As you may (should) know, I am in love with Regina Spektor, so what better artist to start off my CD of the week series off with. 11:11 is the first album she put out and it's part of a two way tie between Songs as my favorite album of hers.
11:11 is an album with many different dynamics involved; with feel good songs like Flyin', about a girl who learns how to fly (albeit after her teacher comes on to her, gets rejected and throws her out of a window) then to deviously fun songs like Mary Ann, which is about a woman named Mary Ann who "preferred her meat to be freshly butchered".
The music is slow and bluesy with upright bass, like in songs like Wasteland, then upbeat in piano melodies such as Sunshine. Regina's brilliantly eccentric voice gives the songs feeling and is beautifully showcased in the a capella song, I Want to Sing, an ode to a lover.
The lyrics are often like small narratives telling stories of a gossiped about scandal (Love Affair) or the story of a single mother trying to figure out her life (Braille)
My favorite song on this album and one of my top 5 favorite Spektor songs is Back of a Truck.
Her passion in this song is so completely haunting, making the story she tells that much more powerful. The lyrics tell a story that is not completely clear at times, though it's probably meant to be left to the individual's interpretation.
I suggest going out and buying this album, immediately. It's now out of print but you can definitely find it on iTunes or Amazon MP3. I leave you with a video for Back of a Truck.
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