Sia XXXFour years after We Are Born, Sia could sit back, drink pink lemonade and be generally LA fabulous. To stave off the boredom she can do the odd spot of writing for someone else (Rihanna, Beyoncé, Katy Perry and Britney Spears all have her to thank for hits), so does Sia need to do long-players for herself anymore? Probably not, but thank fuck she does them anyway.
"Does Sia need to do long-players for herself anymore? Probably not, but thank fuck she does them anyway."
1000 Forms Of Fear kicks off with Chandelier, a song truly worthy of the great clip that accompanies it, and takes us back to a bit of vintage Ms Furler next with Big Girls Cry (break-up ballad plus chorus at just the right tempo – gorgeous). She taps into a similar sentiment with Straight For The Knife and while this could have taken us to full Adele (aka 'I hate that bastard, here's a whole album about my broken heart'), here Sia's lyrics and delivery are just offbeat enough, just removed enough. We're left feeling pity with rather than for her.
There's still some crying stuff here, and even some violins to back it up, but damn, she plays it just so. See also Fire Meet Gasoline if you're wanting an epic, slightly explosive, tale of star-crossed lovers. One thing missing is an obvious piece of playful pop (no Clap Your Hands to be had here), but then there is Cellophane, which sounds like a Spaghetti Western on a slow day. Taking a genre she loves and marching it proudly beyond the clichés – well done, girl, well done.
