Video Premiere: Regina Spektor - Don't Leave Me (Ne Me Quitte Pas)

Dim: Regina Spektor - What We Saw From The Cheap Seats

Regina Spektor's sixth outing, the predictably unpredictable What We Saw from the Cheap Seats, feels a little like a Wes Anderson movie. By now, you're either on board with the Russian-American's unique blend of East Village anti-folk and immaculately detailed thespian indie pop, or you've swapped her wares for the more accessible quirkiness of Fun. or the lunchroom loner art pop of St. Vincent. Like Anderson, Spektor is a gifted world builder, and one of Cheap Seats' greatest strengths is its prep school confidence. Utterly disparate tracks like "Oh Marcello," which utilizes the tried and true hitmaking equation of a fake Italian accent, beatboxing, and the chorus from the Animals' “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood,” and the gorgeous "Firewood," an artful and winningly austere ode to life and death that brings to mind vintage Randy Newman, are both given equal attention, and the weighty "Ballad of a Politician," despite its call to "Shake your ass out in that street," feels timely and deeply rooted in that blurry line between youthful indiscretion and civic stewardship. Still, it's a wild ride, and Spektor, despite her immaculate execution, can be a bit much, especially when it comes to vocal mannerisms (think Tori Amos and Nellie Mckay in an affectation-off), but much like the works of the aforementioned Anderson, What We Saw from the Cheap Seats succeeds more often than it frustrates.

Based On Critics - 37/50

Based On Public - 20/50

Based On Hype - 8/50

Based On Pop Flares - 31/50

Overall:

Exclusive Album Leak: Regina Spektor - What We Saw from the Cheap Seats

What We Saw from the Cheap Seats is the sixth studio album by Russian–American alternative singer-songwriter Regina Spektor. On November 21, 2011, Spektor posted on her Facebook page that the album had been recorded with Mike Elizondo in Los Angeles during the summer of 2011 and that it is expected to be released on May 29, 2012. The album is a collection of new material along with the very first studio recordings of several of Spektor's older live songs. The album's first single, "All the Rowboats", was released for streaming on February 27, 2012, and for digital download the following day. It was featured on a prime spot on the CW's Ringer on March, 13 2012, making her the "Artist Spotlight" of the week.

Video Premiere: Regina Spektor - All The Rowboats

Track Listing: Regina Spektor - What We Saw from the Cheap Seats

Track Listing:


1. Small Town Moon
2. Oh Marcello
3. Don’t Leave Me (ne me quitte pas)
4. Firewood
5. Patron Saint
6. How
7. All the Rowboats
8. Ballad of a Politician
9. Open
10. The Party
11. Jessica


Deluxe Edition Bonus Tracks:
12. Call Them Brothers (feat. Only Son)
13. The Prayer of Francois Villon (Moltiva) [Cover Song in Russian]
14. Old Jacket (stariy Pedjak) [Cover Song in Russian]


Release Date: May 29

Cover: Regina Spektor - What We Saw From The Cheap Seats

Release Date: May 29

Song: Regina Spektor - All The Rowboats