Rated We Are Born.

Clap Your Hands in an ovation to this marvel.

When Sia Furler's 'Breathe Me' was used as the theme tune for the hit tv show 'Six Feet Under', its gorgeous simplicity was an instant winner. The album from which this morsel was plucked, Colour the Small One, was a brooding masterpiece with quirky lyricism and Sia's dry but sumptuous vocals pouring out over down tempo, beautiful songs. Next came a slightly more commercially friendly release, Some People Have Real Problems, which contained some of my favourite songs of all time such as 'Death by Chocolate' and 'Buttons'. It was Sia's next move which would cement her position as one of the most consistently 'different' artists out there, commercially successful or not. She has not disappointed.

We Are Born is an uptempo, much more cheerful collection of songs. Sia's songwriting skills and ear for a delightful hook are unsurpassed with this latest effort. The opening track 'The Fight' begins with children chanting the album title, before Sia brings in her powerful vocals to sing to us about winning an emotional battle and human unity, “we made it through the darkness through the light/oh how we fought, but still we one the fight/yes we stand together!”. From the bouncing melody of the opener to the disco-funk inspired 'Clap Your Hands', which is the most memorable and enjoyable track on the album. 'Clap your hands, clap your hands/come and dance take a chance on romance we only get one chance'. The song is Sia's most dance floor friendly (sadly this entire album will be overlooked by critics and commercial radio stations, denying this great artist the recognition she deserves- whether she wants it or not) and has racked up the highest play count of all the album tracks on my nano. The final run of the chorus is belting, as she wails and howls harmoniously throughout.

We Are Born is certainly bouncy pop, illustrated by the infectious 'Stop Trying' and the neo-disco beats of 'You've Changed', which highlights Sia's originality as a song writer. Although more mid to uptempo numbers follow, 'Bring Night', 'Hurting Me Now' and 'Never Gonna Leave Me', Sia has of course popped in some slower beauties to excite our sensors. 'Be Good To Me' and 'Cloud' being the most luminescent. The former requesting comfort and understanding from a lover and the latter a metaphor for releasing pent up sadness and anger, 'I am a dark cloud, swelling with rain'. The latter stages of the album are not as impacting as the earlier moments, that isn't to say that the album loses charm. 'The Co-Dependent', Big Girl Little Girl' and 'Oh Father' are all as enjoyable as the early songs, it is just a shame they lose the disco vibe laced throughout the rest of the album and are somewhat overshadowed by the bigger moments early on. 'I'm in Here' is the loveliest ballad Sia has written and with time becomes a moving story.

We Are Born is an important moment in Sia's career; it had to be different to its predecessors, reinventing the artist's sound and it has. Producing a more uptempo collection was a good move for an artist with a back catalogue of mid to down tempo songs. With some of the most amazing moments of any album this year, Sia has compiled a spectacular success of a record. She may not want to be famous and I may not want to share her with a mass audience, but it is, at the same time, a shame that her fantastic talent is unknown to so many. At least those of us who do know of her existence can continue to sway in an orgasmic hypnosis.