Review Summary: Regina's back, bitches.
The one thing that’s always intrigued me about Regina Spektor is how she defies categorisation. Never content to “sit still” musically, Spektor has always been an oddity in the way that she never adheres to one formula, constantly changing what you thought was coming next. Whether you like her or not, there’s no denying that there’s something immensely intriguing about her witty lyrics, odd vocal sound effects, and just her ability to shake up song. After having her songs featured on mainstream media and the success of her sixth album,
What We Saw from the Cheap Seats, there was a lot of anticipation to what was coming next. And really,
Remember Us to Life is definitely worth the wait.
“Remember Us to Life” is a perfect split of the “traditional” piano ballads we’ve come to expect from Spektor and a whole other side of more distinctive, unusual tracks. In a lot of ways, it’s a throwback to her earlier work; “The Trapper and the Furrier”, one of her best songs thus far, begins hauntingly a capella much like “Rejazz” or “Aching to Pupate”, while “Sellers of Flowers” seems to reference the rotting flowers on the table from “Soviet Kitsch”. But Regina’s done remakes of her early songs before, and as we know, she likes to shake things up a bit. While “Rejazz” continued with a rather simple double bass part, “The Trapper and the Furrier” mixes pizzicato strings and loud drums to create a much more developed sound.
Regina has changed since “11:11”, though the heart of her music is still very much here. As the album progresses, many of her old familiar habits start creeping back in. Her unpredictability – placing the mellow piano track “Older and Taller” immediately after the synth-heavy “Bleeding Heart”, for example – never fails to surprise. The beautifully sassy lyrics on “The Trapper and the Furrier” are just as thought-provoking (“What a strange, strange world we live in/Where the good are damned and the wicked forgiven”) and eloquent as we remember them from “Samson” and “Chemo Limo”. The highlight of Regina’s songs have always been within her lyrics, and here is no exception.
Still, Regina manages to catch us off-guard here on a number of occasions, using newer, different sounds to create far more developed songs than she’s ever released before. One of the best examples of this being “Tornadoland”. With eerie violins and wind sound effects used to spotlight the song’s message of anxiety, the track is beautifully orchestrated, juxtaposing Regina’s softer lyrics with the more harsh “realities”. “Small Bill$” is another track some might find alien. With edgy, hip-hop style beats and harsher lyrics, it’s a perfect example of how much Regina has progressed over the years; her willingness to exlore and experiment into new areas and genres proves just why she's earned her loyal fanbase.
Remember Us to Life is one of Regina’s strongest efforts yet, appealing both to fans of Spektor’s more mainstream songs and fans of her older, more emotional and raw tracks. Similar to “Soviet Kitsch” in a lot of ways, both in its’ witty lyrics and downright beautiful instrumentation, it’s hard not to find something to like about this album. Though suffering in parts from overproduction, Regina’s seventh album, much like her, is incredibly likeable and contagious, with enough interesting new material to keep fans interested in her for many years to come.
Recommended Tracks:
Small Bill$
The Trapper and the Furrier
Tornadoland
