[Review] Regina Spektor – All The Rowboats

I, like the majority of America, fell in love with singer/songwriter Regina Spektor after hearing “Fidelity,” from her 2006 album Begin To Hope.  I’m not sure if it was the song’s appearance on a popular TV show like Grey’s Anatomy, or perhaps in a commercial but as soon as it played for the first time, I couldn’t get enough.  Spektor’s voice, while not all that powerful, is filled-to-the-brim with CHARACTER.  As a female singer, without a big, powerful voice and lots of range, you had better hope your voice has got CHARACTER, because otherwise you’ve got nothing.  Regina Spektor‘s voice has got character for days, and not only that! Regina Spektor is a poet.  Her gift and talent as a songwriter is IMMENSE.  No one knows the character of her voice better than she does, which in turn enables her to craft the perfect vehicle and for Regina Spektor, that perfect vehicle was “Fidelity.”

“All The Rowboats” was the first single released from Regina Spektor‘s upcoming sixth album (her fourth on a major label), What We Saw From The Cheap Seats, due out May 29th on Sire Records.  Released on iTunes February 28th, “All The Rowboats” fits that Regina Spektor mold.  It’s quirky through and through, complete with that quick, staccato delivery she’s known for in the verses, complemented by swelling melodies, lush orchestration and explosive percussion.  With all that instrumentation and “noise” going on around her, you’d think her voice would get swallowed up, but no. Regina Spektor‘s delivery is strong without being too forceful, her annunciation and diction clear and concise.  She tiptoes expertly around the unique phrasing of her verses, flowing naturally into each chorus.  As wondrous as it is to hear her sing on a recording, I can only imagine what she’s like live.

The album’s second single, “Don’t Leave Me (Ne me quitte pas)” was released on iTunes March 26th and is in stark contrast with it’s predecessor.  “All The Rowboats” has a haunting, foreboding undertone, whereas “Don’t Leave Me” is strangely cheerful and up-beat.  Strange that two such different songs come from  the same album, yet intriguing at the same time.  “Don’t Leave Me (Ne me quitte pas)” is actually a new version of “Ne me quitte pas,” a song that originally appeared on Spektor’s 2002 sophomore album, Songs, which Spektor released independently before signing with Sire.  What We Saw From The Cheap Seats was recorded in Los Angeles with producer Mike Elizondo (Fiona Apple, Alanis Morissette).

Download Regina Spektor on iTunes and check out the visually innovative video for “All The Rowboats” (directed by Adria Petty & Peter Sluszka) BELOW.