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Special Event: atrlcritic | Ed Sheeran's new songs after the upgrade
Member Since: 9/9/2012
Posts: 59,872
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Guys just put 20 = 2.0 out of 10, and 25 = 2.5 out of 10 in tiny wording under your score so Doc can hush.
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Member Since: 3/8/2012
Posts: 39,015
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Wait don't correct ha, let their scores not be counted
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Member Since: 1/6/2014
Posts: 21,185
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My review is coming 
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Member Since: 3/8/2012
Posts: 39,015
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Quote:
Originally posted by theus231
My review is coming |
Your review will determine our friendship status   Hope you liked the album though
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Member Since: 12/4/2010
Posts: 37,894
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Quote:
Originally posted by iHype.
Guys just put 20 = 2.0 out of 10, and 25 = 2.5 out of 10 in tiny wording under your score so Doc can hush. |
A pass is given for this first week, but if that continues, the reviews won't be counted:
Quote:
Originally posted by ATRL Feedback
Scoring
– Reviews will not be counted into the final score if they violate the rules.
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Member Since: 7/15/2012
Posts: 30,915
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Sia's "1000 Forms of Fear" album cover, signifying Sia's struggle to remain an elusive chanteuse. The battle rages on as she covers Billboard magazine.
Songstress to the stars, Sia, releases her sixth album " 1000 Forms of Fear" after a 4 year wait, and first since mainstream exposure from the hits "Titanium" and "She Wolf" with David Guetta, and "Wild Ones" with Flo Rida. You'll be lucky to see her face these days, but you'll have no trouble hearing her songs after having written for the likes of Beyonce, Christina Aguilera, Katy Perry, Britney Spears and Rihanna, but what about her own material?
Track 1: Chandelier
The album opens with lead single 'Chandelier', a powerful mid-tempo where the highlight is undeniably the explosive chorus. Sia's vocal work has been referred to as "acrobatics" on this song and it's understandable why. She's shouting at you but in the nicest way possible, and it's certainly impressive.
Track 2: Big Girls Cry
After the huge opener 'Chandelier', comes 'Big Girls Cry'. Everything that was enjoyable about 'Chandelier' is missing here. At parts it sounds like a song that was recorded months ago and forgotten, only to be remembered a week before release and thrown on without being finished.
Track 3: Burn the Pages
Afterwards comes 'Burn the Pages' which sounds promising at the beginning (thanks Greg Kurstin) but all the positives end there. Should've let somebody else take this, Greg, it could've been great.
Track 4: Eye of the Needle
The album begins to redeem itself with 'Eye of the Needle'. It's like a superior version of 'Big Girls Cry', catchy yet still emotionally provoking. Sia's vocal work is again admirable on this song with the bridge and the voice crack.
Track 5: Hostage
Likeable and catchy, some words are hard to understand, but that's doesn't ruin the song.
Track 6: Straight for the Knife
'Big Girls Cry' part 2, except the first was better.
Track 7: Fair Game
Kind of middle of the ground between good and bad. I don't know what the story behind this one is but at least it's a little different.
Track 8: Elastic Heart
Among the best songs on the album. Catchy chorus, nice lyricism, verses which don't bore you, great vocals. Nothing bad to say.
Track 9: Free the Animal
The production is so solid. Kind of sounds like a jungle, in a good way.
Track 10: Fire Meet Gasoline
Another good song. Hopefully the album continues to improve like this.
Track 11: Cellophane
It didn't. Maybe I'd listen to this on a rainy day but Sia has proved herself to be able to create emotional anthems which are much better (Breathe Me; My Love), and this is not one of them, though it sounds as if it's trying to be.
Track 12: Dressed In Black
At this point it's forgettable. For a closing track, it doesn't stand out. There are other songs on the album I'd much rather listen to. The vocals are, as usual, impressive but it feels like she put a lot of work (this is the longest song on the record) into a song which was just mediocre. It's middle of the pack, like a few of the songs on this album. Closer to the her previous masterpieces mentioned, but nowhere near as good.
Overall:
The album is good but I had anticipated something better. Perhaps my hopes were a little high, but I was expecting something more than this. Some tracks definitely delivered ( Chandelier, Eye of the Needle, Elastic Heart, Free the Animal, Fire Meet Gasoline) but others were lacking ( Big Girls Cry, Burn the Pages, Dressed In Black). As a whole, the album has great highs, but in it's entirety there are elements which are missing to make the album more enjoyable, which is disappointing, but the album still offers a few solid tracks, therefore...
6/10
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Member Since: 2/5/2014
Posts: 29,111
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Sia - 1000 Forms of Fear
Australian songwriter-singer Sia Furler cut her teeth in the pop sphere by working with indie group Zero 7 and produced several indie pop albums under her own name; these albums were small scale and intimate, that sound best and excel in more personal settings. However, Sia began to cultivate a career in mainstream Top 40 pop providing arena filling hooks to tracks by dance acts like Flo Rida and David Giuetta. Sia slowly became a presence on the Billboard charts writing for pop heavweights Katy Perry; Britney Spears; Beyoncé; and Rihanna; among others, most notably scoring a major hit with Rihanna in “Diamonds.”
1000 Forms of Fear is the coming out party for Sia, the pop star, and the album fails spectacularly. Sia can provide a catchy hook with her unique vocals, but when she attempts to fill the length of a pop song on her own her vocals become grating. In fact, the vocals are the major problem throughout the album, she mumbles and does not clearly enunciate, something that is not a problem on a quick dance or rap hook, but becomes incredibly frustrating stretched to song length. In addition, Sia often comes across as someone drunkenly singing Rihanna karaoke, as the Australian, mimics the Caribbean singer, affecting a patois, but mumbling, on most tracks, notably on “Burn the Pages;” possibly this is because she is uncomfortable singing top 40 designed hits or has yet to find her voice for this music, but these vocals are unnecessary and uncomfortable to listen to regardless.
Throughout the album, the production is very good and often borrows from hip-hop like much Top 40 music. However, the production is often a double-edged sword as Sia does not have the charisma, presence, and capability to sell this type of Top 40 music that a skilled mainstream pop artist has. Sia often sounds overwhelmed by the production, singing for her life, as she struggles to overcome the production and fails to own the majority of the album’s songs, making most of the album drag, making the listener desperate for a charismatic singer like Rihanna or Beyoncé to step in to rescue most of the tracks.
This is Sia’s first big pop album and granted, she is still finding her voice in the pop arena, but adopting Rihanna’s voice is not going to give Sia a pop career. On the smaller scale tracks that are not aimed at radio play, Sia excels. On “Free the Animal,” Sia employs interesting vocal effects and unexpected percussion to elevate the song, putting her footprint on the music, making it enjoyable and playful. “Fair Game,” is a more reflective track with meditative strings as Sia ruminates over a relationship before entering a quirky xylophone section that few else would insert into such a song.
The real stand-out on the album, however, is “Cellophane.” All the bombast that surrounds the majority of the album’s tracks is stripped away and the song is carried by a simple beat reminiscent of a slowly beating heart accompanied by haunting background vocals. The track is mournful, haunting, and intimate. The song connects in a way no other song on the album does and is not reminiscent of any other singer but Sia. It’s a track that is personal and visceral. It's what the album could have been and a reflection of what only Sia can quietly excel at. Unfortunately, these tracks are too few and far between on 1000 Forms of Fear yet they do save the album from complete failure and also make the case for SIa to stick around.
I listened to this album a half dozen times. 
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Banned
Member Since: 6/25/2011
Posts: 37,192
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Sia - 1000 Forms Of Fear
A unique voice and a proven songwriting talent don't quite come together
in Sia's first solo effort since her venture into pop stardom
Sia is one of the forces no one could have foreseen breaking into the major pop world. She was far from struggling as a solo artist in the 2000s, with her song "Breathe Me" used heavily in the iconic finale of HBO's Six Feet Under. She never broke through to the mainstream, but she was able to tour and maintain a steady fanbase.
Then, in 2010, things began to change for Sia. Christina Aguliera tapped her for Bionic, and some of the stronger tracks on the album came directly from Sia's pen. Seemingly overnight, Sia was on the right people's radars, and within a year had her voice as a big feature on a global Flo-Rida hit. She went on for the grand-slam of writing the mega smash Diamonds for Rihanna. Understandably, many have been eager to her return to solo work. Unfortunately, the honest brilliance displayed in "Breathe Me," or the perfect ear for hooks shown on "Diamonds," don't quite come together for 1000 Forms Of Fear.
The songs here are bland, with quite static production and not a lot of change as the record goes on. The opener Chandelier, is glorious, but the tracks that follow seem like pale imitations of it. Sia's unique, fractured voice is more often unintelligible than gripping, and the melodies just don't stick with you like they should. "Cellophane" is the only track that succeeds in using Sia's unique tone to it's full effect, and there are several lines in the verses that only Sia could deliver like she does. These two tracks are not nearly enough to make up for the rest of the album.
Sia shines the most when she has her own voice, and this album simply sounds too much like another in the line-up of alternative pop acts right now. Her talent is undeniable, but it can be so much better utilized than 1000 Forms Of Fear.
4/10
Highlights: Chandelier, Cellophane
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Member Since: 1/1/2014
Posts: 1,521
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Sia - 1000 Forms of Fear
Score: 6.6/10
Album Review
Sia Furler gained much credibility in recent years with a successful run with Titanium were she impressed the entire world with her vocals. Music fans then started to acknowledge Furler for the magnificence in songwriting that she has lended to the likes of Christina Aguilera, Beyonce, Britney Spears, Rihanna and Katy Perry, amongst others.
With all attention drawn to Furler, 1000 Forms of Fear was an album built with unintended hype. Sia opens the 1000 Forms of Fear era, promoting it with lead single, Chandelier that many have mistaken to be Rihanna. When discovered that the blessed vocals belonged to Sia, 1000 Forms of Fear immediately became a highly anticipated album.
Tracklist
(2x for Lead Single, 1.5x for Promo Songs):
4.2 / 5
However, after the release was done, it seemed that Chandelier, and the two other promo singles (Big Girls Cry and Eye of the Needle) were very much unrepresentative of what the upcoming album would hold. Most of the album was rather mediocre or 'childish' in a sense but the album did have a few more diamonds to offer.
Variation:
4 / 5
The album though did offer a good variety in music and kept the listening experience interesting, as to what would Furler offer next.
Durability:
3/5
The down side is, the album is most likely not going to be your choice of an album if you had to choose one album to put in your music player. Only selected songs have high durability in this album, whilst the rest of the songs are very forgettable and skip-worthy.
Flow:
2 / 5
The flow of the album could have been improved much better. Having the draggy Straight for the Knife right after the up-tempo Hostage really amplifies on how draggy and dull the former is. With Fair Game right after Straight for the Knife, it was difficult to regain momentum to carry on with the album. The only plus points about the flow of this album is that it was opened by the amazing pop number, Chandelier and closed off with the beautiful jazzy, Dressed in Black
Extra - Discography Comparison:
After an amazing album in Some People Have Real Problems, it was expected that Sia would remain in her original field but most of her fans were disappointed when she came up with We Are Born. Even more disheartening, she proceeded with the Pop direction in 1000 Forms of Fear but with some hints of contemporary jazz in songs like Free The Animal and Dressed in Black.
On the bright side, if Furler loves to stay in the pop industry, 1000 Forms of Fear is a much needed improvement from We Are Born. The album portrays the Aussie-born Singer-Songwriter's talent as she played much more with her vocals, her production and her lyric writing.
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ATRL Contributor
Member Since: 9/2/2011
Posts: 21,728
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I'm surprised so many people like Free The Animal tbh. It was easily my least favourite song. 
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Member Since: 8/31/2013
Posts: 6,548
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Quote:
Originally posted by lovesong
I'm surprised so many people like Free The Animal tbh. It was easily my least favourite song. |
same it was so messy and awkward to me maybe i need to listen again
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Member Since: 3/8/2012
Posts: 39,015
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Free The Animal is so good though The lyrics, the production, her voice
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Member Since: 9/21/2010
Posts: 29,122
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Sia - 1000 Forms of Fear
Off the heels of writing hit songs for artists like Rihanna and Britney Sia is ready to reintroduce herself to the world in her own special, unique, way. From the blond bob, to the paper bag she is challenging the consumer buying public of what it is to be an artist. Are people afraid to embrace an artist that is not making herself accessible to the public or will they face their fears and pay attention? Well, people are definitely noticing her this go around as she rebuilds her brand as a mainstream pop artist.
"We have nothing to fear but fear itself" is possible one of the most renowned quotes ever yet when you think of fear you may think of falling out of a plane or being murdered, the scenarios are endless; yet Sia only chooses to focus on one general concept throughout the album which is the fear of falling in love, the fear of getting your heart broken and the fear of getting your dreams crushed. With songs like "Big Girls Cry" she puts herself in the shoes of a girl that's afraid of being alone, she's trapped in a life where she feels empty. Is being alone one of the biggest fears of the human experience? It is a question to consider. The album has a lot of songs in this vein, which sometimes leaves us wondering where one song ends and the other begins because the theme overlaps, so if you're not keen on the storyline you'll get lost in the plot.
But the album sometimes steps out of its broody, melancholy moments with highlights like "Chandelier" which embraces partying, drinking and having a good time. Sia gives a very unusual yet stunning vocal performance which stays true to the echelon we expect when we listen to her music. Sia is so concerned about not wanting to be famous yet releases POP radio songs like "Burn The Pages" (which is actually my guilty pleasure) is very ironic. "Pages" is possibly Sia's most mainstream song she's ever recorded; This feel good "self help" anthem is screaming "teen romance movie soundtrack". Another one is "Hostage"possibly the best way to summarize this one is very white girl in Starbucks #AbercrombieShoppingSpreePlaylist like, totally.
But on the bright side the album also has its serious dramatic haunting moments which actually captures the story of Fear. On cuts like "Straight For the Knife" and "Dressed In Black" we see a tale of love suicide and on "Fire Meet Gasoline" we see Sia at her best, deep heartfelt lyrics, and an impressive vocal showing. On "Free the Animal" the sole uptempo rock track we actually see her taking a risk and it works in her favor. Genius melody, Genius production and with such an outstanding middle 8 easily an highlight. Not really sure how this album fits into her discography because some songs do sound like tracks she had written for other artists in mind that she just happen to keep for herself, or at least that's what I got from it.
Best Tracks: Free The Animal, Elastic Heart, Fire Meet Gasoline, Eye of The Needle and Chandelier
Grade: B-
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Member Since: 2/5/2014
Posts: 29,111
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I think Jameson said everything I wanted to say (and more) but better.
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Member Since: 1/1/2014
Posts: 1,734
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This thread is a mess already 
Can y'all stop dragging another muaic taste or review , especially the pretentious one ? I personally dislike this album but that doesnt mean I need to blame or drag a positive review
Just stop and be honest please 
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Member Since: 5/29/2012
Posts: 26,389
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Y'all have done too much on ths album. I would boost its score up but I dont want to
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Member Since: 12/31/2010
Posts: 26,257
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| dddddddddd
...5.5 | Sia - '1000 Forms of Fear' . . .Sia's talent shines, but her lack of identity extends past her performances into the album. |
| | dddddddddddddd | This girl is the mastermind behind various songs, most notably for penning the Rihanna hit "Diamonds." More recently, Sia has formed "Chandelier," a unique-but-radio-ready power ballad that's led her to the public eye and her first Billboard 200 #1 album. Her talent both as a lyricist and a vocalist are shown in the tracks that encase '1000 Forms of Fear,' but never quite formulate into a cohesive piece to truly reward such talents.
One undeniable attribute this record has is a strong opening: with the aforementioned "Chandelier" and midtempo heartbreak track "Big Girls Cry" both show Sia giving great examples of her as a unique artist. "Big Girls Cry" more than most on the album sounds like one she's had in mind for herself for a while. In most cases, Sia plays a dangerous role naturally as the mutual component all of her penned hits. At her strongest, she has no problem at the very least breaking away from the mold that she applied herself in comfortably. That being said, however, in quite a few tracks on this album (ie. "Fire Meet Gasoline" & "Burn the Pages"), she gets stuck sounding like the predecessor of a greater version: the "man, if only _______ sang this!" effect. One struggle Sia has as a result it sounding familiar without a unique aspect.
To say that this album is all wrong isn't fair. "Eye of the Needle" and Diplo-produced Catching Fire soundtrack song "Elastic Heart" (sans The Weeknd) flex in the name of variety and maintaining freshness in the album. However, Sia instead of risking with an original identity as an artist in perhaps her best opportunity, Sia throughout the album ironically chose not to have one at all.
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 Ew
| dddddddddd
.. .00 | Artist - 'Album' . . .Line of review summary |
| | dddddddddddddd | ***THIS IS THE REVIEW***
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5.5/10 -- I feel bad criticizing her to that extent, but the album was completely devoid of ambition or drive.
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Member Since: 1/1/2014
Posts: 8,420
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Starting with a reference to party girls but concluding with thematic expeditions of depression and suicide, to say that Sia Furler’s sixth studio effort “1000 Forms of Fear” is an eclectic compilation is an understatement of the highest degree.
Lead single “Chandelier” is tightly wrapped in a brassy, big band melody that is accompanied by Sia’s impeccable lyrical approach and soaring vocals. It’s offbeat and jaunty at times, but this just makes it all the more endearing. In fact, it’s Sia’s rawness - demonstrated on promotional cuts “Big Girls Cry” and “Eye of the Needle” - that holds the LP together. Essentially it’s paradoxical: its cohesiveness cannot be denied in the form that it sounds like an album and, for the most part, flows well - but at the same time, Sia is exploring and discovering different lyrical approaches, different melodies, different structures… even different genres.
No other song quite reaches the heights of “Chandelier” - “Fair Game” and “Cellophane” both remain firmly on the ground, aimlessly and monotonously floundering in the sea of explosive choruses and dangerously catchy lyrics - but the island-tinged “Hostage”, as well as the dystopian “Elastic Heart” gracefully reassert interest in the album. Perhaps neither song is fit for this album (“Hostage” is perhaps the biggest bump in the road, interrupting a relatively smooth journey), but the beauty of each are the prime jewels in the album’s crown, along with “Fire Meet Gasoline” and “Chandelier” of course.
Perhaps some will be mourning the loss of Sia’s indie credibility (she has, of course, achieved a Billboard 200 #1 album), but “1000 Forms of Fear” should have pop appreciators swinging from the chandelier, celebrating a standout, triumphant effort that is a glowing light in the dark depths of mediocre 2014 releases.
7/10
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Member Since: 3/8/2012
Posts: 39,015
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Quote:
Originally posted by ks_dollar
Y'all have done too much on ths album. I would boost its score up but I dont want to
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Every score counts
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Member Since: 3/8/2012
Posts: 39,015
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Quote:
Originally posted by Heirloom
I personally dislike this album but that doesnt mean I need to blame or drag a positive review
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Yes gather these people  I mean, I wonder what kind of music they listen to to be so pretentious about a positive review. We all have different taste in music so its okay 
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