SiA: Some People Have REAL Problems : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone

Album Reviews

This Australian-born folkie sad sack may still be best known for her Six Feet Under highlight, "Breathe Me." But her third album (and first Starbucks command performance) tries to establish her as a major Feist-style presence. The main attractions are Sia's smoky voice and quirky personality. Yet not enough of that personality makes it into the music. The ballads are so mellow, it's hard to remember a thing about them, and the kiddie choir on "Little Black Sandals" grates. There are moments like "Academia," a somber duet with Beck, and the stark grief of "The Girl You Lost to Cocaine." But the highlight is "I Go to Sleep," an early Kinks ballad made famous by the Pretenders — Sia's version is so sharp, it makes you hope her songwriting catches up.