Regina Spektor– Begin To Hope Review
Posted by Morgan Marx on 07.05.2006
A definite jumpstart to a kind of blah musical summer ...
At a recent “Pops on the Edge” performance, Boston Symphony Orchestra conductor Keith Lockhart explained how the esteemed organization had chosen to play along side alternative rock act My Morning Jacket. Lockhart said that he had just embraced the iPod, but was dismayed at the “genre” tab that categorized the music he loved. He pointed out that many artists, including My Morning Jacket, could not easily be pigeonholed by a simple catchall genre. The great artists, whatever primary genre they operate within, incorporate sounds from all over the sonic map.
I was thinking of this little anecdote as I imported Regina Spektor’s latest album, Begin To Hope into my iTunes. The little genre tab that starred back at me was suggesting that this excellent album, which contains songs ranging from full-on piano ballads to pieces of electronic exploration, should best be classified as “folk.” This categorization seems tenuous at best, though elements of folk can be found throughout the 12 tracks, particularly in Spektor’s ability as a storyteller. Trying to pin Spektor to one genre seems as difficult as trying to restrain her soaring voice, with all its ticks and glitches intact.
The album opens with the song “Fidelity,” which should be immediately startling to listeners expecting a continuation of Spektor’s break-through release, Soviet Kitsch. A steady “thrum-thrum” supplied by a drum machine supports the track, which features very little piano. While the piano still plays an important role throughout the album (like on the song “20 Years Of Snow”), Spektor has expanded her sound. Instruments such as guitar, bass, and even an Er Hu (which I’ll pretend to recognize) are all featured expertly. Regardless, Spektor’s main instrument remains her voice. On Begin To Hope she sounds flawless, at times crystal clear and operatic, elsewhere soulful and bluesy. Spektor has the ability to add an extra 9 syllables into words like “heart,” which is either endearing or maddening, depending on your taste in vocalists. Her odd accent (Russian by way of New York) also contorts words like “snow” and “yours” in new and exciting ways.
The overall tone of the album shifts from track to track on a dime. “Better” features lead guitar supplied by Stroke (and Spektor buddy) Nick Valensi (the one who looks like a member of the Italian national soccer team). The track is a true torch song that could sound at home on modern mainstream radio. This leads right into “Samson” which is built on gentle piano plinking and a beautiful vocal arrangement. “Samson” is similar to several of the tracks off of Kitsch in that Spektor manages to establish a setting, characters, and a conflict all in the space of a 3:30 song.
“On The Radio” is (I believe) the first single, and could definitely be one of those “Summer songs” that you hear all over the place. A simple, catchy “da duh da, duh da” beat frees Spektor to spin a web of wordplay, all revolving around catching a double dose of “November Rain” on the radio. A line like “That solo’s awful long/ but it’s a good refrain” can instantly put a smile on you face.
“Field Below” and “Apres Moi” are the two folkiest tracks, and each stand out in their own ways. “Field” features the aforementioned Er Hu in a duet with Spektor’s piano. The song builds and builds and crescendos with both instruments and Spektor’s voice scaling higher and higher. The song has a real nostalgic feel to it, calling to mind dustbowl era America. “Apres Moi” finds Spektor singing in her native Russian over a real menacing piano riff. The track is full of foreboding, a real Wagnerian warning of a song.
In the end, Begin To Hope traverses really differing landscapes without ever spreading itself to thin. The album is slightly more mainstream that Spektor’s previous offerings, but retains her own quirky idiosyncrasies that set her apart from other piano based artists such as Jolie Holland and, I don’t know, someone like Norah Jones. While some might be surprised at the new genres Spektor tackles (“Edit” sounds downright Radiohead-like with its electronic fuzz intro), most listeners will be able to find at least 3 or 4 tracks they absolutely love. And you might just want to leave the genre tab in your iTunes blank.
The 411: A true surprise, both in terms of quality and musical terrain, Begin To Hope is definitely one of the better releases of 2006. Regina Spektor should see her profile increase with the success of this album, and should finally be able to discard the tag of “that chick that opened for the Strokes.”
