Regina Spektor - Home, Before and After (Album Review)
Friday, 01 July 2022
Written by Rebecca Llewellyn
Photo: Shervin Lainez
On what is her eighth studio album, released after a lengthy six-year hiatus, Regina Spektor delights with the trademark spark of childlike curiosity that has enthralled listeners since her career began in the early ‘00s.
An epic storyteller, Spektor possesses a rare gift in her ability to craft biting modern-day romances through whimsical vocals and piercingly resonant lyrics that poke fun at everyday life and its pitfalls, both real and ethereal.
‘Home, Before and After’ is as compelling as any of its predecessors, and the dramatic pause between its release and 2016’s ‘Remember Us to Life’ only adds to the album’s appeal.
The LP is shrouded in a sense of mystery and wonder not entirely removed from the musician herself. Born in the Soviet Union and raised in the bustle of New York, Spektor shines when providing a lens for us to marvel at the world’s quirks and eccentricities.
Spektor is adept at imparting extraordinary elements to what could otherwise be ordinary. Through pattering, subtle percussion and the soft twinkle of keys, her vocals are elevated to majestic heights, lyrics loud and clear.
Spektor's worldview resonates particularly well on What Might Have Been, as she chimes: “Loving and leaving go together, lies and believing go together.” She combines paired words in a melody that builds in frantic fashion towards a swooping crescendo.
Each track offers something tenderly its own, but there is nothing here quite like the gigantic Spacetime Fairytale. Spanning a head-spinning nine minutes, the track pliés in its harmonies and plummets into a demonic breakdown section, adding yet another enchanting layer to Spektor’s enthralling work.
Regina Spektor Upcoming Tour Dates are as follows:
Tue July 05 2022 - SANDY Utah - Sandy Amphitheater (USA)
Wed July 06 2022 - SANDY Utah - Sandy Amphitheater (USA)
Fri July 08 2022 - BEAVER CREEK Colorado - Vilar Performing Arts Center (USA)
Sat July 09 2022 - DENVER Colorado - Paramount Theatre (USA)
Sun July 10 2022 - MORRISON Colorado - Red Rocks Amphitheatre (USA)
Tue July 19 2022 - NEW YORK New York - Carnegie Hall - Stern Auditorium (USA)
Sun July 24 2022 - PHILADELPHIA Pennsylvania - Mann Center (USA)
Tue July 26 2022 - FLORENCE - Pines Theater at Look Park (USA)
Sat July 30 2022 - BETHEL New York - Bethel Woods Center for the Arts (USA)
Mon August 01 2022 - SARATOGA SPRINGS New York - SPAC (USA)
Tue August 02 2022 - BOSTON Massachusetts - Leader Bank Pavilion (USA)
Thu August 04 2022 - NEW YORK CITY New York - Forest Hills Stadium (USA)
Sun October 09 2022 - CHICAGO Illinois - Chicago Theatre (USA)
Tue October 11 2022 - ANN ARBOR Michigan - Michigan Theater (USA)
Wed October 12 2022 - TORONTO Ontario - Massey Hall (Canada)
Fri October 14 2022 - ITHACA New York - State Theatre of Ithaca (USA)
Sat October 15 2022 - MONTCLAIR New Jersey - Wellmont Theater (USA)
Sun October 16 2022 - WASHINGTON District of Columbia - Warner Theatre (USA)
Tue October 18 2022 - ATLANTA Georgia - Tabernacle (USA)
Wed October 19 2022 - CHARLOTTE - Belk Theater at Blumenthal Performing Arts Center (USA)
Thu October 20 2022 - NASHVILLE Tennessee - Ryman Auditorium (USA)
Tue October 25 2022 - SAN FRANCISCO California - Warfield (USA)
Thu October 27 2022 - LOS ANGELES California - Walt Disney Concert Hall (USA)
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