# Metals (album)

Metals is the fourth studio album by the Canadian singer-songwriter Feist. It was released on September 30, 2011, in Ireland, Austria, Switzerland, Germany, Sweden and Belgium; October 3, 2011 in the United Kingdom; and October 4, 2011, in the United States and Canada. The first single from the album is "How Come You Never Go There", which was released on August 12, 2011. The album was supported by a world tour which started in Amsterdam, Netherlands on October 15, 2011, and finished on October 20, 2012, in Latin America.
Metals debuted on the US Billboard 200 at number 7, and sold 38,000 copies in its first week. It earned Feist's best sales week and it was her first top 10 album to chart in the US. The album received acclaim from critics. It won the 2012 Polaris Music Prize, an award for the best Canadian album of the year.

## Promotion

Promotion for the album began with short videos which feature snippets of tracks and the making of the album. They were posted on her website and other social networking sites since July 21, 2011. Four days after, she officially announced the release of Metals. Artwork for the album was revealed on August 2, 2011; previously, fans were given the opportunity to select the color design for the album cover on Facebook.

## Writing and recording

After touring for her previous album, The Reminder, Feist was "emotionally deaf". She stopped playing music for two years, saying that she "wasn't curious anymore". In 2010, she went to the studio in Paris where she had recorded The Reminder. After coming back from Paris six months later, she wrote most of the album. For recording Metals, Feist went to Big Sur with the lyrics almost completed and set up an ad hoc recording studio. Metals was recorded in Toronto and Big Sur, with collaborators including Chilly Gonzales, Mocky, Brian LeBarton, Dean Stone, and producer Valgeir Sigurðsson. They began recording the album in January 2011. She said of the recording process that "I allowed for mistakes more than I ever have, which end up not being mistakes when you open things up and make room for them."
The album's title was partially inspired by Charles C. Mann's non-fiction book 1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus, where it describes the Aztecs' and conquistadors' differing ideas about precious metals such as gold.

## Composition

For the album, Feist aimed for a sound she described as "modern ancient", mixing old and new instruments. She stated that the album had "more chaos and movement and noise than I've had before." The music of Metals is influenced by genres such as jazz and the blues, and contains elements of folk. The lyrics of Metals contain a lot of "nature imagery", as Feist was fascinated by the weather since "it makes you feel so minute." They also contemplate topics such as dying love, mortality and solitude. She also pointed to "Sealion" from The Reminder and said that it "grandfathered some of the concepts in Metals". There are many minor chords and open fifths on Metals, as well as a lot of voices sung in unison. The songs "How Come You Never Go There" and "Anti-Pioneer" are ballads, the latter she had worked on for ten years.

## Reception

Professional ratings :
| Aggregate scores ||
| Source | Rating |
| AnyDecentMusic? | 7.8/10 |
| Metacritic | 81/100 |
| Review scores ||
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic | |
| The A.V. Club | B+ |
| Entertainment Weekly | B+ |
| The Guardian | |
| The Independent | |
| Los Angeles Times | |
| NME | 8/10 |
| Pitchfork | 7.7/10 |
| Rolling Stone | |
| Spin | 7/10 |
Metals debuted at number seven on the Billboard 200, selling about 38,000 copies. It was Feist's best ever sales week, and was her first appearance on the top 10 of the Billboard 200. At Metacritic, a website which assigns a normalised rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received a score of 81, based on 39 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".
Spin gave "Metals" a score of 7/10, writing "Taken individually, each song is as sturdy as oak -- the guitars have a magnesium shimmer, and every instrument seems bathed in its own spotlight, especially Feist's vocals, which feel like they're being whispered directly into your ear." In a positive review, Lindsay Zoladz of Pitchfork Media gave the album a 7.7 out of 10. She noted that there was no "1234" on the album, which is the reason that "it feels like such a refreshing and slyly badass statement of artistic integrity" and also that "it doesn't reach The Reminder's heights." Andrew Leahey of AllMusic wrote that "Feist's days as a provider of hip, trendy TV jingles may be over", and that "Metals does its best work at a slower speed".
Elysa Gardner of USA Today gave the album 2.5 stars out of 4, and named "The Bad in Each Other" and "Caught a Long Wind" as the highlights of the album. A mixed review from Slant Magazine criticized most of the album for not having a "real spark to it" and stated that "Metals is too dull for [Feist] to overcome".
The album has received a number of accolades. The New York Times and The Globe and Mail named Metals as the best album of 2011. Uncut and Paste named it the 17th and 29th best album of 2011, respectively. Q named it the 29th best album of 2011. Feist was nominated for Best International Female Artist at the 2012 BRIT Awards for Metals.
The album was named as a longlisted nominee for the 2012 Polaris Music Prize on June 14, 2012. The album won the Polaris Music Prize making her the first female artist to win the award and, as of September 25, 2012, it has sold 141,000 copies in the U.S. As of January 2012 UK sales stand at 40,000 copies according to The Guardian.

## Track listing

All tracks are written by Leslie Feist, except where noted

## Charts

| Chart (2011) | Peak position |
| Australian Albums Chart | 17 |
| Austrian Albums Chart | 11 |
| Belgian Albums Chart (Flanders) | 7 |
| Belgian Albums Chart (Wallonia) | 18 |
| Canadian Albums Chart | 2 |
| Danish Albums Chart | 10 |
| Dutch Albums Chart | 34 |
| Finnish Albums Chart | 30 |
| French Albums Chart | 9 |
| German Albums Chart | 6 |
| Irish Albums Chart | 27 |
| New Zealand Albums Chart | 13 |
| Norwegian Albums Chart | 10 |
| Portuguese Albums Chart | 21 |
| Spanish Albums Chart | 72 |
| Swedish Albums Chart | 18 |
| Swiss Albums Chart | 9 |
| UK Albums Chart | 28 |
| U.S. Billboard 200 | 7 |
| U.S. Billboard Rock Albums | 1 |

## Certifications and sales

| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
| Canada (Music Canada) | Platinum | 80,000$^^$ |
| France | — | 20,000 |
| United Kingdom | — | 40,000 |
| United States | — | 141,000 |
| $^^$ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |||

## Tour

Metals Tour

### Opening act

* Chilly Gonzales (select dates)
* M. Ward (select dates)
* Timber Timbre (select dates)
* Bon Iver (select dates)
* The Low Anthem (select dates)
| Date | City | Country | Venue |
| Europe ||||
| 15 October 2011 | Amsterdam | Netherlands | Carre Theater |
| 17 October 2011 | London | United Kingdom | Palladium |
| 19 October 2011 | Brussels | Belgium | Cirque Royal |
| 20 October 2011 | Paris | France | Olympia |
| 22 October 2011 | Berlin | Germany | Tempodrom |
| North America ||||
| 29 October 2011 | Philadelphia | United States | World Cafe 20th Anniversary |
| 2 November 2011 | New York City | United States | Howard Gilman Opera House |
| 4 November 2011 | Chicago | United States | Riviera Theater |
| 6 November 2011 | Atlanta | United States | The Tabernacle |
| 8 November 2011 | Dallas | United States | Majestic Theatre |
| 12 November 2011 | Los Angeles | United States | The Wiltern |
| 14 November 2011 | San Francisco | United States | The Warfield |
| 16 November 2011 | Portland, Oregon | United States | Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall |
| 17 November 2011 | Seattle | United States | The Moore Theater |
| 18 November 2011 | Vancouver | Canada | The Centre In Vancouver For Performing Arts |
| 20 November 2011 | Edmonton | Canada | Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium |
| 21 November 2011 | Calgary | Canada | Jack Singer Concert Hall |
| 1 December 2011 | Toronto | Canada | Massey Hall |
| 3 December 2011 | Montreal | Canada | Métropolis |
| 5 December 2011 | Ottawa | Canada | National Arts Centre |
| 6 December 2011 | Quebec City | Canada | Grand Théâtre de Québec |
| 12 December 2011 | Mexico City | Mexico | Teatro Fru Fru |
| 13 December 2011 | Mexico City | Mexico | Teatro Fru Fru |
| 15 December 2011 | Mexico City | Mexico | Teatro Fru Fru |
| 16 December 2011 | Mexico City | Mexico | Teatro Fru Fru |
| Oceania ||||
| 28 January 2012 | Brisbane | Australia | Laneway Festival |
| 30 January 2012 | Auckland | Australia | Laneway Festival |
| 1 February 2012 | Melbourne | Australia | Palais Theatre |
| 4 February 2012 | Melbourne | Australia | Laneway Festival |
| 5 February 2012 | Sydney | Australia | Laneway Festival |
| 7 February 2012 | Sydney | Australia | Enmore Theatre |
| 9 February 2012 | Adelaide | Australia | Thebarton Theatre |
| 11 February 2012 | Perth | Australia | Laneway Festival |
| Asia ||||
| 12 February 2012 | Singapore | Singapore | Laneway Festival |
| 15 February 2012 | Jakarta | Indonesia | Fairgrounds |
| Europe ||||
| 6 March 2012 | Oslo | Norway | Sentrum Scene |
| 7 March 2012 | Stockholm | Sweden | Cirkus |
| 8 March 2012 | Copenhagen | Denmark | Falkoner Theatre |
| 10 March 2012 | Vienna | Austria | Gasometer |
| 11 March 2012 | Zürich | Switzerland | Volkshaus |
| 12 March 2012 | Munich | Germany | Tonhalle |
| 13 March 2012 | Cologne | Germany | E-Werk |
| 15 March 2012 | Frankfurt | Germany | Jahrhunderthalle |
| 18 March 2012 | Lisbon | Portugal | Coliseu |
| 19 March 2012 | Porto | Portugal | Coliseu |
| 21 March 2012 | Paris | France | Le Zénith |
| 22 March 2012 | Villeurbanne | France | Transbordeur |
| 23 March 2012 | Lille | France | Theatre Sebastopol |
| 25 March 2012 | London | United Kingdom | Royal Albert Hall |
| 26 March 2012 | Manchester | United Kingdom | O2 Apollo |
| 27 March 2012 | Glasgow | United Kingdom | Royal Concert Hall |
| North America ||||
| 14 April 2012 | Indio | United States | Coachella Music Festival |
| 21 April 2012 | Indio | United States | Coachella Music Festival |
| 22 April 2012 | Phoenix | United States | Orpheum Theater |
| 23 April 2012 | Tucson | United States | TCC Arena |
| 25 April 2012 | Marfa | United States | Crowley Theatre |
| 26 April 2012 | Austin | United States | Stubb's |
| 28 April 2012 | New Orleans | United States | New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival |
| 30 April 2012 | Indianapolis | United States | Egyptian Room |
| 1 May 2012 | Nashville | United States | Ryman Auditorium |
| 2 May 2012 | Asheville | United States | Thomas Wolfe Auditorium |
| 3 May 2012 | Raleigh | United States | Memorial Auditorium |
| 5 May 2012 | New York | United States | Radio City Music Hall |
| 7 May 2012 | Boston | United States | House of Blues |
| 8 May 2012 | Philadelphia | United States | Academy of Music |
| 9 May 2012 | North Bethesda | United States | Strathmore |
| 11 May 2012 | Burlington, Vermont | United States | Flynn Theater |
| 28 May 2012 | George, Washington | United States | Sasquatch! Music Festival |
| 29 May 2012 | Boise, Idaho | United States | Idaho Botanical Garden |
| 31 May 2012 | Morrison, Colorado | United States | Red Rocks Amphitheatre |
| 2 June 2012 | Minneapolis | United States | Zoo Amphitheater |
| 3 June 2012 | Madison | United States | Orpheum Theatre |
| 5 June 2012 | Ann Arbor | United States | Ann Arbor Summer Festival |
| 6 June 2012 | Columbus | United States | Wexner Center |
| 8 June 2012 | Manchester, Tennessee | United States | Bonnaroo Music Festival |
| 22 June 2012 | Calgary | Canada | Sled Island Festival |
| 23 June 2012 | Saskatchewan | Canada | Sasktel Saskatchewan Jazz Fest |
| 4 July 2012 | Winnipeg | Canada | Winnipeg Folk Festival |
| 13 July 2012 | Chicago | United States | Pitchfork Music Festival |
| 14 July 2012 | Pittsburgh | United States | Stage AE |
| 15 July 2012 | Buffalo, New York | United States | Buffalo Place Rocks the Harbor |
| 4 August 2012 | Montreal | Canada | Osheaga Festival |
| Europe ||||
| 8 August 2012 | Oslo | Norway | Oya Festival |
| 10 August 2012 | Gothenburg | Sweden | Way Out West Festival |
| 12 August 2012 | Helsinki | Finland | Flow Festival |
| 13 August 2012 | Tallinn | Estonia | Kadioru Castle Flower Garden |
| 15 August 2012 | Hamburg | Germany | Stadtpark |
| 16 August 2012 | Hasselt | Belgium | Pukkelpop |
| 17 August 2012 | Biddinghuizen | Netherlands | Lowlands |
| 19 August 2012 | Brecon Beacons | United Kingdom | Green Man Festival |
| 21 August 2012 | Cologne | Germany | Tanzbrunnen |
| 22 August 2012 | Stuttgart | Germany | Freilichtbuhne Killesberg |
| 23 August 2012 | Lausanne | Switzerland | For Noise Festival |
| 25 August 2012 | Istanbul | Turkey | Istanbul Jazz Festival |
| North America ||||
| 31 August 2012 | Rouyn-Noranda | Canada | Festival de Musique Emergente |
| 1 September 2012 | Hamilton | Canada | Greenbelt Harvest Picnic |
| Latin America ||||
| 18 October 2012 | Buenos Aires | Argentina | Teatro Opera |
| 20 October 2012 | Santiago | Chile | Teatro Caupolicán |
| 22 October 2012 | São Paulo | Brazil | Cine Joia |
| 23 October 2012 | São Paulo | Brazil | Cine Joia |
| 24 October 2012 | Rio de Janeiro | Brazil | Circo Voador |
| 23 November 2012 | Querétaro | Mexico | Indio Emergente |
| 24 November 2012 | Puebla | Mexico | Indio Emergente |
| 25 November 2012 | Guadalajara | Mexico | Indio Emergente |

## Release history

| Region | Date | Format | Label |
| Worldwide | September 30, 2011 | Digital download | Polydor |
| Germany | September 30, 2011 | CD, Vinyl | Polydor |
| France | October 3, 2011 | CD, Vinyl | Polydor |
| United Kingdom | October 3, 2011 | CD, Download, Vinyl | Polydor |
| Canada | October 4, 2011 | CD, Download, Vinyl | Arts & Crafts |
| United States | October 4, 2011 | CD, Download, Vinyl | Cherrytree |