With Multitudes, Feist hammers home (albeit quietly) her willingness to explore new sounds on each successive album.
When Feist followed her hit album The Reminder, famous for “1234” and overall catchiness, with the moody and sparse Metals, many were surprised with the change in direction. Now, two albums later, it is less than shocking that her new album Multitudes explores a new direction.
Gentler than any of her previous works, many songs on Multitudes are hushed folk ballads that highlight Feist’s voice and acoustic guitar. “Love Who We Are Meant To,” one of the three singles released ahead of the album, is one such song. With its repeated chorus of “Sometimes we don’t get to, love who we are meant to,” you would think it was a heartbreaker. However, with the rising guitar riff and vocal melody, the song seems to accept that for a truth and even find comfort in it.
Since her last album in 2017, a lot has changed for Feist. Her father died, she adopted a daughter and moved to Los Angeles. That change in scenery is referenced on another acoustic ballad, “The Redwing,” where Feist sings “California winter, it brought back my language.” Elsewhere in the song, Feist finds beauty in a quiet morning spent watching a bird through her window.
“Borrowed Trouble,” another standout, is one of the few rockers on the album. With strings and driving beat, it recalls David Bowie’s “Heroes.” When Feist screams “trouble” during the crescendo, she is letting go of the trouble she has borrowed along the way.
Multitudes is another step in a new direction for Feist, where she continues to update her sounds in a tasteful manner, without making it unrecognizably Feist. That is why it’s our Album of the Week May 4-10, 2023.
