Regina Spektor, 'Far' (Sire)
Off-kilter diva composes entrancing beach soundtrack.
By David Bevan 07.01.09 7:49 PM
Three years after her major-label splash Begin to Hope, New York pianist Regina Spektor went back into the studio with four (!) multiplatinum producers of varying pop backgrounds, including Dr. Dre/Eminem/Fiona Apple enabler Mike Elizondo and former McCartney/Harrison/Wilbury collaborator and ELO founder Jeff Lynne. Yet despite so many hands at the controls, the only prints and smudges to be found are Spektor's own. Far snuggles between her previous efforts, linking the heady sweep of 2003's Soviet Kitsch to the roundabout pop treats of Begin to Hope.
On lead-off track "The Calculation," Spektor purrs a scenario of love and hurt that plays out in the breakfast nook, her rubberband vocal tics flush with an almost Caribbean piano hook. In fact, the hiccups that drove songs such as her last album's hit single "Fidelity" sweeten the melodies even further here. "Eet" takes its title from the hilly phonetics of its near-yodeled chorus, while "Folding Chair" features Spektor singing as she dreamed dolphins might.
Her Joan Osborne–esque look at G-O-D on "Laughing With" is heartbreakingly sharp. But it's "Folding Chair," which refines Spektor's blend of classicist flourish and pure pop sense, that best encapsulates her talents and gnarly eccentricities. After opening with ivory wisps of the sex Pistols' "God Save the Queen," she quickly guns it back to the islands, unfurling a balmy new melody like a beach towel. Just in time for summer.
Watch: Regina Spektor, "Eet"
I have loved Regina ever since I first heard her music; the lady is definitely a genius. I've bought every one of her albums. I may not always like every song of every album but the girl is consistently soulful and original! The album "Far" in my opinion is evidence of her continual evolution and improvement as she becomes more mature.
Hey, people are entitled to their own opinions. You don't like the album? Fine. You can not like it for whatever reason. No piece of music is ever going to be agreed with by everyone. Also, it would actually be quite boring if everyone liked everything. But to say stuff like "This is not Regina, she's being forced to do this by her label, she sold out, blah blah blah" is ridiculous. If you're truly a fan of Regina, then you would know that Regina ALWAYS marches to the beat of her own drum. She likes experimenting with different sounds and genres and refuses to be pigeonholed to one particular style. Someone like that will be polarizing, and will make music that will not always sit well with even her most diehard fans. That doesn't mean that you should start making baseless accusations about her intentions. You don't personally know Regina or know what her relationship is with her label, so calling her a "sellout" is childish. It makes you sound like a butthurt Metallica fan. And just because something is mainstream and radio-friendly doesn't ALWAYS mean it sucks.Try being more mature, people.
I love people who assume they know who artists are. How can you say this is not Regina Spektor? It may not be who YOU think Regina is, but I think Regina only knows who SHE is. This album seems like a logical progression from the last. Each album as gotten more and more radio friendly, while remaining quirky and a little goofy. I don't know how many radio songs that feature a female immitating dolphin noises in the chorus.
This certainly IS a Regina album. One of her most easily distinguished characteristics is that she almost always turns songs on their heads - quirkier, up-tempo sons tend to have dark or tragic meaning when you listen to them closely and vice versa (Flyin', Pavlov's daughter and Buildings and that's just from one album) - and this is still one of the defining features on Far (Dance anthem of the 80's, Folding chair, Laughing with and Blue lips). Drums feature prominently on Pavlov's daughter, Better and Fidelity, so why shouldn't they feature on Eet? Frankly, the way the drums add pace without changing the tempo of the song is wonderful. This album has also added something to her as a songwriter because while Regina has always shown that she can write to suit various musical styles, people have constantly pointed out that she only writes "little" songs. This album (together with The Call) can justifiably be described as Epic.
If I'm honest, the very first time I listened to this album I felt a little like some of you. However, if you listen to it without expecting to hear these songs in a certain way I hope you'll see it the way I now do. As yet another stunning album from one of the most talented and fascinating artists of all time.
Thank you Regina
More please!
I don't care what anyone says, I love this album and I will for years to come,
the entire thing hit me like a brick wall, a cushioned one though :D
As someone has already said, this IS Regina inside and out, a perfect album, it'll be hard to top but I have a feeling that she'll do it with ease =]
Iit's just NOT Regina Spektor? Damn! I paid $10 bucks for the albumn. I wish I knew who it is, because I love it!
"No one can say this album isn't Regina."
Oh, I am saying it. I picked up the album and for a second wondered whether I made a mistake and bought a Coldplay album. No real emotion, slick but uninspired. Throw a drum loop here, a hook there. Sounds nothing like Begin to Hope, and certainly not like Soviet Kitsch.
I think, frankly, that Regina is simply interested in making some $$$, and this album presents bland but pleasant enough background music one doesn't have to pay too much attention too. Just like Coldplay.
No one can say this album isn't Regina.
You know why?
Blue Lips, Folding Chair, Human Of The Year, Genius Next Door, One More Time With Feeling, Man Of A Thousand Faces, Dance Anthem, Wallet, and even Time Is All Around on the Deluxe Edition are all OLD Regina songs.
I have live recordings of some of these songs from '05/'06
The majority of these songs are "classic" Regina, especially the latter half of the album.
They are "as Regina" as you can get.
Yeah, I love it. I love the album, I love the songs, and I love that she is honest enough about her art to ultimately not really care what people think about it. I'm a recent convert, but I'm sold.
I actually went to school with Regina and I would agree with some of the posts, what set her apart was her sound. There was something different from the bands from our school like TV on the Radio, The Moldy Peaches... etc and this sounds great, but doesn't stand apart.
This album is more "Regina" than she's allowed herself to be in a long time. She's growing as an artist, which is great! That said, her live performances are always going to be better than any recordings; they always have that little extra quirk, or that strong burst of emotion, that you just don't/can't pick up in a recording.
She is much better about being herself in this album than she was in Begin to Hope. Many of the titles are, infact, classic "Regina", such as Dance Anthem of the 80's. It feels like she's finally finding herself again.
There's absolutely nothing missing from this album. This album is Regina inside and out. It's lovely and the songs are wonderful and ask the listener to look for the meaning in each lyric.
As far as being "overproduced" here's a quote from Regina herself( responding to similar criticisms of 'Begin To Hope'):
"Don't think I haven't noticed the petite hurricane of thoughts and feelings that has erupted about the new music I put up a few days ago. It is fascinating to behold that much varied response. The me within me is smiling. I am, on the one hand, glad that people take that much ownership of my work, and on the other, overwhelmed. I guess there is not much for me to say except that i only make music I love and care about. I make it all myself with help from people i love and care about. No one makes me do anything. Ever. (Ask my parents.) So no more of this "what did 'they' do to you!' stuff, kids. They the label? Big Brother? The government? Well...sarcasm... how i love you... but what i guess I am trying to say is that i am proud of all the work i have done on this record, and that if for some reason it makes you happy or upsets you, either way, it is I who did it. Not "they". Me. With a lot of help and inspiration from David Kahne, who is amazing. And even though, just like any song writer, i always hope my songs will find nice homes and people to belong to, it would be a lie for me to say that's what I do it for. The thing is, I will always do whatever the **** I want, and it's because I care about and respect music/all of you/us/myself... And at the end of the day, remember. This is also why i am not a doctor. I just want to make things and use my heart and brain and self in the process. There are no lives at stake here. It's bloodless. It's music. At the end of the day it's just rock n roll... and i send you all huge- HUGE- hugs... Be well my friends, and stay as passionate as you are. Put yourselves out there, have fun, be serious, care, do things how you want them done, change your mind, choose for yourselves, and i will try to do the same. With utmost respect and gratitude-
your local controversial singer du jour,
Regina"
I certainly don't trust anyone who puts Lily Allen and Feist in the same catagory...
I think this album is great.
"but it's just NOT Regina Spektor"
I cannot agree with this comment more. There is something missing from this album, it just doesn't hit you the same way the others do.
I can get that in her vastness of her talent she will make a few mainstream songs, but there are at least 4 songs on that album which are her best and they have completely ruined with all the cluttering of instruments and toning down of her voice and the piano.
I think I'll give this album a miss and continue to fawn over the live versions
"but it's just NOT Regina Spektor"
I'm pretty sure the person commenting above doesn't actually KNOW Regina Spektor, whose music is famed for being 'different'. In fact I prefer Far in comparison with Begin to Hope - Why would you want another album that sounds exactly like the previous others; The album is clearly not 'over-produced' its as rawer Begin to Hope, with the only track outstanding being Machine (possibly one of the best songs on the album) - It's a sure sign of Regina's vast talent that she required the aid of four different producers to create her vision.
I absolutely love Regina, but I gotta say, I'm really disappointed in this album! I really cute, upbeat, and I'm sure she'll get a hit single or two from it, but it's just NOT Regina Spektor. It's over produced and really leaves behind what makes her so great. It lacks the intensity of her previous albums, and there's nothing distinguishing her from artists like Lily Allen and Feist.
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