Regina Spektor
Remember Us to Life

In a 2016 that is proving to be highly prolific for female singer-songwriters, with the numerous comebacks of many of its exponents, Regina Spektor also returns, with an album that doesn't shift the stylistic focus of the Russian pianist by a jot, always teetering between the pop of her most famous works and anti-folk experimentation à la “Soviet Kitsch,” yet still manages to reserve some surprises.

The first of these is a sound palette that reveals itself to be much more varied than in the past, effortlessly ranging from the orchestral arrangements of “Tornadoland” to the percussive and synthetic arpeggios of “Bleeding Heart” and “Small Bill$,” which add new colors to the songwriter’s music. The second concerns the very nature of the tracks: “Remember Us to Life” is indeed Regina’s first album in over ten years entirely composed of totally new material; so no b-sides or reinterpretations of previously recorded songs this time, but eleven brand new tracks written by Spektor over the past four years, which leave a pleasant impression for the amount and quality of things she still has to say, as well as for writing abilities that over time have only improved and consolidated into one of the most personal pens of recent times. Because whether she delves into the delicate piano waltz of “Grand Hotel,” lets go with the pop of “Smaller and Taller” and “Black and White” (among the most beautiful performances of her career), or immerses herself in the wintery orchestra of “Sellers of Flowers,” Regina always manages to sound unmistakably herself, always poised between optimism and darkness, lightness and commitment (which becomes sharp social critique in “The Trapper and the Furrier”). Considering how saturated the genre she navigates is, I'd say that's no small feat.

As already mentioned, ultimately the stylistic essence remains the same, but Spektor must have learned how to master it at best, since she has shown no signs of faltering so far. A strong comeback, therefore, for one of the most delightful authors and performers of recent times, who seems to have no intention of stopping expressing herself. That’s good, hoping that the wait for the next album will be a bit shorter (4 years is no small amount!).

Rating: 4.5

P.S: I haven't said anything about Spektor's voice simply because there’s nothing more left to say. Regina always cares tremendously for what she sings, and even in “Remember Us to Life,” every note that comes out of her mouth is an immense pleasure for the ears, try it to believe it.