Sia – Some People Have Real Problems
Hear Music (1/8/08)
Pop
Those not familiar with Australian singer Sia Furler’s work might actually be so and just not have realized it. Her work with Zero 7 has been critically acclaimed, as she’s lent her vocals to nearly dozen tracks over the duo’s three albums, including hits singles “Destiny,” “Distractions,” “Throw It All Away” and “You’re My Flame.” Meanwhile, her solo single “Breathe Me” (from her 2004 album, Colour the Small One) got a huge push as it was featured during the closing scene of the 2006 series finale of HBO’s Six Feet Under. While that was probably the high point of her solo career (at least in North America), Sia has released Some People Have Real Problems with the intent of finally blowing up on her own.
Let me start out by saying that this might be the worst album cover of the year, even though we’re only one week into it. Looking like something an eight-year-old threw together on Kid Pix, it was almost certainly intended to look like a child’s artwork, but in a day and age when most people would rather download an album that buy it, you’ve really got to reconsider phoning in the cover art if you want to move physical units. Apparently an “enhanced” edition of the album will feature this artwork, which is really only a minor upgrade.
On album opener “Little Black Sandals,” Sia does some interesting things with her voice, reminding me of Nelly Furtado with a splash of Amy Winehouse. The simple acoustic guitar and percussion are definitely overshadowed by her voice, though it works nicely against the downtempo jazz vibe of “Lentil.” “Day Too Soon” isn’t bad, but it really doesn’t do anything to set itself apart from the Natasha Bedingfield/Colbie Caillat-type standard that’s getting heavy rotations and being featured in shows like Grey’s Anatomy and that other show that’s a spinoff of Grey’s Anatomy.
“The Girl You Lost to Cocaine” is a bit more upbeat and playful, while “Academia” and hidden track “Buttons” are just quirky enough to work with scarf-wearing indie-rock girls. Easy there, Shawn. Sia’s rendition of the Pretenders hit “I Go Sleep” (though it was originally recorded in 1965 by Peggy Lee) is executed well, with a dark, jazzy tone, though I can’t help but notice that she might be trying to do a bit of a Chrissie Hynde impression. “Playground” could have been a Nelly Furtado song, with “Death by Chocolate” is actually sort of Alicia Keys-ish. I feel bad comparing Sia to so many other artists, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
She does have a good voice, though, and if you happen to like Natasha Bedingfield and Colbie Caillat, then you will thoroughly enjoy this album. I found myself trying to stay awake not only during album closer “Lullaby”, but for several of the other songs, too. A lot of the work that Sia did with Zero 7 combined her voice with the duo’s fantastic production, and when the latter of the two isn’t present, the difference is certainly noticeable. If you liked Sia’s work with Zero 7, you might enjoy this, but be prepared for far inferior production. It’s not terrible, but it also doesn’t really do much other than provide simple background music. As we’ve seen with her past work with them, she works much better as a jazz/lounge-type singer than a pop singer, and we can only hope that she also realizes this and starts working in that direction.
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