Reviews

It's hard to put a finger on Feist.

Is she an ultracool indie rocker? A Starbucks-style chanteuse? Or is she the novelty act who dances through the loony Broadway-style "1234" video?

She was all those things — and quite a few more — Wednesday night at the Palladium Ballroom in a show that was fascinating and, at times, perplexing.

The Canadian singer began the show lurking behind a translucent white screen. To paraphrase Winston Churchill, she was a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, shrouded in an enigma.

And she loved every ambiguous minute of it. She kicked off the concert by mixing dirty surf guitar with high-energy African pop. Next up, she played the role of choir director and led the crowd in a three-part harmonic ode to Canada.

It was anyone's guess where she would go next. She segued from funky piano struts ("My Moon May Man") into horn-drenched chamber music ("The Park") into hypnotic sea chanteys ("Honey Honey"). And while she's no B.B. King, her new solo blues song was pretty convincing for a Canuck.

A four-piece band widened her palette with everything from flugelhorn to melodica. But the secret weapon was visual artist Clea Minakerper. Playing with finger paint, paper cutouts and shadows, Ms. Minaker's surreal screen projections jibed perfectly with Feist's bare-bones music, especially the ballads.

And there were ballads aplenty. Feist started her career as a punk-rock screamer, but now, at 32, she resembles the late Nina Simone with a wispy, raspy voice that relies on subtlety for its power.

Her voice worked wonders on her own ballads, as well as a dirge-pace version of the Bee Gees' "Love You Inside Out." But the mellow mood didn't always please the crowd.

Dozens of audience members talked rudely through the slow songs until the place felt like the old Gypsy Tea Room.

Perhaps that was to be expected. As a newcomer, Feist draws plenty of casual fans who get bored easily. And the cavernous, chairless Palladium Ballroom wasn't well-suited for a singer with so many ballads.

Next time Feist comes to town, perhaps she'll play a sit-down theater such as the Majestic or McFarlin Auditorium. Music as nuanced as hers deserves her audience's full attention.