Since her first album 11:11 fifteen years ago, Regina Spektor has forged an impressive body of work. While she is most likely to be known for Orange is the New Black’s title song “You’ve Got Time”, for more die-hard fans (like me) this is only a taste of her talent. Her new album, Remember Us to Life, brings a whole new collection of songs that showcase her brilliance, and I have already been playing the album on repeat.
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Often given the restrictive – and frankly sexist – label of “eccentric female singer-songwriter” by critics, it seems easy to dismiss Regina Spektor as a yet another “quirky” lady, descended from the ranks of Kate Bush. While this is upsetting, partially because I also love Kate Bush, it’s also a massive shame. You must only look at lyrics such as ‘I know the morning is wiser than the evening/I know that all of life just happens in between’ (“The Light”) to see that Spektor is so much more than “quirky”. Her lyrics are very often profound, while still simple, and, as my housemate said to me earlier in the week, “Sometimes Regina just says things you need to hear”. After seven albums, and countless side projects, it seems simply outdated to still regard her as one of the ‘manic pixie dream girls’ of music.
While I do admit that her music is at times an acquired taste – not everyone enjoys hearing a singer use her own grunts and groans as percussion instruments, as she does in songs such as “Open”, “Lacrimosa” and “Pavlov’s Daughter” – what has always brought me back to her is her ability to capture life in her own surreal way. This is helped along by her musicality; as a classically trained pianist, she brings gravity to all aspects of the world. To name a *few*, “Summer in the City”, “Somedays”, “Buildings”, “Ghost of a Corporate Future” and “Time Is All Around” all show Spektor’s special ability to observe life.
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And, you will be thrilled to hear if this article has successfully indoctrinated you, Remember Us to Life has many more songs to add to the list above. “Older and Taller” is an insightful take on getting older, described as “Beatlesque” by Rolling Stone, and “The Trapper and the Furrier” is political and, in classic Regina style, outspoken. This new album is a welcome reminder of why I have followed Spektor’s career for so many years; it is a reminder that anyone can try to push boundaries and forge your own wonderfully unique identity, no matter what labels are forced upon you.