|
Style: quirky piano alternative, compare to Fiona Apple, St. Vincent, Tori Amos
Top tracks: "Firewood," "All the Rowboats," "Small Town Moon"
Regina Spektor's fifth album is an endearing, unpredictable show. The collection juxtaposes slick singles ("All the Rowboats,") with sparse ballads ("How") and operatic in-character experimentation ("Oh Marcello"). Spektor's not afraid to use her emotive voice in unusual ways, from mimicking trumpet to uttering visceral grunts. Her piano sprinkles classical flourishes, and her witty lyrics hint at Broadway-worthy storylines ("Open," "Ballad of a Politician," which uses the a-word). The Russian Jewish immigrant doesn't tackle God or the Bible as directly as she has in past work, but her poetic perspectives carry a universal intimacy that reaches the soul. Careful listeners will feel the tension between humanity and spirituality in the heartbreaking optimism of "Firewood."
Copyright © 2012 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.
Annual & Monthly subscriptions available.
- Print & Digital Issues of CT magazine
- Complete access to every article on ChristianityToday.com
- Unlimited access to 65+ years of CT’s online archives
- Member-only special issues
- Learn more
Read These Next
- TrendingAmerican Christians Should Stand with Israel under AttackWhile we pray for peace, we need moral clarity about this war.
- From the MagazineFractured Are the PeacemakersA Christian reconciliation group in Israel and Palestine warned that war would come. Now the war threatens their relevance.españolالعربيةFrançaisрусскийУкраїнська
- Editor's PickIf This Ain’t Country, Expand Your CanonBeyoncé’s right. Whether listening to Cowboy Carter or reading theology, diversity is a good thing.