Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on February 2010

© Warner

One minute she’s impersonating a dolphin; the next she has you in tears. Yep, Regina Spektor’s back, and her “new” album (it was released overseas six months ago) is her best by far. The classically trained, Soviet-born, New York-based pianist serves up a diverse set of intricate, kooky, bittersweet pop songs filled with heart and humor, her sweet, pathos-drenched voice betraying a slightly warped accent that bursts with charm. But while Spektor’s melodies are unpredictable and gorgeous, it’s the lyrics that seal the deal. On “Laughing With,” she describes how fleeting everyday disasters can make us turn to a deity in whom we may not even believe, with lines such as “No one laughs at God when their airplane starts to uncontrollably shake.” “Machine” paints a creepy transhuman future, while “Wallet” conjures the smile on someone’s face when a stranger returns their lost purse. And then on “Folding Chair,” she forgoes words altogether and breaks out her dolphin impersonation. Gotta love it.