After nudge after nudge from Mailo’s indie elbow, I finally caved in to one of his many female singer/songwriter-types when I gave Sia a shot. After listening to her third and fourth albums (Colour the Small One and Some People Have Real Problems, respectively), I became a little worried that this Aussie was just another mellow artist who’s songs get lost in the mix (with the exception of the exceptional “Breathe Me” and the poppy “The Girl You Lost To Cocaine“). But with her 2010 album, We Are Born, came a little bit of change in the form of more dance beats and catchy melodies, still showing off this gal’s powerful voice.
“The Fight” starts off the album with high-pitched, sped-up “We are born” and cheering that sounds like a bunch of kids, beckoning the listener to come into this dance party! Sia’s voice, as I said before, is still powerful and showcased throughout, especially in the chorus where her voice fluctuates like it’s the thing to do. With a catchy melody show-casing a slightly-distorted guitar, the song has a little hint of rock as well.
The album’s single, “Clap Your Hands,” makes you want to do just that! With a bass-line fit for a funky monkey, this song is a definite highlight of We Are Born. A little bit of synth can be found dancing around in the background while the dancey bass, drum beat, tambourine and clappy hands make your rump take on a life of it’s own during the chorus.
Bringing on a little more of rock flavor is “Never Gonna Leave Me.” Unfortunately, that feeling is short-lived as the quick-paced electric guitar is held to just the intro. The song’s verses actually takes a page from book that is her previous albums but the chorus picks it up with a cutesy love song: “Now I’m taking your love from above, you’re here/And you’re never gonna leave me/I will carry you on for so long/Your love is never gonna leave me.” With other lovely verses such as: “You touched my heart then gave me yours/I was so afraid, I tried to ignore the butterflies/Taking me over” and “We are anything but unremarkable/We found things that we had given up on/We found love,” it’s hard to deny this track! The lyrics are both sweet and catchy while the music is undeniably infectious.
Slowing the album down and REALLY reminding the listener of Sia’s earlier albums is “I’m in Here.” Unlike the slowness of entire albums I’ve heard by Sia, this track is a break from most of the quick-paced booty-shaking-enducing tracks on We Are Born. The piano build-ups, implementation of big tom drums and the wooshy winds in the background give “I’m in Here” such an epic feeling while keeping the track pretty slow and pretty.
We Are Born is, in my opinion (but not Mailo’s!), a great departure by Sia. Her early stuff is a great look into Mailo’s musical tastes while this new album is a great look into mine! Which means that other than causing fights between Mailo and myself, our one-time Artist of the Week shows great range and ability to adapt seamlessly into whatever genre she chooses. Also, We Are Born better reflects Sia’s weird and eccentric personality better than her mellower work … Don’t you think?
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- Artist of the Week – A Fine Frenzy
- An Evening With … Katie Costello
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