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Spotlight

Feist

Hometown: Calgary, Canada

Discography: 2005, Let it Die (Cherrytree/Interscope)

(Leslie) Feist’s debut album, Let It Die, conjures up a picture of her sinewy body splayed out across a grand piano at a nightclub in Marrakesh. To say Feist’s voice is sultry would be an understatement: her alto is packed with layers of sensitivity and sensuality, and each song off of Let It Die shows a slightly different facet of her emotional range. The singer currently lives away from her native Canada; Feist is currently a denizen of Paris, as evinced by Gallic touches on several songs.

The album is heavily influenced by music of the ’70s, with patches of disco and soul woven throughout. “Mushaboom” has a rhythmic piano that sounds like Melanie’s disco-era classic “Rollerskate.” “Mushaboom” is the most cheerful song on Let It Die. Most of the tracks have a wistful feel, most notably, “When I Was a Young Girl,” where Feist describes her raucous youth: “From the ale house down to the jail house.”

Feist used to room with the electroclash diva wonder Peaches when she lived in Canada, and the two toured together at one point. Feist is also part of the Canadian rock collective Broken Social Scene, so her voice might sound familiar to BSS fans. Let It Die hits stores on April 26.