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Regina Spektor

“Far”

June 2009; Sire Records

By Emily J Ramey

Poetic, insightful, and seemingly effortless, simple, yet astoundingly esoteric, Regina Spektor is one of the last of her kind – a songwriting maven, if you will.  She has enchanted the indie pop world with her signature dichotomous staccato and graceful, fluid vocals, and her newest masterpiece is no exception.  Melodic, full, and well-blended, Far starts off with a bang – “The Calculation” is upbeat and irresistible; however, if one can get past the first track, he realizes that magnetic element isn’t the song, it’s Spektor herself: every track is saturated with her adorable wit and unconventionally beautiful voice, not to mention her elegant, inventive piano accompaniment.

Unpredictable and wide-ranging, Spektor’s melodies and subject matter are always anyone’s guess because everything and everyone is fair game – perspectives, situations, stories; Regina Spektor can sing about anything.  On Far, Spektor delves into new and fearless subject matter, including death, religion, and humanity.  “Blue Lips,” “Human of the Year,” “Machine,” and “Laughing With” are all clear examples.  However, Spektor’s sharp insight and spitfire intellect allow her to address heavily human themes with her characteristic light-hearted quirkiness, and with blithe, buoyant tracks like “The Calculation,” “Folding Chair,” “Dance Anthem of the 80s,” and “One More Time with Feeling” strategically placed throughout, the album not only flows with flawless forward movement, but overall comes across as optimistic, radiant even.  As does the woman herself.  Regina Spektor is a refreshing influence on today’s anti-folk scene, and a burgeoning musical icon.  Spektor proved herself worth listening to with her previous releases – Soviet Kitsch (2004) and Begin to Hope (2006), but Far goes on to show us that a little bit of charm and a lot of talent are tickets straight to the top.

287 words