Sia
Issue #34
Some People Have Real Problems (Monkey Puzzle)
By Jonathan Shipley
Published: December 1st, 2007 | 12:00am
You may have caught wind of Sia Kate Isobelle Furler when watching the final scenes of the last episode of Six Feet Under. It was Sia’s “Breathe Me” that we heard when we watched the characters meet their makers. But perhaps it wasn’t that show that introduced you to her. It could have been her work with Zero 7, her splashy projects with Massive Attack, or her backup vocals for Jamiroquai.
Sia’s been around for a while. She released her debut, OnlySee, a decade ago. And now, with Some People Have Real Problems, where she even does her own cover art à la Edie Brickell, Sia busts out the stops with 14 tracks of soft melodies, jazzy tunes, and head-bopping songs.
You can compare her songs to many. “Lentil” is a shuffling Regina Spektor–esque tune that blossoms into a soaring Nelly Furtado song. “Academia” is like a plucky little Alanis Morissette song: “I am a dash / You are a dot / When will you see that I am all that you’ve got.” “Electric Bird” is soulful Joan Osborne. “Soon We’ll Be Found,” by far the strongest song on the album, has simple instrumentation before climaxing into an anthem of true beauty and strength.
Sia sounds like so many other singers that it’s hard to pinpoint who exactly she is. She’s been compared to Dido, Beth Orton, Dar Williams, and Jewel. She doesn’t stand out and you’ll most likely forget the name, but when listening to Some People, you’ll find that she’s a fine singer with a fine album.
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