Feist – Multitudes

The deceptively simple arrangements you'd expect from Leslie Feist form the foundation of her latest album, Multitudes. But scratch beneath the surface and there's always a carefully considered touch to be found. In Lightning starts practically in media res with a clamour of voices that fade away to shine the focus on Feist's alone. Occasional synth lines and squiggles add a little colour (I Took All of My Rings Off; Calling All the Gods), strings rise and fall in the mix without ever intruding, and Forever Before even squeezes in some industrial clanks.

But Feist's wonderfully evocative, thoughtful voice and lyrics are still the main draw, often backed by plucked acoustic guitar or sparse keys. She's in full Joni Mitchell mode this time around and delivers a worthy follow-up to her countrywoman's mid-70s hot streak. 'What's gotta end for forever to begin?' she asks on Forever Before, summing up the cyclical upheavals (birth, death) that informed the record's gestation period.

Feist seems particularly unflappable on Multitudes, apart from a few full-blooded screams on Borrow Trouble, considering her joys and woes with equal respect. It's a mature album that is more likely to make you lean in to hear (as with the loud/quiet dynamics on Become The Earth) than beg for your attention. But there's ample reward in giving a little time to Feist.

Listen to: Calling All the Gods, Forever Before