A Feist for the ears.
Feist is an artist you can’t quite describe. When I first put the single on, alarm bells started sounding, telling me “This is yet another solo artist desperate to be ‘Genuine’, stop listening now!” But curiosity forced me to carry on, and I’m glad I did.
Coming from Canada, Feist brings a uniquely calming sound with her – pianos and bells sound out from behind soothing vocals, the guitars are quiet, yet effortlessly carry the tune along, and there’s even some brass in there. Yes, that’s right, there’s a brass element to Feist. I must admit, I was surprised – the last time brass was used in mainstream music was by ska idiots Less Than Jake.
But it’s unfair to mention Less Than Jake (whoops, did it again!) In the review of such a refreshingly unique artist. You can tell this song means something to Annette Aurell (Feist) from the way she really sings on it, as opposed to artists who truck themselves into a recording studio and murmur down a microphone some lyrics they’ve never seen before in their life. But Annette is honest – something so rare it’s almost a gimmick used to sell singles. The vocals are clear, and although they’re not as totally pure in their presentation, there’s no whiny irritating Brody Dalle screeches on this album to ruin it.
'Mushaboom' is an oddly named, experimental song that definitely goes against the grain of today’s successful solo artists. There’s no trace of any Britney “Dress like a slut and sing like a lawnmower” Spears influence here, nor is there any Avril “I’m a bad, bad girl” Lavigne styling – Feist clearly sets out to write music, as opposed to sell albums, and as a result, she comes out far, far superior musically to any recent solo female artists.
Unfortunately, as is the nature of the music industry, 'Mushaboom' doesn’t have the attitude or the spandex to reach the dizzying sales height of Britney and co.. As a result, this will be a song enjoyed by a precious few people – and that’s a great shame. Just make sure you’re one of the people lucky enough to hear this.