Regina Spektor News

Regina Spektor sports a global pedigree: The 26-year-old was born in Russia, raised in the Bronx, is a classically trained pianist and a graduate of the quirky New York City "anti-folk" scene.

Her debut album, 2004's punkish "Soviet Kitsch," was released with plenty of acclaim and fanfare. Spektor's newest release, "Begin to Hope," is a cleanly produced amalgam of pop, folk, rock, blues and electronic beats that enlists Strokes producer David Kahne and guitarist Nick Valensi.

Still, "Begin to Hope" shows that Spektor still needs to move past her influences and grow into her own adult voice, her own sophisticated style. She's starting to grow, but isn't quite there yet.

Spektor's vocal swoops reek a little too much of Bjork; her presence at the piano derivative of a breathy Tori Amos.

"Samson" could be the meandering, philosophical response to PJ Harvey's 1992 power-rager "Hair" — both ruminations on the biblical tale of Samson and Delilah.

On songs such as pop tune "Better," Spektor feigns too much childlike wonder, warbling off throwaway lines like "you're getting sad/ you're getting sadder." The cute, quirky, emo schtick is an approach Spektor employed on "Kitsch," and it's getting a little old.

Signs of growth appear on tunes "On the Radio" and the stark closer "Summer in the City," with their push, pull take on urban romance and loneliness.

And "Lady," a smoky ode to Billie Holiday, is hopefully indicative of things to come. Tapping into a snarky wisdom, the dark-haired singer makes the most of her nuanced vibrato, letting it plunge and rise with each punctuated word.

"They never leave her while she sings/she makes them feel things," Spektor croons.

It's something Spektor could aspire to herself.