Regina Spektor is like no other indie music artist of today. She seems to be the “Genius Next Door” with her brilliant tunes that leave me wanting more after every song ends. As each and every song of hers on iTunes pours out of my earbuds, I become absolutely breathless.
This Soviet born singer/songwriter has been around for more than a decade, but mention her name and many students are clueless as to who she is. It blows my mind that not every radio station is playing her 24/7. The combination of piano and her haunting voice help bring her whimsical lyrics to life.
Her subject matter is quite unusual compared to most popular artists. She does not write about events in her life but of characters in her imagination. This is what first grabbed my attention with her as each song is a different short story or ballad.
The matter of which she creates songs is atypical as well. Spektor has countless tracks, few of which are actually written down, that she claims to follow her. This illustrates what her music is like, free spirited. It also shows how naturally this music comes to her.
This music can appeal to almost everyone because the it ranges from punk/hip hop to classical folk. Spektor has said that she works hard to ensure that each of her songs has its own musical style, rather than trying to develop a distinctive style for her music as a whole.
Though her first tongue is Russian, she usually sings in English. However, there is an exception to this when she slips words from languages such as French, Russian or Latin. This gives all of her music an European edge.
Spektor has performed in America for quite a number of years, and has been here since attending Manhattan School of Music in New York. She has distinguished herself since 2005 by playing on a bright red baby grand piano.
Two beautiful albums have been produced by her. The more recent, “What We Saw From the Cheap Seats”, and her first “Live in London” both have many memorable tracks including “The Genius From Next Door”, “Eet” and “Calculations”. But really, there is no way to choose wrong with her music.
Each of her songs has a metaphorical meaning behind it. I constantly look up song meanings trying to put myself in Spektor’s mind set. It encourages me to view the world around me in different perspectives.
Overall, she writes some of the best music I have heard in all of my fifteen years of life. I will continue to follow her and hope for new tracks soon.
