Reading several fall music previews recently, I was hoping there’d be some news about Fiona Apple’s first album since 2005’s Extraordinary Machine. But with not a single peep to be found, who knows when to expect that set. So I’m instead devoting what might have been my divided attention to another female singer-songwriter whose new album is arriving after nearly as long a wait.

Out October 4, Feist‘s Metals is the follow-up to her 2007 critically acclaimed and commercial breakthrough The Reminder. So why four years? While an inescapable iPod commercial, a slot on Saturday Night Live, and a segment on Sesame Street brought attention from the masses and much bigger crowds to her shows, Feist felt it best to hit the pause button. “I just wanted to remember what it is to be still,” she told Rolling Stone.

This past February, feeling refreshed and finally ready to tackle new tunes, Feist decamped to California’s Big Sur. Enlisting the talents of Björk collaborator Valgeir Sigurðsson and some of the same players from The Reminder, Feist finished Metals in under three weeks.

The album’s first single, “How Come You Never Go There,” debuted last month and made its way to iTunes last week. Though there’s no missing the relationship troubles that shape the heart of the song, the sauntering piano-centric production is perfect accompaniment for an early fall stroll. Bringing me under Feist’s spell once more, the time she took sounds well spent. Hear here:

Over the weekend, Feist performed a secret show in Los Angeles, playing “How Come You Never Go There” live for the first time and debuting four more songs from Metals.

Purchase Feist – “How Come You Never Go There” via iTunes.