After having penned numerous hits for some of pop’s biggest names, the Australian singer-songwriter proves that she is a pop star in her own right.
Sia Furler/ 1000 Forms of Fear
Australian singer-songwriter Sia Furler has had a pretty good run over the past few years. She became known internationally in 2011 for her vocal contributions to David Guetta and Flo Rida on their hit singles Titanium and Wild Ones. Since then the name Sia Furler has gone on to appear on the songwriting credits for some of the biggest names in pop music including Beyonce, Rihanna, Katy Perry, Shakira, Christina Aguilera and Britney Spears, to name but a few.
But it wasn’t always a walk in the park for the now highly in-demand songwriter. Prior to her breakthrough, Furler was already an industry veteran, having released five solo albums over the last 17 years with only little to moderate success. Apart from Six Feet Under’s use of Breathe Me and her collaboration with British electronica duo Zero 7 on the chill-out classic Destiny, she remained relatively unknown to a wider audience and immune to commercial acclaim.
Further fuelled by personal problems and mental illness, Furler became disillusioned with the industry before turning to alcohol and drugs. A stint in rehab followed and it wasn’t long before she decided to keep a low profile and focus on writing songs for other artists. Much to her dismay, this new career direction took off, all of a sudden making her one of the most sought-after songwriters in pop today. With increasing success, she’s becoming more and more hostile to fame and attention. As such, her latest record, 1000 Forms of Fear, has arrived with a certain degree of anonymity, showing nothing more than a blonde bob wig on the cover, performing with her back to the audience, and appearing on a magazine cover with a paper bag over her head.
Unlike her earlier records, 1000 Forms of Fears finds Furler gravitating towards the urban-pop sound while she details her personal struggles with unabashed honesty. Take, for example, Chandelier, the colossal first single that tackles alcoholism head-on. The track’s explosive chorus is perhaps the most chill-inducing this year, especially when she belts it out to the point of her voice breaking. Elsewhere there are power ballads that show startling vulnerability (Big Girls Cry, Eye of the Needle, Straight for the Knife), and upbeat offerings to balance it out (Burn the Pages, Hostage, Free The Animal).
As she blazes through tales of loss, addiction and stardom, it’s become clear that Furler’s voice is the true star of the show. She’s like a chameleon when it comes to her vocal delivery, channelling an impressive range of styles all the while recalling a bevy of female artists from Amy Winehouse to Gwen Stefani. 1000 Forms of Fear may be intended to relegate Furler to anonymity, but with a voice like hers, it’s bound to produce the opposite effect.
THE PLAYLIST
Basement Tape/ Old Picture
Indie-rock quartet Basement Tape may not be a household name, but they have been a staple in the local indie scene since 2010, having played some of this country’s biggest festivals including Big Mountain Music Festival, Fat Festival, and Stone Free. Their latest cut, Old Picture, starts out with retro folky acoustic sound reminiscent of the ’70s. The song then shifts gear, unravelling into all-out instrumental shoe-gazing goodness during its final two minutes.
Adult Jazz/ Spook
Listening to a track by the rising Leeds four-piece Adult Jazz is an experience unto itself, and their new cut, Spook, is no exception. Pulled from their debut album Gist Is, the sprawling 10-minute track finds the boys reaching deep into their bag of tricks, serving up a series of unpredictable sonic layers inspired by the playful spirit of free-jazz improv. Constantly, the tempo shifts and the rhythm changes. Despite its lengthy runtime, the song is commanding enough to keep anyone on their toes. Spook is possibly the most thrilling piece of music we’ve heard this year.
Bon Iver/ Heavenly Father
The soundtrack to Zach Braff’s new film Wish I Was Here is looking particularly promising with new compositions from Paul Simon, the Shins, Cat Power and Justin Vernon (Bon Iver). Vernon’s contribution, Heavenly Father, marks his first new music in four years since his second studio album Bon Iver, Bon Iver. It starts with a hypnotic synth loop as Vernon croons: “I don’t know you house the sin/I was never sure how much of you I could let in.” The looped synth morphs into a choir-like electronic backdrop, making the religious undertones even more intriguingly poignant.
Craig David/ Cold
It’s been more than four years since we’ve heard from Craig David, the British R&B singer whose breakout 2000 debut Born To Do It has remained one of pop’s modern classics. But that’s about to change as David’s poised for a comeback with his upcoming sixth studio album Following My Intuition. The new single Cold sees him revisiting snappy ’90s acoustic R&B
and Kanye West-inspired Auto-Tune territory with an obligatory reference to the popular dance drug: “I ain’t saying no names/But hold up let me explain/This girl’s an instant lover/Like a hit of MDMA.”
Willow Beats/ Merewif
Made up of Narayana Johnson and Kalyani Mumtaz, Melbourne-based electronic duo Willow Beats have previously impressed us with their ethereal 2013 self-released Alchemy EP. The pair are now back with Merewif (“mermaid” in Old English). Here, they take us on the mystical journey drenched in high fantasy and Hare Krishna folklore. The vocal melodies, courtesy of Mumtaz, blend effortlessly with the lithe instrumentation built upon layers of shimmering synths and elements of tribal electronica. “Come with me under the sea,” she coos before offering assurance, “I know your lungs are screaming/You’ll learn to love it here.”
