Since Feist released Let It Die in 2004, her music has gained popularity. Now, with the release of her fourth studio album, Metals, Feist might have just released her best record yet.

Metals boasts the same sweet and sultry vocal stylings of Leslie Feist (that we all know and love), but her style matured after licensing her music to Apple. Feist exploded into the mainstream with the infamous "1, 2, 3, 4" iPod commercial. The success of her second album brought her four Grammy nominations and five Juno awards in 2008.

The album starts with the beautifully pain-fueled “The Bad in Each Other," which layers Feist’s whispery, powerful vocals with a driving guitar before it relaxes into a playful but resigned chorus. Each track on the album seems to have this diversity. The next track, “Graveyard," slows down in a very classic Feist sound – easy, folk-jazz piano and vocals that play with rhythmic timing not commonly heard in the mainstream. The energy and togetherness of Feist and her musicians is captured on Metals, especially on tracks like "No Commotion," with simple, driving rhythms that errupt into the chorus with choral singing and yelling. Feist and her band also sound honest and sincere on more subdued tracks like "The Circle Married The Line," which is sweeter and quieter but still powerful.  Even when the sound is stark on "Cicadas & Gulls," it's executed with precision and intention that demonstrates the new maturity of sound, which differentiates this album from Feist's previous releases. Metals captures the musicianship and sultry vocals that Feist is known for. Her new album is deeply charged with an intensity of emotional vulnerability and powerful music that is harmonious and full of clarity and stillness. Quite simply, it’s a beautiful and diverse record. Enjoy. As posted on Blogcritics.org.