Sia: We Are Born
The glowing reviews of Kylie’s Aphrodite earlier this year made this reviewer want to vom. Were critics really suggesting that this tepid album was a standard-bearer for carefree pop?
Well, here’s an alternative. Produced by pop-meister Greg Kurstin (Britney Spears, Kylie Minogue – yep her again) Sia’s third album is full of ebullient pop songs: its best, Stop Trying, Bring Night and Never Gonna Leave Me, are a riot of percussive handclaps, casio synths, and some muscular guitar lines courtesy of The Strokes’ guitarist Nick Valensi.
But there’s also some lovely downtempo moments such as the luscious Winehouse neo-soul of Be Good To Me and a cover of Madonna’s Oh Father. And through it all is the Adelaide-born chanteuse’s incredible voice, cracked and soaring by turns. Her best album yet.
4/5
Review: Alison Grinter
