Customer Reviews

Healing Is Difficult

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

While most electronica/downtempo/trip-hop fans have already been introduced to Sia's voice through her vocal contributions to Zero 7 on both of their incredible, incredible albums "Simple Things" (so beautiful, so genious) and "When It Falls" (the won't-disappoint sophomore production), not too many people seem to be familiar with Sia's solo work. What a shame that is.

While I do agree with other reviewers that Sia's solo work is a somewhat different sound than Zero 7 fans may expect, it is for me equally fantastic. The music on this album is slightly more dance-y and pop-friendly than Zero 7, but I find that her voice to be better showcased here. I love how unique her voice is, yet it varies fairly significantly from song to song. "Blow It All Away", which is included in the Winter Chill series, feels instantly classic.

I highly recommend this album, as well as her second album "Colour the Small One". Colour is a little more mature in sound, as one might expect from a successive album, and contains the now legendary single "Breathe Me" from the finale of Six Feet under. I have noticed this song popping up other places too, of late, including one of the TV trailers for the new Jennifer Aniston movie "Derailed" as well as being showcased on MTV's new music on the 10-spot. She may not be trip-hop's not-so-well-kept secret for much longer.

I hope to hear a lot from Sia in the future, whether it be solo or collaborative. I know that I have certainly enjoyed what I have heard so far.

I was so pleasantly surprised by this entire album. Sia has an exceptionally unique voice. The lyrics are smartly original and the beats vary from hip hop, soul to more subdued mellow rhythms. If you are looking for a Zero 7 style, then go buy another Zero 7 album. But if you love her voice and have an appreciation for music that sets new standards, then please buy this album. My fav's are Fear, Sober and Unkissed, Little Man, Drink to get Drunk, in that order. I hit replay on most of them. There isnt a bad song on the album. Her voice is soulful and raw and I hope to see more great things from her with Zero 7 and in her solo career. Great talent and a great album!!!

This is the long awaited amazing debut album from Sia. Some will know her as the voice of Zero 7's hit 'Destiny' and a few others on their album. If you like the chilled and mellow style of Zero 7 and those who are simliar, such as Portishead perhaps, then this is a must. It shows her vast talent as it is both soulful and definitely inspired by genuine feelings. It contains 11 great tracks and a few hidden extras, including the singles 'Taken For Granted'(with the classic Prokofiev sample) and 'Little Man'. The best tracks on the album being 'Blow It All Away' and 'Little Man', closely followed by 'Sober and Unkissed' and 'Judge Me'. But in saying that, they are all amazing tracks but different in this unique and uncomparible style belonging only to Sia. This album is evidence of talent that is anything other than average, with the ability to evoke feeling and inspiration like no other.

Understated, brooding, and sedate, this album feels like a good sleep that you want to shake off but can't. Sia Furhler's voice is restrained, yet she manages to express her range of emotions quite well. The production ranges from somber to roaring, but the melodies never fail to draw in the listenter. And forunately so, because this is a mellow listen that rewards the weary music lover.

baring in mind this cd was completed(according to oz press clippings)four years ago,when furler was 22 years old;the lyrical content and honeyed voice more than make up for her self professed "lack of musical taste"!!!after hearing her vocals on the zero7 cd i was overwhelmed with aneed to hear more;to know more.and if you are interested in knowing more about sia,then this album is for you.just listen to the lyrics in drink to get drunk,fear,or judge me to gain insight into where she was at the time.it is an inoffensive jazz inspired first album.for those looking for that zero7esque feel,buy it for blow it all away.but that's as close as you'll get.until her next offering,due for release next year. that is the one i am waiting for.but if you love R'n B then buy it.it's like the cool version.

Having confounded peoples expectations on several tracks on "Zero 7's - Simple Things" by elevating the couple of tracks she was featured on ("Destiny" being one such track), she gained enough interest to release a solo album, Which although became discontinued a year after release, shows her vocal talents in Impressive form, for the top 10 hit (although the track went straight to #1 on the garage charts) the Russian classical composer (Prokofiev) sampled "Taken For Granted", which wonderfully exhibits the cross-over potential of Classical music, when handled intelligently. Some people have unfair criticised `Sia' on this album, for taking what is seemingly more of a Dance-orientated album, as opposed to her delicate grooves on the Zero 7 album, but this was never intended to be a continuation of her work on that album, and this is something far more varied that stretches her vocals talents, in many more ways. And thus this is album is truly a success. (the album title "Healing Is Difficult" is a reference to a partner that she recently lost).

Sia has such a unique and dynamic voice and she knows how to use it. I also have tons of respect for her songwriting, a talent latent in so many artists today that have albums with their name on it. It's obvious that she actually thinks about what she's writing. Her style is unique and personal. The album is filled with several different kinds of tracks, from soulful ballads, to smoky jazzy R&B, to playful poppy songs. Yet each song is uniquely "her's." I really like "taken for granted," "fear," and "drink to get drunk."
My only problem with this album is that it seems a bit long. The production is lacking on a lot of tracks. Her voice is so powerful and on most tracks the production is not so powerful. So her voice ends up dominating and driving the whole album and after a while it gets kind of annoying. More balance is needed. But other than that, Sia is a unique artist who is obviously going to be around for a while.

...track 4 'blow it all away' does exactly that...

Let's face it, not all electronica/soul cd's are worth your buy. Many times I'll try one out and toss it a month later due to unoriginality and boring melodies; but when a friend of mine handed me the dubut album by this woman, I was hooked solid. It's hard to sum this sound up into words, all I can say is that it's a rhythmic journey through soul and fire which takes the listener into various emotional terrains and leaves us looking to buy property there by the end of the album. This album is suggested to you with my highest reccomendation, and I am a musical SNOB so these reccomendations do not come easy!. Check her out, buy the album or find a way to become introduced to this fine quality of music.

I bought this album on the strength of Sia's amazing vocal performances with Zero 7. Sia's voice is amazing, its tone and emotional reach were overwhelming on Simple Things. But this album, that I waited patiently to find for nearly a month is a big disappointment. Ms Furler's work is derivative. Witness her influences - Erika Badu, Lauryn Hill et al and you realise that to some extent this album is a high produced, competently sung, expertly delivered CON!!. There has to be a fine line between that which is derived and the other that is plagiarism. This is a shame because Ms Furler can definitely write a great lyric but somehow there is a lack of real passion or memorable songs. Her voice is over produced. There is none of the starkness and beauty that we witnessed on Simple Things. Finally there is a sense in which Furler and her production team over reach themselves in trying to be everything to a cross over audience. This album is a little bit of r'n'b chasing a dance audience looking at jazz from a distance and envying every major chanteuse and diva of the 20th century. I suspect that this would be ideal bar music from Melbourne to Muswell Hill but does a huge disservice to one of popluar music's most distinctive voices. I would like to hear more of her sound stripped down. I want less of that slick, knowing production and more of her reinterpreting well known ballads as well as singing her own original material. Sorry Sia - but I'm going to keep on waiting I know you're going to do it and soon !!.