Regina Spektor has been compared to former Beatle Paul McCartney.
Without taking anything away from her, I don’t think that analogy quite works. Paul McCartney wrote mainstream pop, and commercial interests defined success in that arena. She just seems to be having a lot of fun with her talent, and it shows, and it works.
If asked make a comparison, I’d offer that Regina is more of a cross between Paul Simon and the brilliant and talented Tom Lehrer (he who sang the Periodic Table of the Elements to the tune of “A Modern Major General”).
Jeff Lynne‘s contributions to “Far” are restrained– ELOphiles will recognize the signatures, but will have to listen for them. No one song stands out as “Oh, that was produced by that ELO guy”. Rather, all the songs blend together as an understated whole.
And again, it works.