Product Description

Third studio album from eccentric, eclectic Russian-born New Yorker follows hot on the heels of her 'Mary-Ann Meets TheGravediggers' compilation. Whilst Spektor made her name as part of the ultra-lo-fi "antifolk" scene, this release, produced by Dave Kahne (Bangles, Paul McCartney, Sugar Ray), hasa lush, expansive sound replete with a multitude of musicalideas through which Spektor's street-smart songwriting shines. Includes the single 'On The Radio'.

Track Listing

1. Fidelity
2. Better
3. Samson
4. On The Radio
5. Field Below
6. Hotel Song
7. Apres Moi
8. 20 Years Of Snow
9. That Time
10. Edit
11. Lady
12. Summer In The City

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #908 in Music
• Released on: 2006-07-10
• Number of discs: 1

Amazon.co.uk Review
The style known as "anti-folk," as realized by practitioners like Ani DiFranco and Billy Bragg, is derived from a punk aesthetic, and thus tends to be spare and confrontational. But while Regina Spektor's music is anti-folk in the way it subverts the traditional coffeehouse vibe, it's less interested in rebellion and more concerned with the joy of eccentricity, melody and surprise. Begin To Hope is full of surprises, and like her promising major label debut Soviet Kitsch, it displays an easy facility with song structure that enables her to go in different--sometimes wildly off-the-wall--directions without sounding scattered. Classically trained on the piano, she's been compared to Tori Amos, but her music isn't as delicate or precious. Fiona Apple comes up as well, but just because neither fits in the usual female singer/songwriter cookie cutter mold doesn't mean they sound the same. Her voice is actually the primary attraction, cracking and loopy on would-be lullabies like "On The Radio" and "Field Below," then punchy and cute on "Hotel Room." But the music, if understated in the mix next to her vocals, makes an impression as well, breaking in with twisty piano arpeggios ("20 Years of Snow") and occasional touches of electronica. It's a consistently intelligent and daring record, yet remains enormously listenable--a neat trick for anti-folk, or any other genre of music for that matter. --Matthew Cooke

Customer Reviews

Fabulously Regina. But not as groundbreaking as her earlier stuff
This cd is packed full of Spektors trademark original-ness. Unfortunately she seems to have toned down a bit and looked for a more main stream sound. Theres not the same quirkyness thats found in her earlier songs 'baby jesus' and 'music box' etc.
This is a great album and i advise any music lover buy it as it is truly original. However I only hope Spektor goes back to her quirky ways in her next attempt.

Best album I own!
I am a relatively new fan of Regina, but her music is fun, catchy and mind-blowingly original. I am amazed that she isn't insanely popular, but I figure that it is only a matter of time. This album has more of a pop feel than her others, and for this reason perhaps has the potential for a wider audience. "Soviet Kitsch" is worth buying, if only for the stunning "Us", but this album should definately be bought for the certain futre classics, "Fidelity", "Samson", "On The Radio" and "Hotel Song". To boot, she is obviously a very talented songwrier and pianist.

Tiresome
New Yawk arthouse/coffeehouse. Off the wall lyrics. Cold noodly piano and synths, piano and synths, yeah, welcome to singer/songwriter land where words and phrases are frequently repeated repeated repeated. Possibly a bit mad, probably not bad, but I suspect definitely dangerous to know. Squawky vocals, slurry delivery, noisy intakes of breath. Martha Wainwright does this stuff much better, much warmer. Other similarities - "True Colours" era Cyndi Lauper, Tori Amos of course (without the passion) and Mary Margaret O'Hara.