forgot what the whole thing was supposed to be about.

“I feel it All” is one of the good chapters. It sounds like The Heartbreakers’ take on, “Hey Ya!” It’s fast, it’s fun, and it’s perfect driving around music if you don’t own a cool car. If you own a cool car, stop listening to indie rock; it’s totally ruining your douche cred.

Feist - The Reminder