Regina Spektor - 'Mary Ann Meets The Grave Diggers...' (Transgressive) Released 16/01/06

Have you ever tried to imagine what sounds would transpire from a living Russian doll who resides in New York? The taps, smacks and cracks of slowly aging costume paint when layer after layer of smooth wooden sculpture reveals strange tale upon tale captured, quite possibly, from those who did the squeaking twist with her... 'Mary Ann Meets the Gravediggers And Other Short Stories By Regina Spektor' is a pick of songs from the Russian-blood sister brought up in New York mud: Regina's earlier albums 'Soviet Kitch', 'Songs', and '11.11', as well as newer musical ornaments.

Apparently she's quite the story teller, pianist and, as she illustrates a line from every song with eerie detailed inkiness in each page of the in-fold, a little artist too. It would be a bit of a stretch (without at least a little imagination) to call her princess of the spoken word, but there's beauty in the effort. She also smacks around a drum stick while beating on "and you don't love your girlfriend" in 'Poor Little Rich Boy', and goes on to shake and stir a martini glass or two in 'Sailor Song' while exclaiming that Mary Ann's a bitch. Like she says in 'Prisoner'; "If Hans Christian Anderson could have had his way with me, then none of this shit would have ever gone down". Doooown, naturally in a Bjork-like swell and splitting vocal bud that bursts sporadically throughout this treasure chest of fairly modern fairy tales. And thank the Brothers Grimm he did! The song titled of the aforementioned 'Mary Ann'; "Miss Mary Ann kept her cans in alphabetical order. Miss Mary Ann began to have some thoughts of murder"; has quite the essence of Roald Dahl's 'Porcupine' poem, not just because they make porcupine love (up in about a minute), but the wicked humour that erupts throughout.

'Consequence Of Sounds' and especially the earlier works has her staged as an adolescent rapper sweetly letting us know, in Jewel trend, of our environmental blindness. In 'Pavlov's Daughter' she instead aspires her bitchy matter of tact (-lessness - she hears him make love to his girlfriend, she hears him make love to himself) attitude in exclamations towards a particular person with jolly good Jill Scott influxes. 'Daniel
Cowman's an example of Fiona Apple (but) with a personality, their voices at times are not at all dissimilar to one another, the difference lies in the interest. 'Chemo Limo', is about a mother of four with cancer who chooses a limo over chemo, thank you very much! It's not only a great example of the pianist and melancholic medium within, but also her great talent of turning around a miserable situation with a little dreaming.

Regina's the modest amalgamation of many talents and familiar starry sounds, but like the Russian doll who squeaks herself awake when you twist her open, there's always someone else hidden inside. I don't think it's "Crispy crispy
Benjamin Franklin" though, more likely to be Regina herself. Respekt (see cover, it's her logo, never mind).