A subtle little record this one. Perhaps too subtle.
Feist's most recognised track is undoubtedly 1,2,3,4, as used in the 2007 iPod campaign. Taken from her new album, 'Metals' (released today, pictured), How Come You Never Go There at first works on a similar level of whimsy, a relaxed affair that fades into the background. In truth, this is a track filled with angst, detailing the breakdown of a relationship: "We carry on as if the time is through / You carry on as if I don't love you / And so we find the way to lie...". The underlying brass adds a brash swagger; the electric guitar solo provides an inward outpouring of emotion that contradicts the protagonist's restraint; the song rhythmically staggers and stumbles on like the relationship in question. See past its easy-listening tendencies and the song has a raw edginess about it - this little voice demands to be heard.
4/5
