Regina Spektor – Far (2009)

My ex-girlfriend didn't really share my musical taste. She particularly didn't like female indie singers. As I was actively discouraged from listening to them at home back then, I didn't really discover all the amazing musicians and bands out there. Around 2009 I started to rebel this by actively finding new interesting female artists. Incidentally, one year later we split up. Regina Spektor was one of the first ones I discovered after my draught. Of course I had listened to other great female artists before and during the relationship, but this was a time when I remember deliberately deciding to discover more indie female artists. My friend at the time was writing a music blog where he introduced Far by Regina Spektor as one of the best albums of the year. I listened to it once and bought it the next day. Since then, I've also discovered all the great other albums by her.

Regina Spektor is a fantastic songwriter. She makes quite simple melodies, but there are more than enough good hooks in her songs. I really like the use of piano in her albums as well. There's something similar to musical theatre and musicals in he music. I'm not talking about those cheesy commercial musicals though, I'm just saying there's a theatrical quality in these songs. These songs also have intimate feel to them and I can see Spektor writing these songs about her own life on her piano in a living room somewhere.

Now, ten years later, I live in London and I play some music with a colleague of mine every once in a while. She's really into Regina Spektor and she's encouraged me to listen to more of her again. It's fun to play her songs because she's not taking herself too seriously, which means that there are lots of songs that are really simple and fun to play.

The album starts with bouncing piano and thumping drum in the song The Calculation. There's quirky playfulness in the melodies and I like how the happy melodies contrast with the more melancholic middle parts, where the lyrics follow a similar pattern. Eet was the first song that caught my attention from this album. It starts out beautifully with a delicate vocals and lone piano, but the song grows beautifully. This is a song that would also just sound spectacular on piano alone. Blue Lips continues the colder and darker aesthetics and there are some true theatrics in this song. It kind of remids me of another fantastic singer-songwriter, Laura Veirs. Folding Chair brings back the playful quirkiness where Spektor is in her home ground. These kinds of happy songs were the ones my ex-girlfriend particularly hated. Machine features some clanking noises that actually remind me of some machinery. In this song Spektor shows some of her greatest vocals. The song really has beautiful highs and lows to build a pattern of contrasts. Laughing With is another beautiful piano ballad. It's one of my favourite songs from this album. This is the kind of song I like playing myself when I'm alone. Human of the Year plays with slightly psychedelic melodies that are used in theatre pieces to depict insanity. Then again, the chorus is glorious blast of voice that contrasts nicely with the strange verse. Two Birds has hammering pianos and rising tempos that really remind me of Ben Folds. Dance Anthem of the 80's is another one of those bouncy and theatrical songs. For some reason the song kind of reminds me of Lily Allen. Genius Next Door has some amazing piano playing once again. There's something about really dramatic piano ballads that I've always been drawn to. The lyrics are of true storytelling tradition. One More Time With Feeling has a tempo that really reminds me of The Beatles. The vocals are also quite amazing in this emotional song. The album ends with a melancholic song Man of a Thousand Faces which is another excellent example of Spektor's excellence in lyrics.

Regina Spektor has some excellent music videos. The video for Laughing With has some amazing animation bits mixed with actual film footage. It's mostly just her singing the song but there are all sorts of image tricks done with animation ranging from brilliant computer animation to simple chalk drawings. The video also features the sky-coloured grand piano that is pictured in the album cover.

I really like the immediate simplicity of Regina Spektor's songs. I mean, they do have their quirks and it sure isn't easy making songs this good. I just mean that the melodies are simple enough to provide endless hooks and singalong opportunities. It's a pleasure listening to these kinds of singer-songwriter geniuses as an inspiration for my own music.

Listen to the album on Spotify.