Grows on you

(Morning Star, Saturday 28 January 2006)

ALBUM: Regina Spektor - Mary Ann Meets the Grave Diggers and Other Short Stories
(Transgressive)

THE idea of a experimental female pianist may make most gag and, trust me, there is a part of Regina Spektor's mythology which doesn't sit well.

That self-aware logo - so it looks like "respekt‚" do you see? - the associated cool from rock'n'roll pals like The Strokes, the gothic illustrative work on this album sleeve - all have the smell of trying a little too hard and ticks every one of my "irritating" boxes.

But then, there is the music. Hailing from New York via Russia, Spektor's self-awareness is probably less studied than it seems.

A genuinely talented pianist, she seems to have taken a Tori Amos fan club membership and made it into her own shtick.

This CD comprises all the highlights of Spektor's career so far and, truly, it is a thing of beauty.

Opener Oedipus has a charming naivety, both lyrically and vocally.

In Consequence of Sounds, Spektor showcases her humorous side with the lyric "the National Geographic was being too graphic/ When all she had wanted to know was the traffic." A clumsy couplet, sure, but one with more heart than Coldplay could ever hope to instil in their work, with their bland song-for-everyone template.

The standout track has to be the single Us, with its haunting strings and clearly defined characters - it is a truly career-defining piece for any artist, established or emerging and should guarantee this newcomer centre stage for class and majesty.

Regina Spektor is an acquired taste for certain, but delving into her dark little world is a bit like text sex with an ex - at first, it'll make you feel uncomfortable, but, once you throw yourself into it, you won't remember life without it.