Regina Spektor - Far
23 June 2009
Warner Bros.
Review by Nick Brandes

My first introduction to Mrs. Spektor was via Ben Folds on the song “You Don’t Know Me” which is absolutely delightful.  Her voice is springy and lovely.  Then I started reading about this European singer and saw her name next to Bjork, and this startled me.  I’m not a fan of Bjork, or Iceland, but I’m here to say, Mr. Spektor is far more than the previous artist, both lyrically and voice wise.

“Laughing With” is a tremendously beautiful song.  It’s a list of things that are so tragic followed by things so light, and song with such sensitivity and vocal range that it’s mesmerizing.  My favorite part is when she sings, “No one laughs at God/When the doctor calls after some routine tests/No one’s laughing at God/When it’s gotten real late/ And their kid’s not back from the party yet.”  Now imagine that with this beautifully soulful piano going on behind, it’s quite lovely.

“Folding Chair” is a quick little ditty that you’ll find yourself humming and singing for hours after you hear it.  What’s so nice is the rhythm of the song catches Spektor’s voice nicely that it seems like a frame holding her lyrics, and simply displaying them for the world to see.  The part that I can’t get out of my head goes, “Maybe one day you'll/ understand/That I want nothing from you but to sweetly hold your hand./'Til that day just please don't be so down,/Don't make frowns, you silly clown.”  It’s quite good.

This CD is full of delights.  Spektor’s voice is so soothing that I find myself wanting to listen to this while going out with a girl.  In my perfect world, on my perfect date, I would kiss the girl as that part of “Folding Chair” comes in, and is that not what we want in our music, to love it as we love someone else?