Let It Die (album)

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Let It Die
Studio album by
Feist
ReleasedMay 18, 2004 (2004-05-18)
Recorded2002–2003
StudioFerber [fr], Paris
Length
  • 38:34 (CAN)
  • 37:49 (US & UK)
Label
ProducerRenaud Letang
Feist chronology
Monarch (Lay Your Jewelled Head Down)
(1999) 		Let It Die
(2004) 		Open Season
(2006)
Alternative cover
US release by Cherrytree Records

Let It Die is the second studio album by the Canadian singer-songwriter Feist. It was released in Canada on May 18, 2004, by Arts & Crafts Records.[1] Recorded at Paris's Studios Ferber [fr] in 2002 and 2003,[2] the album combines jazz, bossa nova and indie rock.

Background[edit]

Let It Die was welcomed as one of the best Canadian pop albums of 2004. It was nominated for three Juno Awards in 2005, and won two: Best Alternative Album and Best New Artist. A track from the album, "Inside and Out", was nominated as Single of the Year in the 2006 Juno Awards. In 2012, NOW Magazine ranked Let It Die at No. 4 on list of The 50 Best Toronto Albums Ever.[3]

Let It Die has attracted a significant international audience. The album was originally divided into original compositions on the first half and cover versions on the second, though a reissue later in 2004 added a further original composition as the penultimate track.

Composition[edit]

Music and lyrics[edit]

Barry Walters of Rolling Stone likened Feist's vocals on the album to "the jazz tingle of Peggy Lee", and her melodicism to Tin Pan Alley.[4] Walters also said that Let It Die to draw influence from chamber pop, chill-out, postmodern folk, and Burt Bacharach, and described the album as "indie lounge pop".[4]

Let It Die contains elements of folk, bossa nova, and indie rock.[5]

Critical reception[edit]

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[6]
The Austin Chronicle[7]
The Boston Phoenix[8]
Entertainment WeeklyA−[9]
The Guardian[10]
The Irish Times[11]
Pitchfork8.1/10[12]
PopMatters8/10[13]
Rolling Stone[4]
Uncut8/10[14]

MacKenzie Wilson of AllMusic gave praise to the various production choices on the tracks and the vocal work over it, saying that "[S]he's playful with her design and the overall composition flows nicely. Feist has varied styles and sounds just right, and that's what makes Let It Die the secret treasure that it is."[6] Barry Walters, writing for Rolling Stone, also lauded praise for the album's eclectic genre and vocal dynamics, saying that "Feist proves she's a modern gal with a sparse yet varied sound that draws from chamber pop, chill-out, postmodern folk, Burt Bacharach and beyond."[4]

At the 2017 Polaris Music Prize, the album won the public vote for the Heritage Prize in the 1996–2005 category.[15]

Track listing[edit]

Canadian release[edit]

All tracks are written by Feist, except where noted.

  1. "Gatekeeper" (Feist, Gonzales) – 2:16
  2. "Mushaboom" – 3:44
  3. "Let It Die" – 2:55
  4. "One Evening" – 3:36
  5. "Leisure Suite" (Feist, Gonzales) – 4:07
  6. "L'amour ne dure pas toujours" (Françoise Hardy) – 3:16
  7. "Lonely Lonely" (music by Tony Scherr, lyrics by Feist) – 4:10
  8. "When I Was a Young Girl" (trad., inspired by Texas Gladden) – 3:08
  9. "Secret Heart" (Ron Sexsmith) – 3:49
  10. "Inside and Out" (Barry Gibb, Maurice Gibb, Robin Gibb) – 4:17
  11. "Now at Last" (Bob Haymes) – 3:16

US and UK release[edit]

All tracks are written by Feist, except where noted.

  1. "Gatekeeper" (Feist, Gonzales) – 2:16
  2. "Mushaboom" – 3:44
  3. "Let It Die" – 2:55
  4. "One Evening" – 3:36
  5. "Leisure Suite" (Feist, Gonzales) – 4:07
  6. "Lonely Lonely" (music by Scherr, lyrics by Feist) – 4:10
  7. "When I Was a Young Girl" (trad., inspired by Gladden) – 3:08
  8. "Secret Heart" (Sexsmith) – 3:49
  9. "Inside and Out" (B. Gibb, M. Gibb, R. Gibb) – 4:17
  10. "Tout doucement" (Emile Jean Mercadier, Rene Albert Clausier) – 2:31
  11. "Now at Last" (Haymes) – 3:16

Personnel[edit]

Charts[edit]

Chart Peak
position
Austrian Albums Chart 51
Belgian Albums Chart (Wallonia) 47
French Albums Chart 38
German Albums Chart 92
U.S. Billboard Top Heatseekers 36

Certifications and sales[edit]

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[17] Platinum 115,000[16]
France (SNEP)[18] Gold 100,000*
United Kingdom (BPI)[19] Silver 60,000‡
United States — 190,000[16]
Summaries
Worldwide — 500,000[20]

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Pop & Rock New Releases". The Gazette. May 13, 2004. p. D3. Here are the releases scheduled for Tuesday [May 18, 2004].
  2. ^ Anon. (2018). Let It Die (Liner notes). Feist. Interscope. B0028538-01. Throughout 2002 and 2003, Feist and Gonzales headed to Paris whenever their schedules allowed, joining Letang at Les Studios Ferber.
  3. ^ "The 50 Best Toronto Albums Ever". NOW Magazine. Archived from the original on January 6, 2013. Retrieved January 4, 2013.
  4. ^ a b c d Walters, Barry (July 28, 2005). "Let It Die". Rolling Stone. Retrieved May 15, 2014.
  5. ^ Dye, David (July 25, 2005). "Feist Takes an Eclectic Turn on Her Solo Record". NPR. Retrieved November 2, 2017.
  6. ^ a b Wilson, MacKenzie. "Let It Die – Feist". AllMusic. Retrieved May 15, 2014.
  7. ^ Stevens, Darcie (May 6, 2005). "Feist: Let It Die (Cherrytree / Interscope)". The Austin Chronicle. Retrieved July 4, 2019.
  8. ^ Donnelly, Elisabeth (May 13–19, 2005). "Feist: Let It Die (Interscope)". The Boston Phoenix. Archived from the original on August 28, 2006. Retrieved April 18, 2019.
  9. ^ Greenblatt, Leah (May 9, 2005). "Let It Die". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on January 18, 2017. Retrieved June 3, 2016.
  10. ^ Simpson, Dave (July 9, 2004). "Feist: Let It Die". The Guardian. Retrieved July 4, 2019.
  11. ^ Carroll, Jim (July 30, 2004). "Feist: Let It Die (Polydor France)". The Irish Times. Retrieved July 4, 2019.
  12. ^ Pytlik, Mark (July 13, 2004). "Feist: Let It Die". Pitchfork. Retrieved May 15, 2014.
  13. ^ Yu, Kenneth (May 10, 2005). "Feist: Let It Die". PopMatters. Retrieved July 4, 2019.
  14. ^ Anderson, Jason (June 2017). "Feist: The Path to Pleasure". Uncut (241): 18.
  15. ^ "Tragically Hip album makes Polaris Heritage Prize list". Toronto Star, October 25, 2017.
  16. ^ a b Thompson, Robert (June 21, 2008). "Feist's hit album a big boost for Canadian label". Reuters. Retrieved March 8, 2019.
  17. ^ "Canadian album certifications – Feist – Let It Die". Music Canada.
  18. ^ "French album certifications – Feist – Let It Die" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved March 7, 2019.
  19. ^ "British album certifications – Feist – Let It Die". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved March 8, 2019.
  20. ^ Hamard, Jonathan (November 8, 2011). "Feist : trois concerts en France en mars 2012". Charts in France. Retrieved March 8, 2019.
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