Music : Healing Is Difficult

In association with Amazon.com

Rating:

- impressive but long
Sia has such a unique and dynamic voice and she knows how to use it. I also have tons of respect for her songwriting, a talent latent in so many artists today that have albums with their name on it. It's obvious that she actually thinks about what she's writing. Her style is unique and personal. The album is filled with several different kinds of tracks, from soulful ballads, to smoky jazzy R&B, to playful poppy songs. Yet each song is uniquely "her's." I really like "taken for granted," "fear," and "drink to get drunk."
My only problem with this album is that it seems a bit long. The production is lacking on a lot of tracks. Her voice is so powerful and on most tracks the production is not so powerful. So her voice ends up dominating and driving the whole album and after a while it gets kind of annoying. More balance is needed. But other than that, Sia is a unique artist who is obviously going to be around for a while.

Rating:

- The woman can sing...
...track 4 'blow it all away' does exactly that...

Rating:

- BARE in MIND
baring in mind this cd was completed(according to oz press clippings)four years ago,when furler was 22 years old;the lyrical content and honeyed voice more than make up for her self professed "lack of musical taste"!!!after hearing her vocals on the zero7 cd i was overwhelmed with aneed to hear more;to know more.and if you are interested in knowing more about sia,then this album is for you.just listen to the lyrics in drink to get drunk,fear,or judge me to gain insight into where she was at the time.it is an inoffensive jazz inspired first album.for those looking for that zero7esque feel,buy it for blow it all away.but that's as close as you'll get.until her next offering,due for release next year. that is the one i am waiting for.but if you love R'n B then buy it.it's like the cool version.

Rating:

- Loving & Hating Sia
I bought this album on the strength of Sia's amazing vocal performances with Zero 7. Sia's voice is amazing, its tone and emotional reach were overwhelming on Simple Things. But this album, that I waited patiently to find for nearly a month is a big disappointment. Ms Furler's work is derivative. Witness her influences - Erika Badu, Lauryn Hill et al and you realise that to some extent this album is a high produced, competently sung, expertly delivered CON!!. There has to be a fine line between that which is derived and the other that is plagiarism. This is a shame because Ms Furler can definitely write a great lyric but somehow there is a lack of real passion or memorable songs. Her voice is over produced. There is none of the starkness and beauty that we witnessed on Simple Things. Finally there is a sense in which Furler and her production team over reach themselves in trying to be everything to a cross over audience. This album is a little bit of r'n'b chasing a dance audience looking at jazz from a distance and envying every major chanteuse and diva of the 20th century. I suspect that this would be ideal bar music from Melbourne to Muswell Hill but does a huge disservice to one of popluar music's most distinctive voices. I would like to hear more of her sound stripped down. I want less of that slick, knowing production and more of her reinterpreting well known ballads as well as singing her own original material. Sorry Sia - but I'm going to keep on waiting I know you're going to do it and soon !!.

Rating:

- Highly recommend!
Edgy, edgy, edgy! I always get asked about this one when I'm stopped at a light. Well produced, right-on angst, hip - you'd never know she's from Australia :).

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