Music Review: Sia – We Are Born

Australian songstress Sia is back with her fifth studio album, We Are Born, which is due out in early June and is an outstanding album that is a pleasure to listen to from beginning to end. Sia has always been a stirring and powerful singer, but in this release she seems to have found both a lightness of spirit and an introspective voice that flows through in her music.

From the very start you can feel the raw energy and exuberance from Sia as she travels from song to song. The opening number, “The Fight,” is a high energy pop song that serves as an excellent start to a fantastic album. “Clap your Hands” is a rousing party song that continues the high energy start of the album. This is the first release from We Are Born and while not the best track on the disc it is certainly solid and enjoyable.

“Stop Trying” is one of my favorites on the album and is a very catchy tune that has you tapping your feet and humming along before you know it. “You’ve Changed” is the next track and it is a remake of sorts as it was originally released by Lauren Flax and featured Sia. This time the song is all Sia and it is a very enjoyable song.

The tone of the album changes slightly at this point and the next few songs take on a more mature tone. That is not to say the album to this point was childish or fluffy, but it is a departure from the first four songs which had a high energy, almost party like vibe. “Be Good to Me,” “Hurting Me Now” and “Never Gonna Leave Me” are all very enjoyable songs but “Bring Night” is a standout for me. Engaging vocals plus catchy and effective music make this a great song and hopefully one of the future singles from this album.

The remainder of the album continues on with the excellent “Cloud” — a very somber track that has some striking chords in the music and evocative, sweeping vocals from Sia. “I’m In Here” is also a fairly subdued track that is reminiscent of earlier work from Sia (not a bad thing). It is a sweet and emotional song that is a nice transition from “Cloud” to the next more vibrant song The “Co-Dependant.” “Big Girl, Little Girl” brings us near to the end of this excellent album and it is a catchy song, yet still carries a feeling of weight as Sia sings of feelings and emotions that she carries inside.

Closing off the album is a remake of Madonna’s “Oh Father.” I was surprised to see a singer/songwriter of Sia’s caliber place a remake on her album, but listening to her treatment of the song eased my fears. The way in which she attacks the song and makes it her own demonstrates how the song resonates with her; it fairly drips with emotion and feeling. “Oh Father” is an excellent track and a fine way to close this album.

We are Born is one of those rare albums where every song is enjoyable and worth listening to many times over. The standout tracks of “Cloud,” “Stop Trying,” “Bring The Night” and “Oh Father” are simply the cream of the crop on this engaging and worthwhile release from Sia. This release is highly recommended for fans of Sia and for music lovers in general.