Far
When two creative individuals come together to work, the results can be either inspired or implosive. The singular singer/songwriter/pianist/arranger Regina Spektor collaborated with not one but four different producers on her fifth studio album, *Far*, and the result fortifies the Russian-American’s already impressive body of work. Traveling Wilbury Jeff Lynne (E.L.O., Paul McCartney), Mike Elizondo (50 Cent, Fiona Apple), Garrett Lee (U2), and David Kahne (Sugar Ray, Matthew Sweet) all worked with Spektor, who delves largely into the grand theme of religion. “Laughing With,” the haunting lead-off single, might have its analog in the saying “there are no atheists in foxholes.” “The Calculation” is pure joy, while “Blue Lips” evolves from a cinematically reflective introduction to an actively explorative cadence.
Arrested development and affectation continues to define Regina Spektor's quirky music-making. An all-star roll of producers are on hand, including Jeff Lynne.
Regina Spektor has been dogged by the q-word—“quirky”—since she first started to attract national attention with the 2004 album Soviet Kitsch. It’s not like the tag doesn’t fit. In concert, Spektor’s been known to take drumsticks to her piano, and she fills her songs with imagery that’s one part Lou Reed New York grit…
Regina Spektor worked with no less than four big-name producers on Far, all of them with very different backgrounds: David Kahne was her collaborator on 2006's Begin to Hope; Garret "Jacknife" Lee counts R.E.M. and U2 among his credits; Jeff Lynne's lavish sound is famous on ELO's albums; and Mike Elizondo has worked with Fiona Apple and Maroon 5.
<p>Tired of being a fringe taste, the Russian-born New Yorker's gone for the commercial jugular</p>
Regina Spektor’s fifth album, Far, follows all the usual rules and memes of bouncy folk-pop, often with unbridled glee.
<p>The follow-up to 2006's Begin to Hope is shinier, but just as whimsical, says <strong>Caroline Sullivan</strong></p>
Regina Spektor - Far review: The simple fact behind Regina Spektor's music is that she can do no wrong.