Piano similar, vocal interlude similar. Of course it's not the same but it gives a similar vibe doesn't it?

I see what you're getting at, but to me the tones are very different. The Flowers to me feels like regret and longing while Machine feels like impending doom to all of mankind.

I noticed that too, MusicLover.
I do agree with Karl though, they really aren't the same.

I was thinking this morning how I could play Machine, and it's very musically similar to both "Us" and "The Flowers" in that it's a fragmented (segmented? broken-up-ended?) chord played the same way in all three. Although it sounds different, and the part where she harmonizes over the flowing piano reminds me of the music the history channel used to play in their shows in the 90s. Yeah.... *dork*

I didn't agree with this when I first read it, but then I was singing "Machine" to myself, and right after "And who lacks my organics" I found myself transitioning into the Jewish Folk song at the end of "The Flowers..." It was strange.

It doesn't remind of the Flowers as much as it reminds me of All the Rowboats. Either way it's a great song.

Funny that you should say that, staceb1990, because I listened to All the Rowboats for the first time the other day and the first thing I thought was how it reminded me of The Flowers.

But, when you get right down to it, each regina song is a separate entity, and no two truly sound alike.

It's like saying: "us" is like "the flowers", itsn't it?
sorry about my english again.

I just can't get enough of this song! I love the machine sounds. Dare I say this track if very Bjork-like.

Do we all remember the band that opened for Reg at Israel @60 last year?

When she played Machine at the Beacon, one of my absolute first thoughts was of that band. As she starts progressing from singing "Machine" to "Machine-a" it's not just some cool vocal "quirkiness". Mashina=Machine in Russian. Which totally makes this song all the more thematic, powerful and awesome.

It's basically the sonic sequel to Apres Moi.

I seriously think her label should do a video for this song. Can you imagine the imagery one could set to this? Machines, buildings, Orwellian dystopia, etc...

I really like this song but I have to say every time I listen to the album version, I am bothered by the lead vocal in the second chorus. There's this terrible little warble in her voice when she says "i'm." She should have sung it in full head voice instead of trying to stay in chest voice or whatever she was doing.

^^Are you talking about the second chorus from about 2:08 to 2:29??

Because, if so, that's one of my favorite parts of the song- not to be a counterpointing douche, hah.

ESPECIALLY the third "hooked into machine" at 2:14, where she sounds like she's straining her voice. [And I suppose the "I'm" right after that is in the same vein of strain].

I love that chorus, and that part of it, because, like I said, it sounds like she's straining herself- her soul- to its very limits. This entire song, while very much about cynical acceptance, still bleeds regret and remorse, yearning for what used to be. But all the while being forced to deal with what is [particularly, in that vein, I feel like "I am part of a composite" is one of the most bone chilling parts of the song; Because she is just quietly, and stoically relinquishing her own self, her own will, to this greater composite self, which, in my mind, is downright terrifying].

And so, the strain in her voice during the chorus emotes such passion and emotion that you just feel like you want to scream out. Whenever I get to that part of the song in my car, I can't help holding back intense strain in my face while singing along to it. In my eyes, her voice should be warbly, and should absolutely feel strained, as if she's using the last of her strength to convey this message. It adds to the song so much, I feel.

okay, this is hard to explain, but i'll do my best..

there are a lot of similarities between regina songs, some easy to distinguish (the left-handed rhythms of dance anthem and all the rowboats, for instance.) some... not so much. like what exactly makes me want to categorize the clocks were asleep with small town moon, but not with loveology, or the majority of the spektography?

(here's the abstract part): i think regina has, like, 5 solid bases that she works from (i haven't counted. five is a somewhat random number); the "bases" are like her mode of expression (like paint or clay). they're like the genetic material she designates to breed her songs (weird, i know. but bear with me!)

take, say, apres moi. from the same base (or DNA), you have pound of flesh, the flowers, machine, and all the rowboats. i know nothing of music theory or anything like that, but i play all of these songs on the piano (or am just familiar with the non-vocal music of each). apres moi is similar to pound of flesh, the flowers is similar to machine, and all the rowboats has little to do with any of them (if you're looking for something, the interlude is similar to the flowers/machine). it can be assumed that these songs all sound bleak, dark, and generally stormy, so it's natural for the piano to sound alike to us, because it's the kind of music that regina makes when she wants the song to be bleak, dark, etc.

BUT, as someone said above, flowers and Us have similar piano. as do, say, aquarius and genius. the flowers shares an 8-note sequence with folding chair's demo version (one major, one minor), and UH-Merica has a similar rhythm to ne me quitte pas. These songs, in every other measurable way, are nothing alike, even opposite. but we don't connect them right off the bat, beecause of the emotion and feeling that each song has. say it with me: "each song has its own personality."

when we notice a similarity between songs, i think it's because regina didn't move far from the "Base" she was working from; if they sound similar, it's because they're not pulled and worked and molded far from the baseline selected to express them.

i guess this is supported by the stark contrast, and difficult comparison to other songs in Reg's library, when she tries a song in a specific genre. Like Love you're a whore or your honor. one is decidedly a "country song", and the other a "punk/rock song", and so they bear little perceived similarity to any of regina's other songs.

anyway, i guess what i'm getting at is that the "soul" of the song is independant of the exact rhythms, noises, notes, and "vibes" regina puts it to. so songs can all be inverted melodies and adjusted keys, and we'll still love each one somewhat equally with its evil twin or its big brother, because it's still something unique, no matter how many songs share its DNA

Bedtime. i sound like i'm on drugs...

P.S. just saw your post, dentistgirl, and phonetically, Machine-ah is car in russian, not machine. But i'm in 101 and barely know the alphabet, so maybe you know better than i do