Hope and Change 4 Out of 5 Stars
Regina Spektor takes the old fashioned piano-pop vibe and twists it to her will on her 2006 album "Begin to Hope." She keeps the sound spare and often fragile, with her overwhelming personality conquering the limitations of her voice. She reveals as much about herself as any old-time confessional folkie ever did, at the same time she lets her friendship with bands like The Strokes or Kings of Leon mashup her songs like "That Time."
One of the fun things about Spektor is that she is obviously nobody's girl-toy. While her piano styles might bring to mind Tori Amos or Fiona Apple, if only because these are two of the more eclectic of our modern female singer songwriters. But more often that not, I am reminded of Joni Mitchel, who was happy to torque style with albums like "Court and Spark" and was all about courting the unconverted. A beautiful love song like "Fidelity" (my introduction to Spektor via an anti-Prop 8 advert) is varied not only by the beautiful melody, but also by Spektor's chirpy singing.
"Begin To Hope" is Spektor's most conventional album, with veteran producer David Kahne framing her voice and songs in various ways but allowing the general atmosphere of the CD to stay cohesive. She plays with traditions (quoting the oldie "Just One Look" in her own "Hotel Song") while planting her own futures...making her albums unique in a world auto-tune and cookie-cutters are the norm.
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