Going the Distance: Regina Spektor, 'Far'

| Print Post This | Like (0) | Comments (1)

REGINA SPEKTOR'S LATEST release, "Far," is a well-produced, highly distinctive piano pop album with a few genuinely winning songs.

Nonetheless, this is not a record for everyone.

To assist in determining whether "Far" will charm or irritate you, here are three potentially disqualifying musical biases that may preclude your enjoyment. There's no need to condemn yourself for your preferences; we all have our quirks, Spektor more so than most.

» You have a low tolerance for oddball female vocalists.
Spektor has an impressive range, and she is not about to let anyone forget it. On "Machine," for example, she repeats the phrase "Hooked into machine" first in a falsetto coo, moments later switching to a deep, theatrical growl.

By no means are the drastic highs and lows Spektor's only distinguishing vocal qualities. She uses her voice as an instrument on a number of occasions, forgoing traditional singing entirely.

On "Dance Anthem of the '80s" she accompanies the opening staccato piano by stuttering the first few lines, later breaking into beatboxing, not for the last time. On "Folding Chair" she actually does a dolphin impression. Despite these affectations, these two songs are among the best on the album. "Folding Chair" is an appropriately lighthearted ode to summer spontaneity, with a jaunty ska hook and winning lyrics such as, "Let's get a silver bullet trailer / And have a baby boy / I'll safety pin his clothes all cool / and you'll graffiti up his toys." Meanwhile, "Dance Anthem" builds satisfyingly from the jittery initial moments to a propulsive, if not especially '80s influenced, conclusion, with a few minimal voice and piano breaks along the way.

» You dislike ponderous lyrics about religion.
"Far" is not completely dominated by deep lyrics, and Spektor is at her best when commenting on New York life, as on "Dance Anthem," or spinning miniature narratives, such as "The Wallet," a track about glimpsing someone else's life by sifting through the contents of their lost billfold. Much of the album, however, dwells on deeper themes. "Laughing With" includes such unwieldy lyrics as "No one laughs at God when the cops knock on their door and they say we've got some bad news, sir / No one's laughing at God when there's a family fire or flood."

Spektor does contrast these situations with God's moments of relative levity, but anyone who still cringes at the thought of Joan Osbourne's "One of Us" will probably not be won over.

"Human of the Year" is even weightier, following lines about pews and icons with choral backing vocals and Spektor's own soaring hallelujahs. "Blue Lips" addresses similar themes, but is somewhat less heavy-handed, or at least benefits from a distractingly lush arrangement.



» You absolutely despise Tori Amos.
For the most part, Spektor integrates other instrumentation with her piano to make "Far" sound contemporary. For example, the prominent tuba on "Two Birds" makes the song. When she forgoes these additions, however, she often sounds very much like fellow piano based singer-songwriter Amos, most noticeably on "Eet" on which she trills in an uncanny Tori impersonation.

Written for Express by contributor Meg Zamula
Photos courtesy Regina Spektor