plorentz's Full Review: Colour the Small One by Sia
The voice of Australian songstress Sia Furler is immediately familiar, but eventually less so. Familiar, perhaps, because she's appeared on record with the likes of Jamiroquai and Zero 7, acts known for their soulful, if somewhat faceless ways with cool, urban grooves. Her voice is the very embodiment of pre-and-immediately-post-millennial detachment, a sound specific enough to its time that no matter what she's singing, it will inevitably sound like it came out in 2001; but so broad and versatile within that frame as to become nearly anonymous. In essence, the sound of Sia is much like the sound of Fiona, the sound of Dido, the sound of Tori, Nelly (Furtado, that is), Ani, Amy, and various Beths and Sarahs. When I first heard her voice, she was singing the Tori-ffically titled "Breathe Me" over the haunting final sequence of the HBO series Six Feet Under, and I remember struggling to identify her. It might have been the voice of actress Lauren Ambrose. It could just as easily have been the voice of Claire, the character she was playing.
When I'd learned the singer was someone I'd never heard of - despite having oodles of Zero 7 .mp3's on my hard drive, I've never actually purchased one of their records - I was a little relieved. "Breathe Me", however pretty it was, and however effective it proved to be as soundtrack material, hardly suggested any kind of career longevity for its creator, and all but presupposed a boringly wispy, anonymous full-length album. I approached Sia's record Colour the Small One with the kind of skepticism I reserve for early morning infomercials and State of the Union addresses. Truth be told, were it not for a light (even by January standards) new release schedule and a very forgiving $6.99 retail price on the disc, I would've skipped over this CD without a second thought. I'm pretty glad I didn't.
Though Colour the Small One, originally released in some international markets nearly two years ago, isn't mindblowing, its lasting appeal is undeniable. And if none of the songs necessarily stick in your head, they do insinuate themselves deep, deep into your consciousness like beautiful musical nightcrawlers. They're full of textures, terrestrial and otherwise. Shuffly brushed drums, twinkly vibes, Jon Brion style carnival pipes. I can't rightly remember more than one or two fragments of words-and-music right off my head (and even those comes with a struggle), but when I'm listening to the disc, I find myself almost involuntarily singing along to a good many of its songs like I've known them for ages.
The verses of "Sunday" are creeping, somnambulant chants set to a stark beat - for those who wait for Sunday to turn to Monday - and "Breathe Me" is an expansive, moody plea for closeness. If the songs sometimes feel like your standard issue art-major-college-roommate confessionals, there's enough stylistic diversity to, at the very least, foster the illusion that you haven't heard this all before. "Sweet Potato" is exotic Far Eastern funk, while "Don't Bring Me Down" is all elegant melancholy, and sweeping, farewell-scene strings. "Where I Belong" is understated lounge with a slinkily ascendant chorus, electric piano and glammy sax galore. But perhaps most stunning is "The Church of What's Happening Now" whose grand chorus and layered harmonies feel like a new kind of gospel.
All told, Colour the Small One is one of those unexpected records, as easy to fall in love with as it is to pre-judge, pre-categorize and dismiss. Skeptics, however, would do well to get over themselves. Colour the Small One is, quite unassumingly, a very good collection of every-alternagirl pop.
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BECAUSE YOU NEED TO KNOW:
"Colour the Small One" by Sia
Astralwerks Records
Released 1/10/2006
Produced by Jimmy Hogarth
51 min.
SONGS: Rewrite - Sunday - Breathe Me - The Bully - Sweet Potato - Don't Bring Me Down - Natalie's Song - Butterflies - Moon - The Church of What's Happening Now - Numb - Where I Belong
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