I suppose I should begin by stating my unabashed love for Regina Spektor. I’ve seen her live twice, and I hope to add to that total if she tours promoting Far, which released earlier this week.

Fans drawn in by the catchy sing-a-long vibe of  Begin to Hope will be disappointed. Far is more reminiscent of Spektor’s earlier albums and sounds much like an extension of Songs.  The lyrics to “Folding Chair” are typical of Spektor’s quirkiness, my favorite bit being, “I’ve got a perfect body because my eyelashes catch my sweat.” It’s pleasant yet provocative.

I don’t foresee any of these singles reaching the acclaim of “Fidelity” or “On the Radio” which is truly a shame because I prefer this side of Spektor.  Her music is so much richer than typical pop fare. Spektor’s piano playing is impeccable and her voice sparkles even in a crowd of thousands.

My last experience with Spektor was at a large Israeli festival in downtown DC last summer. While some of the speakers preceding her could barely be heard, Spektor’s voice rang like a bell. It was at this show that I also witnessed a vision of true beauty - a man and presumably his deaf son standing to the right of me - in the midst of a sweaty crowd of impatient teenagers waiting for “you know that one song ‘on the radio’”. The father patiently signed the words to each song while the son smiled, his eyes shining from a pure state of bliss. I hope that some day music will help each of you reach a similar state of elation, and perhaps Far is your ticket (though I’ll always be partial to Soviet Kitsch).