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Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed albums.
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Begin To Hope
by Regina Spektor
The Russia-born, New York-based anti-folkie returns with a dozen new tracks produced by David Kahne (The Strokes).
| LABEL: |
Sire |
| RELEASE DATE: |
13 June 2006 |
| DISCS: |
1 disc |
| GENRE(S): |
Indie, Rock, Singer-Songwriter |
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
91
The Onion (A.V. Club)
Even in its darkest moments, a humane glow envelops the album, which takes her already-arresting sound and expands it to widescreen.
90
PopMatters
With a new album of expertly-crafted, touching, and refreshingly honest odes to life, Regina Spektor has grown without growing away from what makes her so special.
90
Neumu.net
If naysayers can't get past the sheen of spiced-up production, it's their loss.
83
E! Online
Her vocal quirks can take some getting used to, but the oblique melodies and cosmic lyrics in songs such as "On the Radio" and "20 Years of Snow" demonstrate what a remarkable talent is mixed in with all the idiosyncrasies.
83
Entertainment Weekly
She displays a range fans old and new will find intoxicating. [16 Jun 2006, p.75]
80
Amazon.com
It's a consistently intelligent and daring record, yet remains enormously listenable.
80
Slant Magazine
There's a fearless, uninhibited confidence to Spektor's voice, not to mention a delightful whimsy to her music, that sets her apart from artists like [Fiona] Apple.
80
Blender
Tighter and freakier than her debut. [Jul 2006, p.102]
80
The Guardian
Spektor's first major-label release sets her up as a serious rival for [Tori] Amos's queen-of-whimsy title.
80
Dot Music
It's an easier listen than its wildly imaginative predecessor.
80
Alternative Press
Did we say "hard to resist?" Make that "impossible." [Aug 2006, p.224]
80
Uncut
Spektor's biggest-hearted, clearest-minded effort yet--achieved, thankfully, without sacrificing any of her wonderful weirdness. [Aug 2006, p.111]
80
Mojo
Spektor has lept from black and white into joyous colour. [Aug 2006, p.88]
80
New Musical Express
'Begin To Hope' is the sound of [Spektor] blossoming into the most talented female artist around--and one with edge. [8 Jul 2006, p.43]
80
All Music Guide
The album feels like getting to really know someone: at first, it's polite and a little restrained, but then its real personality, with all of its charming idiosyncrasies, finally reveals itself.
80
Spin
As addictive as ice-cream dots. [Jul 2006, p.88]
75
Stylus Magazine
A little bit of kitsch is important... Begin to Hope has enough of it to stand out, and enough ethics to keep the whole thing grounded.
75
The Phoenix
Always ambitious, occasionally experimental, and sometimes even radio-friendly.
75
Pitchfork
On the whole her performance throughout Begin to Hope exhibits new levels of control and direction, reaching a point where the song and the singing are inseparable.
70
The New York Times
The songs are pretty on first listening, and some of Ms. Spektor's straightforward love songs, like "Fidelity" and "Field Below," reveal a gorgeously unguarded yearning. But she doesn't hide her quirks elsewhere.
70
BBC collective
A complex yet controlled fourth album of astonishing beauty and perfect strangeness.
70
Rolling Stone
Less miserable than Fiona Apple, less wacky than Nellie McKay and less hippieish than Tori Amos, Spektor shows off her gorgeous, fluttery voice, her burgeoning writer chops and her God-given quirks on [Begin to Hope].
70
Paste Magazine
As elegant as it is addictive. [Jun/Jul 2006, p.131]
70
Prefix Magazine
Begin to Hope has its highs and lows, but it is a journey worth taking.
70
Drowned In Sound
If the elitist few who hold Regina almost too close to their bosom can get past the shiny façade of the first few tracks, they'll find a whole new Regina to love.
66
cokemachineglow
The album's substance is obscured by the distracting presence of its production.
60
Q Magazine
[She] remains comically kooky. [Aug 2006, p.116]
60
Under The Radar
The problems are not Spektor's songwriting or singing or playing... but they are equally underemphasized and poorly recorded. [#13, p.88]
40
NOW Magazine
As if the synthesized strings and electronic dabbling weren't sad enough, [Spektor's] ascerbic voice has been all but lost in squishy couplets about making things better and needing to "know you."
The average user rating for this album is 9.0 (out of 10) based on 45 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
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