Regina Spektor - Far (2009)

Review by Andrea

Regina Spektor's 2006 release, "Begin to Hope", remains a personal favourite of this decade.

It was the sublime mix of melodies, punk and Regina Spektor's stories about a New York doomed romantic that won us over. It was heartfelt and poignant, each piano note striking a chord deep down.

So it is with no surprise that I’ve been awaiting Spektor’s new material.

I hoped "Far" would be a return to her more antifolk roots, a bit more experimental, but at other times I secretly wished she would just write another Apres Moi, Lady or something equally as great as Summer in the City.

Expectations aside though, I must admit that "Far" is slightly disappointing, and probably disappointing for anyone who has heard any of Regina Spektor’s earlier work.

She has still retained some of the most interesting aspects of her music – the infectious melodies, unusual song structure and her beautiful piano compositions - but what is missing this time around is a sense of self and place that was so dominant in her previous efforts.

Spektor’s first three albums conjured up images of smokey bars, post war Russia and New York stories.

Most of all, the songs were full of abrupt stops and strange turns that made Spektor one of the most unusual, yet incredibly sincere and honest artists to emerge in decades.

And while some of these elements were even lost on "Begin to Hope", the album compensated by fusing her quirks with universal themes, making it hard for anyone to deny Spektor’s talents.

In comparison, "Far" seems completely sanitised for the radio. Perhaps it’s the effects of semi-stardom following the somewhat “commercial” success of "Begin to Hope", but regardless, long gone are days of the punk New Yorker belting out powerful tunes.

Perhaps Regina Spektor didn’t see the irony in naming one of the tracks on "Far", Once More with Feeling.

However, all is not yet lost, as it is impossible to ignore some of "Far"’s better features. 

The album in fact, has a solid song progression and flows well from beginning to end, peaking and dipping at unusual places, but that’s the beauty of Spketor’s music.

The two outstanding tracks, Eet and Machine, are slightly reminiscent of her earlier work, though always with a different twist that keeps you guessing. And despite the fact that "Far" is one of Regina Spektor’s weaker albums to date, it still exhibits more imagination and dominant presence than a number of current singer/songwriters.

"Far" will probably go down a treat with those who have only been introduced to Regina Spektor with this album, but for those of us lucky enough to have witnessed her complete body of work, it is merely a bland dish.

RATING: 3 out of 5

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