Far (album)
Encyclopedia
iTunes bonus track version
Skinner of Insounds calls "Genius Next Door" "the only song on here to exceed the five-minute mark..." and a "spiralling Gothic narrative that comes on with all the otherworldly beauty of a Haruki Murakami
story...". The album does not aim "at ideas above its station" nor does it "flounder in search of unity." Regarding "Man of a Thousand Faces", Neibaur of Frequency feels that the "pathos of the lyrics is still strong enough to make the Incredible Hulk
tear up a bit".
Blacklow of Access Hollywood calls the album a "wonderful soothing summer sound". Lewis of the Cord Weekly writes that "Spektor delivers gloomy tales of turmoil, complemented by slow, haunting piano notes that could just as easily accompany a horror film.". Overall, Snyder of the New Haven Advocate considers that she's "redirected some of that freaky stuff, tweaked and perfected it, to a new place where it fits better" and that the songs are "sometimes kind of serious." Neibaur of Frequency states that "Far pleases every auditory appetite."
At the metacritic
al level, Far has achieved a 74 quotient, which signifies "generally
favorable reviews".
According to Neibaur, "The stark contradictions of critics relating to Spektor exemplify a larger problem in modern music criticism—very few writers truly analyze music from an artistic perspective any longer." In a June 24, 2009 interview, Spektor remarked that: "I mean, in this book, it's music criticism from the 19th century, and they're ripping Tchaikovsky a new asshole, but the thing that really gets me is that it's written so beautifully. It's nasty reviews in beautiful language, and that's what I want," she says. "My dad will forward me some of the stuff people write about me, and I think it's all bullshit. It's all, 'Oh, this sucks, that sucks, blah.' I don't want that. I want you to write poetically about how bad I suck."
's daughter Adria Petty, are also available on a bonus DVD included with the deluxe version of the album.
at number 30 It also sold 50,000 copies in its first week, entering the US Billboard 200
number three. In the Canadian Albums Chart
, Far debuted at number 16. The album has spent nineteen weeks on the Billboard 200.
Reception
Bevan of Spin writes that Spektor, in "The Calculation", "...purrs a scenario of love and hurt that plays out in the breakfast nook..." Powers of the LA Times states of "Eet" : "It's not just cute." Maerz of EW states of "Folding Chair" that she "literally sings like a dolphin..." and that "Wallet" is the "best song ever inspired by a Blockbuster card." Dolan of Rolling Stone opines that "Laughing With" is a song that "...ends collapsing in an existential freakout over a soft beat and weeping cello." MacKay of NME believes that "Human of the Year" has "a typically Spektorian conceit" and her "remarkable, gutsy voice vaults to the rafters of heartbreak."Skinner of Insounds calls "Genius Next Door" "the only song on here to exceed the five-minute mark..." and a "spiralling Gothic narrative that comes on with all the otherworldly beauty of a Haruki Murakami
Haruki Murakami
is a Japanese writer and translator. His works of fiction and non-fiction have garnered him critical acclaim and numerous awards, including the Franz Kafka Prize and Jerusalem Prize among others.He is considered an important figure in postmodern literature...
story...". The album does not aim "at ideas above its station" nor does it "flounder in search of unity." Regarding "Man of a Thousand Faces", Neibaur of Frequency feels that the "pathos of the lyrics is still strong enough to make the Incredible Hulk
Hulk (comics)
The Hulk is a fictional character, a superhero in the . Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in The Incredible Hulk #1 ....
tear up a bit".
Blacklow of Access Hollywood calls the album a "wonderful soothing summer sound". Lewis of the Cord Weekly writes that "Spektor delivers gloomy tales of turmoil, complemented by slow, haunting piano notes that could just as easily accompany a horror film.". Overall, Snyder of the New Haven Advocate considers that she's "redirected some of that freaky stuff, tweaked and perfected it, to a new place where it fits better" and that the songs are "sometimes kind of serious." Neibaur of Frequency states that "Far pleases every auditory appetite."
At the metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
al level, Far has achieved a 74 quotient, which signifies "generally
favorable reviews".
According to Neibaur, "The stark contradictions of critics relating to Spektor exemplify a larger problem in modern music criticism—very few writers truly analyze music from an artistic perspective any longer." In a June 24, 2009 interview, Spektor remarked that: "I mean, in this book, it's music criticism from the 19th century, and they're ripping Tchaikovsky a new asshole, but the thing that really gets me is that it's written so beautifully. It's nasty reviews in beautiful language, and that's what I want," she says. "My dad will forward me some of the stuff people write about me, and I think it's all bullshit. It's all, 'Oh, this sucks, that sucks, blah.' I don't want that. I want you to write poetically about how bad I suck."
Music videos
Thus far, four music videos have been released and can be viewed on her MySpace. These videos, all directed by Tom PettyTom Petty
Thomas Earl "Tom" Petty is an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He is the frontman of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and was a founding member of the late 1980s supergroup Traveling Wilburys and Mudcrutch. He has also performed under the pseudonyms of Charlie T...
's daughter Adria Petty, are also available on a bonus DVD included with the deluxe version of the album.
- "Laughing With"
- "Eet"
- "Dance Anthem of the '80s"
- "Man of a Thousand Faces"
Chart performance
Far entered the official UK Albums ChartUK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
at number 30 It also sold 50,000 copies in its first week, entering the US Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
number three. In the Canadian Albums Chart
Canadian Albums Chart
The Canadian Albums Chart is the official album sales chart in Canada. It is compiled every Wednesday by U.S.-based music sales tracking company Nielsen Soundscan, and published every Thursday by Jam! Canoe and Billboard, along with its sister charts the Canadian Singles Chart and the Canadian BDS...
, Far debuted at number 16. The album has spent nineteen weeks on the Billboard 200.
| Chart | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian ARIA Album Chart ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
10 |
| Austrian Album Chart | 41 |
| Belgium Album Chart (Flanders) | 37 |
| Canadian Albums Chart Canadian Albums Chart The Canadian Albums Chart is the official album sales chart in Canada. It is compiled every Wednesday by U.S.-based music sales tracking company Nielsen Soundscan, and published every Thursday by Jam! Canoe and Billboard, along with its sister charts the Canadian Singles Chart and the Canadian BDS... |
16 |
| European Top 100 | 82 |
| French Album Chart | 99 |
| Irish Album Chart | 24 |
| New Zealand Album Chart Recording Industry Association of New Zealand The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand... |
38 |
| Swedish Album Chart | 8 |
| Swiss Album Chart | 53 |
| Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
3 |
| Billboard Top Digital Albums Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
5 |
| Billboard Top Internet Albums Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
3 |
| Billboard Top Modern Rock/Alternative Albums Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
24 |
| Billboard Top Rock Albums Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
36 |
| UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
30 |
External links
- Far at MetacriticMetacriticMetacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
- Regina Spektor — Regina Spektor official website
- "Regina Spektor Finds Strength in Numbers". Rolling StoneRolling StoneRolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
. March 20, 2009.