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Description
**Feist - *Let It Die* (2004)**
Leslie Feist's sophomore offering, *Let It Die*, represents a deliberate departure from the indie-rock confessionalism of her debut *Monarch*. Recorded at Paris's Ferber Studios in 2002-2003, the album finds Feist collaborating extensively with Chilly Gonzales (Peche's keyboardist, former Broken Social Scene confidant) and Renaud Letang. The result is a sumptuous collection of lounge, jazz, and French pop that prioritizes atmosphere over immediacy-a deliberate, almost languid embrace of French cool that some reviewers have overstated as "intentional," but which Feist wears with unassuming grace.
Five original compositions precede a second half of covers, creating a curious Side A/Side B divide that the reissue later tried to soften. Critics were struck by the vocal dynamism and sparse, varied arrangements, with *Rolling Stone* comparing Feist's delivery to Peggy Lee and *AllMusic* declaring it a "secret treasure." The album earned two Juno Awards (Best Alternative Album, Best New Artist) and later secured Feist a place in the 2017 Polaris Heritage Prize public vote. It also went Platinum in Canada, suggesting the artiness didn't preclude commercial resonance.
Yet *Let It Die*'s true charm lies in its contradictions-its "whimsical" aesthetic coexisting with the emotional weight of the title track, a dirge-like meditation on the start of heartbreak. The covers (Françoise Hardy, Sexsmith, The Bee Gees) sit uneasily beside originals, yet Feist's voice bridges the gap between Tin Pan Alley and postmodern folk, making the album feel like both a period piece and something timeless. In a sea of 2000s indie pop, it remains an essential, if occasionally indulgent, listen.
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[Feist - Let It Die on Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Let_It_Die_(album))
[Feist - Let It Die - Pitchfork](https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/3314-let-it-die/)
[Feist - Let It Die - AllMusic](https://www.allmusic.com/album/let-it-die-mw0000121156)
[Feist - Let It Die - Rolling Stone](https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-albums/let-it-die-feist-review-1233301233/)
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