Regina Spektor may be the cutest person ever.

I guess that’s not really relevant to her musical prowess, but I thought it was a fact to be touched on.

As many of you know, Regina Spektor released a new album, Far, not so long ago. I, of course, bought it. I even went crazy and bought the version with a DVD of music videos and two bonus songs.

That’s how excited I was.

I guess I should preface this with my opinion on Regina Spektor’s younger days of music makery, as everyone else feels the need to compare new Regina to old Regina.

11:11 is too crazy for me. I know, I’m a heretic. “Buildings” is pretty fabulous, but outside of that song i find the whole album to be so quirky as to almost be abrasive. It’s intrusive.

With that confession out of the way, I feel free as a bird and can forge ahead.

“Soviet Kitsch” saw, for me, a proper ratio of goofiness to amazing musical ability. “Begin to Hope” saw less goofiness, but there was just so much brilliant pop undertoneage. Once again label me a sinner and a heretic, but I think “Begin to Hope” may be the best alt-pop album. I don’t know if alt-pop exists properly, and I don’t want to google it lest it made me change my mind.

But, onto “Far”.

It’s…interesting. I feel as if both “Soviet Kitsch” and “Begin to Hope” had an overall feel to the album. Not so with “Far”. It switches around a tidge.

This album features many classical piano-heavy songs with a slow(ish) tempo. “Après Moi” comes to mind, though I feel as if that song did it way way better. For my taste, too many songs sound classically composed in some manner. They’re certainly not bad, they are perhaps just not my cup of tea. For example, I rated 7 songs from my 16 song CD as 3.5 stars. Just below something i would want to listen to often.

While an amount of the album doesn’t stand out to me personally, the songs she does do well (in my opinion) she does extremely well.

[Editor's note: None of the songs from "Far" are listed on last.fm so we have no links available for preview purposes.]

“Folding Chair” is just fantastic. When she mimics “the dolphins’ song” I giggle. It’s too lovely. I can personally attest that this song is perfect to dance to while making dinner on vacation at the beach.

“Dance Anthem of the 80’s” first struck me as a little hokey. I couldn’t have been more wrong. It’s cute. It’s goofy. It’s not, at all, hokey. It contains the most perfect bridge music has ever tasted, as well. As I generally think bridges detract from music and ought to just be left behind for the wolves, this is a feat. I love that bridge so much.

“The Calculation” sounds to me like it belongs on “Begin to Hope”. It’s clean, not that goofy, and super cute. It made me think this whole album would be like “Begin to Hope” part two.

There are some other keepers on the album. There are 6 other tracks on the album that i rated somewhere between a 4 star and a 5 star – the album is more than worth a peak, especially from a seasoned Regina-appreciator.

What to Expect?

Regina. She’s cute. She’s awesome. and she’s wicked talented.

What to take Away?

With this album, there’s no denying she’s good. It’s more a matter of your tastebuds how you’ll feel when the album stops spinning.

What Drink to Pair it With?

A glass of 2007 Helfrich Gewürztraminer. A lovely, spicey, vibrant red wine.

Favorite Song?

I think it comes down to “Folding Chair”. It’s just too good, though it only beats out “Dance Anthem of the 80’s” by a hair.

Somewhere between sleep and wakefulness there exists a universe of solid beats and breathy lyrics that seductively pulls you toward a deep and encompassing netherworld. No matter how hard you try you can never seem to quite reach that soothing, entrancing place, but there is hope my friends.

Phantogram.

Yes, Phantogram – fronted by the talented Josh Carter and Sarah Barthel, this wonder of electronica manages to capture and channel the sounds that linger on the fringes of consciousness and bring them to you on a shiny EP (available from their MySpace page) that you can keep forever and ever.

This is unabashedly a lot of gushing – and frankly, I apologize, but after listening to song after lackluster song one becomes a little underwhelmed with the vastness and generality of the music realm. Phantogram brings emotion to the table, and that is what lends them their power. Whether intended or not, each song in their (regrettably) small portfolio of five runs thick with hooks that tease thoughts and caress the whimsical side of the mind causing the brain to meander on creative rabbit trails into, over and around Wonderland.

Your individual experience may vary.

Sarah’s airy vocals, redolent of an alpine breeze (if I do say so myself), compliment Josh’s peculiar, almost island-quality singing making it seem more concrete than it otherwise would. Throw those into a jungle of soul-soothing bass accented by perfectly manicured boppy synths and you have the recipe for what is rapidly becoming one of my favorite albums of the year… And it’s only an EP!

Interestingly enough, each song has a different feel even though I believe the album uniformly broadcasts the same emotion.

(Note: Some of these songs may be listened to from the band’s MySpace page, but since the band doesn’t have any recordings up on last.fm (as of this writing) I haven’t even bothered to link them to that service yet.)

“Mouthful of Diamonds” is awash with perfectly executed pop overtones that Sarah highlights with a near-ballad in her customary ethereal tones. The random tweaking of the synths adds character and background to what could otherwise have been a relatively predictable song.

“Running from the Cops” relies heavily on its vocoder usage and powerful pulsing beat to bring about a feeling of darkness just as Sarah releases a surreal croon that transforms the scene into something truly otherworldly.

“When I’m Small” starts with a simple drum throbbing that breaks away into bass-heavy chords and Sarah’s slightly-more-palpable-than-usual lyrics before again letting out into a generic tonal pulse for a bit of the chorus. The well-executed simplicity of this song provides it an edge where so many others have failed.

And I still have two more songs to fawn over.

“Bloody Palms” is a slightly edgier more urban sound than the previous three songs, and it’s unique transitions between Las Angeles metro-station and Miami suburb I find particularly appealing. It also starts showing off the Caribbean twangs of Josh’s vocals.

“Voices” is such a great way to end the album. It brings you back to the comforting feel of “Mouthful of Diamonds” but lacks the topical sadness of the opener, and it further showcases Josh’s Caribbean intonation in a lyrical laminate with Sarah. The tame – generally calm nature of the music in this song is also a nice way to wind down before moving away and on to… different things.

What to take away…

Phantogram is a welcome addition to electronica bringing with it a variety of feels and sensations that help the listener travel just a little further into their imaginations. I heartily suggest putting on headphones, closing your eyes and letting your mind just wander with the music for 20 minutes.

Oh, and the $7.50 for the EP is well worth the cost. The PayPal checkout is a little sketchy, but I have ordered and my CD arrived a few days later so it is a legit enterprise. Why they aren’t yet available on iTunes is anybody’s guess…

What should you expect?

Sophisticated, living, breathing electronica. The mix of organic instrumentation and vocals with synth support is refreshing and quite satisfying… If not obsessively addicting.

What drink to pair with it?

It would be unfortunate, I think, to start this album off with anything but a slightly young pinot noir.

Favorite song?

I am head over heels in love with the way “Mouthful of Diamonds” was assembled and presented. Simply outstanding.