Feist — ‘1 2 3 4’

Isn’t lauding Leslie Feist this late in 2007 sort of passé? Seems like ages ago that ‘The Reminder’ solidified the Polaris-nominated Calgary chick’s place alongside Metric and Stars as one of the strongest pillars in the post-BSS pantheon. Even so, three months on, ‘1 2 3 4’s' charm remains as elementary as its title. As with all the best tracks off of ‘Reminder’— ‘I Feel It All’, ‘Past In Present’— the song sounds like a distant cousin of Feist’s breakout-and-still-best single ‘Mushaboom’, from 2004’s ‘Let It Die’: barely-there, country-road strums bolstered by string swells, humble horns mingling with plucky ukulele, and a lovely mix of snaps and claps leading towards catharsis at the two-minute mark, where Feist’s soaring vocals make friendly with some dizzy saloon stool piano. B-side ‘Fightin’ Away The Tears’, meanwhile— Feist’s ramshackle duet with sometimes-collab Mocky— provides ample motivation to (keep) listen(ing) to Canada’s shining chanteuse.    

Released 23/07/07 on Polydor Records.