Tuesday 10 November 2015

Album per day: Day 23

Artist: Sia
Album: 1000 Forms of Fear
Released: 2014

The Australian poster girl for individualism, Sia has had trouble adjusting to fame throughout her career. Penning hit after hit for artists such as Beyonce and Rihanna, it was a fear of fame that led Sia Furler in the direction of songwriting over performing. Last year, she released sixth album 1000 Forms of Fear to a mixture of awe, confusion and disgust. Now, I'm an advocate for artists that stir up these sorts of reactions; they're making noises and stirring things up a bit. Sia though, does not intend to be particularly groundbreaking with her music, but more with her image and her more tangible art. There's a fine line between being pretentious and being secretive, but I think she treads that line with plenty of dignity. She's been through some shit in her life, so I herald her before even giving this album a listen.
If you haven't heard Chandelier, you must have been living under a rock these past couple of years. It really is modern electropop at its finest, and was arguably my favourite song of 2014. The powerful chorus soars like the bird in the night that she croons about, and with its infectious melody it was always going to be a smash hit from the get-go. In one of the most low-key musician feuds of all time, Sia attacks Fergie's claims that Big Girls Don't Cry by writing... Big Girls Cry. Okay, this isn't a diss song or a response to Fergie's 2007 take on mature songwriting, but you can't help but feel touched by Sia's words, especially when you read into her life experiences. Definitely an album highlight. Burn The Pages is a little sombre in comparison, a more generic take on contemporary pop, while Eye of the Needle takes things back to the top. You can just imagine Glee getting their mitts on this one.
Hostage cranks it up a little more with electropop cloaked in indie rock guitars. It wouldn't sound too out of place on a Florence and the Machine record. Sia's vulnerability becomes clearer with each song, and the aptly named Straight for the Knife spells out her ordeal over fuzzy guitar and wobbly keyboards. "Give me your wallet and your watch", demands Sia on Fair Game. No, she has not suddenly gone all Cockney pickpocket on us, but she still bloody means it. She may want to play a fair game, but what game is fair when she adds in a xylophone solo for good measure? There aren't many who can get away with that. Perhaps better known for a music video that exposed us to a little too much of Shia Labeouf, Elastic Heart had to follow Chandelier as a single, which was no easy task. Still as incessantly catchy as the latter, yet with a more basic approach to the instrumentation, you will find yourself singing along by the final chorus.
It's not really until the chorus of Free The Animal that my interest is peaked, sounding something like a Miley Cyrus side project. The rest of the song is kind of forgettable though, save for the looped vocals at the end. What usually happens when we make Fire Meet Gasoline? It doesn't take a scientist to work out that it usually ends up in a lot more fire, with a chance of explosions. Whilst the song is somewhat enjoyable, it feels like Sia's voice can only give a song so much individuality. There are no explosions, only sparklers I'm afraid. Cellophane begins with a hint that it'll grow into a monster, and whilst it does grow, it's more like a blossoming flower. Final track Dressed In Black shakes things up further, with abstract chord changes and a prolonged outro that seems to be the only fitting way to close an album this convoluted.
I went in with hopes that Sia would not take on the form of any other artists out there, that she would just be herself. She is clearly a vibrant and creative talent, but the air of mystery surrounding this persona that she refuses to display doesn't quite add up to the hype. It's hardly Blue Man Group or Slipknot; those two acts have brought something new to the table in their respective genres whilst hiding behind so called "gimmicks", but this album doesn't feel like anything new to me. Don't get me wrong, there are some good songs on here, some that are very good as a matter of fact. However, I remember first hearing Chandelier and subsequently struggling to listen to anything else for the next couple of hours, not just because of the songs quality, but because of how massive and exciting it was. 1000 Forms of Fear didn't quite recreate the emotions I felt that day, but it does suckerpunch when it wants to.

Rating: 6/10
Recommended tracks: Chandelier, Big Girls Cry, Elastic Heart

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