SIA
1000 Forms Of Fear
(INERTIA)
Sia has written for some of the hottest names in the music industry, Katy Perry to Christina Aguilera, and it doesn’t take more than a quick Google search to see she has some serious talent and some awards to back it up. It should come as no surprise, then, that her new album, “1000 Forms Of Fear”, is easily one of the tastiest morsels 2014 could dish up; an anthem especially for young girls everywhere.
From track one, the reason most people will buy the album, Chandelier comes booming out of the gates with its blend of amazing lyrics and powerful vocal work. While the point of the song will likely be lost on casual listeners, each song following gets progressively deeper down the depression hole, Burn The Pages and Straight For The Knife stand outs in the cycle of what a self depreciating, destructive lifestyle can do to an individual. At about the midpoint of the album, Sia changes the tone of her music, the pace and writing altering with Elastic Heart, a song about showing how strong you can be. Fire Meet Gasoline and Dressed In Black show no matter how broken you may feel, belief in yourself and not being scared to ask for help, of opening up and trusting again can re-ignite what’s important in life.
For those of you wanting a hard copy of the album will see from the cd booklet that Sia is every bit the artist her songs present her to be, each page with personally shot photographs of people who have been Siafied, as if she wants to say “my songs could represent anyone”.
With the sultry voice that has become so popular in recent years seen in singers like Adele and Rihanna, Sia has perfectly managed to blend artistic flair with pop music like few others can do. This album isn’t going to be the one you throw on at a party and dance to, but instead it will sit, waiting for those nights where life is getting a bit too hard and you need a reminder that no matter how low you feel right now, it all gets better in time.
ASH COOPER