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Regina Spektor worked with no less than four big-name producers on Far, all of them with very different backgrounds: David Kahne was her collaborator on 2006's Begin to Hope; Garret "Jacknife" Lee counts R.E.M. and U2 among his credits; Jeff Lynne's lavish sound is famous on ELO's albums; and Mike Elizondo has worked with Fiona Apple and Maroon 5. It's something of a surprise, then, that Far sounds so homogenized. On Soviet Kitsch and Begin to Hope, Spektor's wide-eyed moments were balanced with darker, knowing songs that kept her music grounded. Here, almost all of the rough or unpredictable edges have been smoothed away, and all that's left is Spektor's sweet, quirky side. At times, Far gets close to being unbearably precious, whether it's putting Spektor's name in all lowercase letters in the liner notes, her dolphin on the otherwise charming "Folding Chair," or lyrics like "We made our own computer out of macaroni pieces" on the chirpy opener, "The Calculation." Even the album's darker tracks, such as the percussion-heavy "Machine," are surprisingly sugary compared to her previous work. However, Spektor's guileless voice and delivery allow her to get away with sounds and ideas that would be horribly cloying in the hands of almost any other artist. She manages to make a song with the chorus "Eet, eet, eet" catchy and affecting, and fashions an observant and witty story out of returning a wallet to Blockbuster Video. Still, Far's best moments occur when Spektor turns down the whimsy a few notches. It's probably not a coincidence that the Kahne-produced "Human of the Year" shares some of Begin to Hope's intimacy and ambition, but "Blue Lips" and "Man of a Thousand Faces" also let Spektor's more mature -- but not overly serious -- side shine. Likewise, "Two Birds" and "One More Time with Feeling" show that she hasn't lost her touch for deceptively pretty pop with clever lyrics. While Far is far from bad, it doesn't quite live up to expectations, either, based on all the talent involved in making it and how fully Spektor expressed herself on Begin to Hope. ~ Heather Phares, All Music Guide
more albums by this artist
See all-
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- Begin To Hope
- Released 2006
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- Soviet Kitsch
- Released 2004
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- Begin To Hope (Bonus CD) (Bonus Tracks)
- Released 2006
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- 11:11 eleven eleven
- Released 2001
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listener reviews
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Blue is the Most Human Color
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- By ElyseElyse
- 7/12/2009 19:03:28
- This album was fucking excellent.That is all.
- 1 out of 1 people
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Not what I'd been waiting for.
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- By iFlipper7
- 6/26/2009 08:47:27
- Regina Spektor's last album, Begin to Hope, reached out, grabbed you and gave you a good shake. Unfortunately this album reaches out and gently taps you on the shoulder.
With better production values and plenty of polish this album takes away from the raw energy that I could feel on previous albums. That for me was the best thing about Regina Spektor's music.
While all this must sound a little negative, the album is still a good record with a couple of outstanding tracks. It's just not wait I had hoped for. - 2 out of 2 people
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"Far" Review...
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- By acedotcom
- 6/23/2009 16:46:03
- My little brother got me listening to RS about 2005 before she really hit it big and was still an indie darling. over the last few years
shes become substantially more popular and i think that Far represents that. It still has its organic indie roots without abandoning its
playful spirit or respect for emotion. My only complaint is that the album feels poorly playlist wise, and it creates a feeling of
pandering instead of trying to tell a story and creates a kind of sappy first half of the album and a much more uplift and satisfying last half. Of course, all that could have been fixed by reorganizing some of the tracks, but i suppose that all that is more personal opinion and doesnt detract from the quality of the album at all. Every track seems to be
well thought out and approached with care. This is an easy album to listen to, but it is devoid of the more "aggressive" tracks on her
earlier albums (1.99c blues, that time, chemo limo and the like), create an easier album to listen to.
Overall, this is a tremendous album, and is most likely going to be her most successful yet, but it feel like it abandones many of her older fans for a more populist feel.
EDIT: When this album was released, two extra track were added as downloads (Time is All Around and The Sword and the Pen). these definitely fill out the album and give it a more complete feeling. - 2 out of 2 people
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