Soviet Kitsch

Soviet Kitsch is the major label debut and third album by American singer/songwriter Regina Spektor. It was originally self-released in May 2003 but was reissued in August 2004 when Spektor signed with Sire Records. The title is drawn from Milan Kundera's expression for the vacuous aesthetics of Stalinist-style communism, a theme in his book The Unbearable Lightness of Being. One version of the album was released with a bonus DVD, which included a short promotional film titled The Survival Guide to Soviet Kitsch and the music video for the song "Us".

Soviet Kitsch
Studio album by
Regina Spektor
ReleasedMay 2, 2003 (self-released)
August 17, 2004 (reissue)
RecordedTMF in NYC and The Garden in London
GenreArt pop,[1] punk rock
Length38:49
LabelSire
ProducerGordon Raphael, Alan Bezozi, Regina Spektor
Regina Spektor chronology
Songs
(2002)		 Soviet Kitsch
(2003)		 Live at Bull Moose
(2005)
Singles from Soviet Kitsch
  1. "Carbon Monoxide"
    Released: 2003
  2. "Your Honor / The Flowers"
    Released: 2004
  3. "Us"
    Released: 2006

Critical reception
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic72/100[2]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[3]
The A.V. Club(favorable)[4]
Blender[5]
Pitchfork Media(6.8/10)[6]
PopMatters(7/10)[7]
Prefix Magazine(7/10)[8]
Rolling Stone[9]
StylusB−[10]

In 2009, the album was included in NME's list of 100 greatest albums of the decade.[11]

Commercial performance

As of 2007 the album has sold 54,000 copies in the United States.[12]

Track listing

All songs written by Regina Spektor.[13]

  1. "Ode to Divorce" – 3:42
  2. "Poor Little Rich Boy" – 2:27
  3. "Carbon Monoxide" – 4:59
  4. "The Flowers" – 3:54
  5. "Us" – 4:52
  6. "Sailor Song" – 3:15
  7. "***" – 0:44
  8. "Your Honor" – 2:10
  9. "Ghost of Corporate Future" – 3:21
  10. "Chemo Limo" – 6:04
  11. "Somedays" – 3:21
Deluxe version bonus track
  1. "Scarecrow and Fungus" – 2:29
Standard vinyl release
  1. "Scarecrow and Fungus" – 2:29
  2. "December" – 2:10

Track 7 is titled "Whisper" on digital versions of the album. It is a brief spoken word piece in which Spektor and her brother, Barry "Bear" Spektor, discuss the following song ("Your Honor").

Personnel
  • Regina Spektor: piano, voice, rhodes, drumstick, percussion, producer, songwriter
  • Alan Bezozi: producer, drums, percussion, heartbeat
  • Oren Bloedow: guitar
  • Graham Maby: bass
  • Gordon Raphael: percussion
  • Bear Spektor: whispers ("***")
  • The 4x4 String Quartet: strings ("Us" and "Somedays")
  • Kill Kenada: backing punk band ("Your Honor")
  • Eric Biondo: songwriter (one lyric and melody sampled in "Somedays")

Releases
Year Label Format Catalog no. Country
2004 Sire CD 48833 US
CD/DVD 48890 US
Shoplifter CD 005 UK
2005 Sire LP 48953 US
2007 WEA CD 9362493522 UK
2016 Sire Red LP 549811-1 US

References
  1. Christgau, Robert (February 21, 2006). "Old-Fashioned Amenities". The Village Voice. Retrieved November 6, 2016.
  2. "Soviet Kitsch by Regina Spektor". Retrieved 5 October 2016.
  3. Allmusic review
  4. "Regina Spektor: Soviet Kitsch". 5 April 2005. Retrieved 5 October 2016.
  5. "Blender review". Archived from the original on 2007-09-30. Retrieved 2007-03-20.
  6. "Regina Spektor: Soviet Kitsch Album Review - Pitchfork". Retrieved 5 October 2016.
  7. "Music Reviews, Features, Essays, News, Columns, Blogs, MP3s and Videos - PopMatters". Retrieved 5 October 2016.
  8. "Album Review: Regina Spektor - Soviet Kitsch". Retrieved 5 October 2016.
  9. Rolling Stone review
  10. Stylus review
  11. "The Top 100 Greatest Albums Of The Decade". NME. Retrieved July 21, 2012.
  12. Visakowitz, Susan (21 January 2007). "Singer/songwriter Regina Spektor doing it her way". Reuters. Retrieved 1 December 2018.
  13. "Regina Spektor - Soviet Kitsch". Retrieved 5 October 2016.


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