Compare her to other eccentric, female, piano-playing crooners, but New York singer-songwriter Regina Spektor is an oddball unto herself. Less miserable than Fiona Apple, less wacky than Nellie McKay and less hippieish than Tori Amos, Spektor shows off her gorgeous, fluttery voice, her burgeoning writer chops and her God-given quirks on her second disc, Begin to Hope. Her loveliest song is “Samson,” where she affects a hushed and honeyed tone that recalls Bjork’s quieter moments and makes even strange turns of phrase sound like the words to a lullaby. More upbeat numbers such as “Hotel Song” and “Fidelity” are buffeted by cute claptrap beats that make them as danceable as they are singable. Of course, Spektor may be the only woman in the world who doesn’t sound ridiculous singing her lyrics; if you’re thinking about chiming in on lines like “Hey, remember that time I found a human tooth down on Delancey?” you might want to wait until you’re alone in the car. -ROLLING STONE

FIDELITY :

BLUE LIPS :