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Published on 5/8/08
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When she released Soviet Kitsch in 2004, Regina Spektor gleaned attention mostly for two incidentals: backstory (she’s a Russian Jewish immigrant) and celebrity testimonial (the Strokes are fans). A couple of years later, Spektor doesn’t require these characterizations; the artist’s major-label debut commands praise on two more prominent strengths: her talent and imagination.
Begin to Hope is a more elaborate and conventional recording than her previous one, but it doesn’t strip away Spektor’s playful hiccups and quirks—it refines them. An exceptional pianist and vocal acrobat, she pulls the listener through an episodic set that includes a perfect pop single (“Better”), a hopped-up account of a drug misadventure (“That Time”) and a percussive piano ballad akin to Chopin’s raindrop prelude (“Apres Moi”). The lo-fi recordings and makeshift instruments of the singer-songwriter’s antifolk roots are all but gone, but not at the expense of the very drama that makes her music so captivating. On “Samson,” for instance, tempo and dynamics vacillate wildly, as an age-old tale finds rebirth in a modern love song. Spektor’s cultural history may have fed her ability to make so many styles her own. But as she surrenders to every flourish and subtle detail, it’s clear she’s lived up to all the hype by fulfilling her potential.—Cristina Black
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