[Review] 1000 Forms of Fear starts strong, then flatlines
Australian singer-songwriter Sia has collaborated with and written songs for most of pop's A-list, including Britney, Beyonce, Katy Perry and Christina Aguilera.
But on 1000 Forms of Fear, she is determined to take centre stage herself.
You may have already heard opener Chandelier, which has charted well all over the world. It's an epic piece, with Sia almost sounding like Rihanna when she declares that "party girls don't get hurt", before launching into as uplifting a chorus as you'll hear this year.
The problem is that the album never again hit the heights of the first track - the 11 tracks that follow feel anti-climatic.
Sia's vocals still shine on tracks like Eye of the Needle, but the songwriting and the melody are clichéd. Hostage is a lighter, bouncier track that skips along without leaving much of an impression.
You'd probably be better off just picking up the Chandelier single - and the fantastic remix by Four Tet - instead.