The album opens with behemoth track Chandelier which serves as the album's lead single and it's more immense, euphoric and heady than any of her past releases. Dealing with the 'party girl' approach to alcoholism ("Party girls don't get hurt/ can't feel anything/ when will I learn/ I push it down I push it down..."), a reflection of Sia's own battle with the addiction, the song is a thumping, whirlwind power ballad with elements of eletronica and hip hop layered under a soaring vocal that cracks at all the right moments. It's a contender for song of the year and as it stands it's way out in the lead. The grandeur doesn't stop there. Big Girls Cry is another album highlight/massive ballad with a brilliant chorus and Eye Of The Needle is wrought with emotion. The vocal breaks give her emotion authenticity and it's her pathos coated vocals that send the likes of Fire Meet Gasoline into the stratosphere, a song with a killer melody and an epic chorus that only she could hold the reigns to.
Sonically, 1000 Forms of Fear is bolder than her past work. It begs to be heard, to be dissected and to be turned up. The beats are thicker and heavier, the vocals are at times startling and the Greg Kurstin production comes with beautiful surprises like the haunting shudders of Cellophane and the Tegan & Sara vibe of Fair Game. The album isn't without a misstep though, as Straight For The Knife's intricate lyricism doesn't quite work with the lacklustre arrangement and bland melody.
It's not all dark. Burn the Pages is an upbeat anthem about taking the shit bits of your past, writing them down and then setting them on fire (self explanatory title I guess). A surprise album highlight is Hostage, a song not too far removed in sound from We Are Born. It's got one of the best choruses you'll hear all year:
"It all begins with just one kiss/ I'm held hostage by your love/ Put me in cuffs/ Lock me up/ I'm held hostage by your touch/ This prison is rough but I can't get enough/ The secret life of us keeps me in handcuffs/ Don't lock me up/ Don't you wanna free us/ I'm held hostage by your love."
Thankfully, Elastic Heart makes an appearance, only the album version doesn't include The Weeknd vocals on the second verse. Free The Animal, an infusion of electronic synths and pop beats wants to be a dancefloor filler but is a little too abrasive to be loveable with its bordering on annoying chanty chorus and vocoder breaks. Album closer, Dressed In Black is the longest track at 6.40 minutes. It's an incredible power ballad, highlighting the depression brought on by the ending of a relationship and the cure found in a new lover. It picks things up at the end of the collection and Sia's vocals are of course, stunning.
If the album cover is anything to go by, it's certainly clear that Sia's doing everything she can to remove her face from the equation. She doesn't want to be Sia the pop star, she wants to be Sia the singer, the artist. She can certainly take pride in 1000 Forms of Fear, a strong collection of pop songs that serves as a great reminder of Sia as solo artist and not just Sia songwriter for Beyoncé, Britney Spears and Rihanna et al. It's safe to say that the album is very strong, a triumph in some ways, with minimal misfires. The likes of Chandelier, Big Girls Cry and Fire Meet Gasoline overshadow the rest of the album with their enormous sonic scale, however if you're going to write great songs like these you're going to have to make sure your entire album is equally grand. The shortfalls of 1000 Forms Of Fear are few and when you have so many moments of brilliance in one place it's hard to pick much fault. She might be posing in press shots with a paper bag on her head and performing with her back to her audience, but who cares when the music is this accessible.
4 / 5
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