Additional personnel: Kill Kenada.

Maybe it's just the preponderance of piano in her music, but Regina Spektor sounds more like a traditional singer/songwriter (in the best sense of that phrase) than her anti-folk contemporaries. On Soviet Kitsch, her third album -- and major-label debut -- her sound is more refined than ever before, but there are still plenty of rough edges and unexpected twists and turns. The Fiona Apple and Cat Power comparisons that have been leveled at Spektor since her first album 11:11 are still valid, particularly on songs like "Carbon Monoxide" and "Somedays," but Spektor is more theatrical and playful than either of those artists. Quirky character sketches such as "Ghost of Corporate Future" and "Ode to Divorce," and flights of fancy like the charming "Us" are quintessentially Spektor; though her songs may not be diary entries set to music, she imbues them with lots of personality and intimate details. Nowhere is this more apparent than on "Chemo Limo," a strangely uplifting song about a woman living with (not dying from) cancer that ends up being one of Soviet Kitsch's standout moments. "Flowers," which begins with a section inspired by her classical training and then moves to a part based on her Russian Jewish heritage, also shows how easily Spektor can incorporate different sounds and ideas into her own music. She does a 180 on the raw "Sailor Song," on which she gleefully yells, "Marianne's a bitch," and on the punky, off-the-cuff "Your Honor," which also features the London rock group Kill Kenada. A few of Soviet Kitsch's songs, like "Poor Little Rich Boy," concentrate on the childlike, mischievous side of Spektor's sound that puts her in the love-it-or-hate-it category for some listeners. Still, Spektor is an engaging performer throughout the album, and despite her arty quirks, she's never pretentious. She originally self-released Soviet Kitsch nearly two years before Sire released it, so it'll be interesting to hear what she does next. ~ Heather Phares

Regina Spektor's major-label debut, SOVIET KITSCH, presents the singer/songwriter's unique music in all its quirkiness and glory. Spare, piano-dominated arrangements frame Spektor's wispy singing, which at times is bold and theatrical in a manner that recalls Bjork, at others shy and fragile like Chan Marshall (AKA Cat Power). Except for the ragged punk rock of "Your Honor," the album is dominated by acoustic piano, allowing Spektor's unique songs--with their blend of storytelling, lyrical association, whimsy, satire, and heartfelt confession--to shine through.

The music is sometimes willfully primitive, as on "Poor Little Rich Boy," with its sing-song melodies, tumbling lyrics, and countertop percussion. Although Spektor can verge on being cloyingly child-like, she also delivers meticulously crafted, detail-packed songs of great intensity and passion ("The Flowers") and sketches sweepingly beautiful metaphors ("Us"). Spektor effaces seriousness and self-importance with her endearing sense of humor, relishing silliness and absurdity that is nevertheless rooted in emotional truth (particularly on "Chemo Limo"). The mixture of irreverence and sincerity, of traditional songcraft and indie sensibility, is mighty appealing, making SOVIET KITSCH a debut to note.