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'Far', in my opinion, is a slight let-down. Many of the songs are, in all fairness, catchy and have some very clever and even witty lyrics. 'Blue Lips', 'The calculation' and 'Laughing with' are very good songs, worthy of living in the modern charts. However, the overall standard of song ... Read review
Far is the fifth studio album by Russian-born singer-songwriterRegina Spektor. It is ... more
expected to be released by Sire Records onJune 22, 2009, as was announced in a press release on April 13. Thefirst single "Laughing With" was released to Regina's MySp...
The fifth studio album from New York singer/songwriter ReginaSpektor was produced in part ... more
by U2 and REM producer Jacknife Lee.Since self-releasing her own albums in 2001, 2002 & 2003Spektor has risen sharply in popularity, with Far being only herthird album to be released outside the United States. Oftencompared to musicians as diverse as Bjork and Chopin, Spektor isone of the biggest successes to emerge from the New York anti-folkscene.
Advantages: Some really catchy tunes and lyrics are fantastic Disadvantages: A few poor songs and melodies
Since the emergence of Miss Spektor's fourth album 'Begin to hope', the russian-born American has been propelled into the spotlight with the catchy tunes and lyrics catching our attention.
'Far', in my opinion, is a slight let-down. Many of the songs are, in all fairness, catchy and have some very clever and even witty lyrics. 'Blue Lips', 'The calculation' and 'Laughing with' are very good songs, worthy of living in the modern charts. ... ...as previous, with a few of the melodies not appealing to my taste.
It is a very unique and thought-provoking album, mixing the odd and the brillliant, combining wit and darkness and cartoon and real life.
I do not regret buying the album, it does grow on you, but, however critical I may be, I was expecting a slightly better quality from a hugely talented young woman with a massive future. ... more
Since the emergence of Miss Spektor's fourth album 'Begin to hope', the russian-born American has been propelled into the spotlight with the catchy tunes and lyrics catching our attention.
'Far', in my opinion, is a slight let-down. Many of the songs are, in all fairness, catchy and have some very clever and even witty lyrics. 'Blue Lips', 'The calculation' and 'Laughing with' are very good songs, worthy of living in the modern charts. However, the overall standard of song is not as good as previous, with a few of the melodies not appealing to my taste.
It is a very unique and thought-provoking album, mixing the odd and the brillliant, combining wit and darkness and cartoon and real life.
I do not regret buying the album, it does grow on you, but, however critical I may be, I was expecting a slightly better quality from a hugely talented young woman with a massive future.
Advantages: A wide range of unique songs. Disadvantages: Some songs are not so favourable to me, but they may be to you!
Russian born, new york raised singer songwriter ReginaSpektor never fails to bring a unique and interesting level to the music industry. The release Mary Ann and the Gravediggers, is by far her most inventive and most "out there" album, in my opinion. Track listing is as follows:
Disc: 1
1. Oedipus
2. Love Affair
3. Poor Little Rich Boy
4. Sailor Song
5. Mary Ann
6. Prisoners
7. Consequence of Sound
8. Daniel Cowman
9. Lacrimosa
10. Pavlov?s Daughter
11. Chemo Limo
12. Us
Disc: 2
1. Survival Guide to Soviet Kitsch
2. Us (Video)
Most importantly, Regina's songs make the listener think, they are so widely varied, drawing on influences from greek mythology, with Oedipus, the myth of a boy who inadvertenly kills his father and sleeps with his mother, albeit unbeknown to him at the time ...
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. It's something of a surprise, then, that FAR sounds so homogenized. On SOVIET KITSCH and BEGIN TO HOPE, Spektor's wide-eyed moments were balanced with darker, knowing songs that kept her music grounded. Here, almost all of the rough or unpredictable edges have been smoothed away, and all that's left is Spektor's sweet, quirky side. At times, FAR gets close to being too precious, whether it's putting Spektor's name in all lowercase letters in the liner notes, her dolphin on the otherwise charming "Folding Chair," or lyrics like "We made our own computer out of macaroni pieces" on the chirpy opener, "The Calculation." Even the album's darker tracks, such as the percussion-heavy "Machine," are surprisingly sugary compared to her previous work. However, Spektor's guileless voice and delivery allow her to get away with sounds and ideas that would be cloying in the hands of almost any other artist. She manages to make a song with the chorus "Eet, eet, eet" catchy and affecting, and fashions an observant and witty story out of returning a wallet to Blockbuster Video. Still, FAR's best moments occur when Spektor turns down the whimsy a few notches
Titles on disc 1
1.
Calculation, The
2.
Eet
3.
Blue Lips
4.
Folding Chair
5.
Machine
6.
Laughing With
7.
Human Of The Year
8.
Two Birds
9.
Dance Anthem Of The 80s
10.
Genius Next Door
11.
Wallet
12.
One More Time With Feeling
13.
Man Of A Thousand Faces
Ciao
Listed on Ciao since
29/05/2009
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