Album Of The Week: Regina Spektor’s Remember Us To Life

What makes Regina Spektor’s music brilliant is the way she puts her natural quirkiness into her songs. It makes her artistic style genuine while creating an interesting take on pop music. There’s also a distinct variety with her material; she can’t be pinned down and her music is never redundant. Spektor has become one of the most consistent songwriters so far this century, and she’s keeping it going with her latest album, Remember Us To Life. Her seventh studio release shows Spektor’s musical maturity while offering something different with each track.

Remember Us To Life is kind of peculiar — this is the first time in Spektor’s career that she’s recorded an album with all brand new material. Her previous releases consist of songs she wrote at different times in her life while this record shows a new step forward.  Spektor once again has a majority of songs based on her impeccable piano skills on Remember Us To Life. There’s a certain chamber pop vibe that flows throughout the album. Spektor’s musical progression is near flawless and her latest release is an excellent example of that.

Lyrically Spektor always has had a knack for being poetic. What sets her apart in that area is how effortless it seems. She just puts herself out there without abiding by any sort of set structure. There’s something to say for that in a world full of mimics and pretenders. To get a further look into this, let’s examine my top tracks off of the Album Of The Week:

With a cool beat and a rhythmic groove, “Small Bill$” has a simple and catchy chorus. There’s also an orchestral aura present. “Tornadoland” is about the twists and turns life can put you through, sometimes making you feel like you’ve been left behind. Spektor’s skills on piano really shine on this one. The lead single “Bleeding Heart” steadily leads up to a chorus that exudes heartbreak and perseverance.

Regina Spektor’s only New England show in the near future is at College Street Music Hall in New Haven, Conn, on October 15 and it’s already sold out. A few dates later she’ll be heading to Europe as she continues her world tour in support of Remember Us To Life. Let’s hope she comes back to Providence sometime because her live performance is always on point. Until then, grab a copy of Spektor’s new album. It’ll lighten up your outlook while keeping things real.

Check out the lyric video for “Small Bill$” via Youtube: youtube.com/watch?v=B8Zmv2LJe88; Regina Spektor’s Website: reginaspektor.com