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Special Event: atrlcritic | Ed Sheeran's new songs after the upgrade
Member Since: 11/18/2011
Posts: 5,396
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Awesome idea! I actually have a casual music review blog so maybe this can force me to post something on here for every review and I will always have something to post on the blog. 
I like the idea too of moving forward with albums rather than going to review older albums. Get more people into more diverse music.
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Member Since: 1/1/2014
Posts: 13,761
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Let's see if I can be bothered to listen to this
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Member Since: 8/19/2013
Posts: 10,569
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I will do mine later! flawless album 
one thing though, ive read most of these reviews and a lot of you bring up the Weeknd's feature on Elastic Heart, but the album version is solo...? 
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Member Since: 2/23/2012
Posts: 7,699
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I love this idea, even though i'm a bit inept when it come writing more than "slay" and "kii" I'll give some albums a go. I don't have any reason to listen to Sia so I'll pass this one.
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Member Since: 8/19/2013
Posts: 27,248
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This is really cool. 
And motivates me to go listen to Sia's album.
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Member Since: 4/24/2011
Posts: 17,221
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Are all members reviews scored evenly or some hold more weight than others?
We could have a "resident writer" title for people who write a certain number of reviews and give them more "clout" (their reviews hold more weight). Could entice some quality members to write quality reviews imo 
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Member Since: 3/14/2013
Posts: 37,294
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  | Sia has brought us one of the most amazing albums of 2014 so far. We can obviously see an artistic growth from her previous works, but also, her whole image this era keeps on bringing more to that. The sounds, lyrics and vocals are beyond this world. It's obvious that Sia and Greg Kurstin's production have brought us new sounds, as we could see in the songs called "Free The Animal" or "Hostage". The stand out track, which is also the lead single, is called "Chandelier". It was meant to be given to Rihanna, but Sia decided to keep it for herself as it was her big chance for a pop hit. And look where it is now, top 20! "Chandelier" has, for sure, the most brilliant vocals from the whole album and it's, also, one of the hardest songs to sing ever.
Overall, I think that the album has pretty much everything and that Sia just worked a lot on it and we can see that. There are three tracks that could be called "fillers" though. These are "Burn The Pages", "Fair Game" & "Cellophane" and I think that they don't fit the rest of the album because they just become annoying. |
Score: 8.2/10
Other reviews
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Banned
Member Since: 11/7/2011
Posts: 36,781
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Y'all I really tried to listen to it all the way through but I just couldn't. I think I'll just only review hip hop or r&b albums.
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Member Since: 1/1/2013
Posts: 17,232
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OMG I just saw this it looks great! I'll review soon!
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Member Since: 2/5/2014
Posts: 29,111
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I think so far I like the way Jake wrote his review from the reviews I read. I like how he related the music to other artists so I could get a feel about what Sia sounds like.
I'm not really too familiar with Sia's sound beyond Clap Your Hands and the songs she wrote or collaborated on with other artists but it sounds like he gave a fair critique of the album and gave it a fair chance also.
Still haven't listened but am downloading it now.
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Member Since: 1/1/2013
Posts: 17,232
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1000 Forms of Fear
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Before the release of 'Chandelier' I never had listened to any Sia album. After watching the very interesting 'Chandelier' music video I promised to myself that I would listen to Sia's album. Chandelier, the opening track, is an amazing mid-tempo ballad and Sia's vocals just made it sound even better, it did remind me a little bit of 'Diamonds' for some reason but in a superior way. I didn't think Sia could do anything better than Chandelier on the album but I was instantly proved wrong when the following track 'Big Girls Cry' started playing. The chorus of the song just makes me want to tear up. The same sound that represented 'Chandelier' and 'Big Girls Cry' could be heard throughout the album except for a few exceptions like 'Elastic Heart' & 'Hostage'. Even if the album is quite repetitive, Sia's vocals kept me entertained throughout the album. We can clearly see Sia worked hard on the album, but the amount of repetition just annoys me. It remains a strong album overall but doesn't motivates me to listen to any other Sia album or make me want to dance.
The stand-out tracks on the album are Chandelier, Big Girls Cry, Eye of the Needle and Elastic Heart while the rest of the album is actually gets boring after the first few listens. |
Sia - 1000 Forms of Fear - 6.8/10
dddddddddd
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 List of reviews
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ATRL Contributor
Member Since: 5/28/2011
Posts: 39,615
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I'll write my review when I get my other computer back in the morning. Great concept for this thread, by the way. 
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Member Since: 8/19/2013
Posts: 19,167
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1000 Forms Of Fear
Sia
After the release of Chandelier, 1000 Forms Of Fear is one of the most anticipated albums of this year, and Sia has done it,not perfect but somehow saves the music industry of 2014. The concept of the album is really different and the quality is just perfect.Releasing "Chandelier" as the first single is really a big pressure to Sia because this is one of the greatest pop songs in the 10's,the question is can she do it with the whole album ? Sia can't do that,most of the album tracks are really boring and being shadowed by "Chandelier" and her promotional singles,if you take out all of her single & promotional singles,this could be the worst album by her although it's still greater than some of the others.We can see Sia has tried her best to bring some different to what radio stations are playing,but somehow,she has failed at 1 or 2 levels.It's a strong album,but it's not good enough for Sia
Recommended tracks : Chandelier,Big Girls Cry,Eye Of The Needle,Elastic Heart
Skip-out tracks : Burn The Pages,Hostage,Fire Meet Gasoline
Score : 8.2/10
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Member Since: 8/27/2011
Posts: 13,026
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1000 Forms of Fear
The album as a whole is terrifically solid. Starting off with Chandelier was so silly in my opinion, as it is completely bombastic and seems more of a climax than an opener setting the tone for a record. That said, lyrically the other album tracks that follow are just as good if not better than it. Big Girls Cry is a definite highlight. What's strange about the album is that Sia's writing relies on simple metaphors that seem more relate-able ("try-hard deep" for lack of a better explanation) than they really are, but combined with her best, most sincere vocals and quality productions to date, it's a touching listen. After winding through the first half of the tracklist, Elastic Heart proves to be my favourite song on the record with the best production & the catchiest chorus. It's meaningful, abrasive and sensitive all at once: the culmination of everything that's great about this album. Dressed In Black was a disappointment for me on my first few listens, but it certainly grew on me and I can appreciate it as the closer it was written to be after the stunningly gorgeous Cellophane (which itself is a come down from the sheer power of Elastic Heart / Free The Animal / Fire Meet Gasoline), showing that Sia can still smash a ballad better than any other pop girl.
On first listen, it might seem like a bit of a non-event after Chandelier, but given a few listens and the chance to grow on you and really appreciate the meanings of each of the songs individually, there's a lot more to discover underneath the basic metaphors and predictable Kurstin riffs. One of my favourites of the year so far, don't delete any tracks, it plays better as a whole album and it's not too long for one sitting.
9/10
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Banned
Member Since: 2/8/2014
Posts: 23,320
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Skip-out track: Fire Meet Gasoline
not when it's one of the best songs on the album 
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Member Since: 1/1/2014
Posts: 12,760
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I've been toying with the idea of making a review blog. I guess I'll do it here.
100 Forms of Fear is a cute album, I'll write my review later. 
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Member Since: 5/18/2012
Posts: 27,141
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this is an absolutely FANTASTIC idea!!! 
i am not listening to Sia.. so i'll skip this one but i am SO excited to take part in this!!
i have a few questions though..
how many people must show interest in an album for you to count it?!
who is choosing the albums to rate?
one week is going to be from the US date of release right, and not from the date it leaked or somethhing?! 
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Member Since: 8/19/2013
Posts: 3,320
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SIA
"1000 FORMS OF FEAR"
Sia can do (almost!) no wrong, really. From the gorgeous 'Breathe Me' to the bombastic 'Elastic Heart', Sia has proved herself time and time again, even before this era brought her into the spotlight as a true solo artist. The album's mid-tempo opener and first single, "Chandelier", is what brought her to where she is today, a beautifully desperate track highlighting her personal struggles.
The album then shifts into 'Big Girls Cry', 'Burn The Pages', and 'Eye Of The Needle', all amazing tracks which suffer from the enigma of cliche metaphors. Most of the album continues on with a melancholy mood which, while pretty and relatable, never breaks through to Sia's gorgeously strong vocal power. Thankfully, there are a few exceptions; the fiery 'Elastic Heart', and the hauntingly fun 'Fair Game'. The track was originally on the 'Hunger Games: Catching Fire' soundtrack with The Weeknd, but the solo version shows Sia's ability in full-force. 'Fair Game' reminds me of Ingrid Michaelson mixed with Sia's signature chill-out vibe, and 'Free The Animal' feels like a track tailor-made for Rihanna with her own twist.
The rest of the tracks, especially 'Cellophane' and 'Dressed In Black', are beautiful but never really reveal Sia's true vocal power. The massive amount of tracks which truely make you feel and reveal her amazing personality well outweighs the few 'fillers'. The one complaint I can suggest about this album is the fact that a lot of the album seems built to be faceless and overly generic, almost like how Sia presents herself with her face covered. Overall, Sia's album is not one to miss, and I would recommend you pick it up if you are a massive fan of indie-pop and have some money to spare.
8.5/10
Best tracks:
'Chandelier', 'Eye Of The Needle', 'Elastic Heart', and 'Fair Game'
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Member Since: 6/21/2012
Posts: 18,849
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Sia - 1000 Forms of Fear
Sia, the singer you know from Wild Ones and Titanium by Flo Rida & David Guetta, or maybe her previous albums, released her new highly anticipated album 1000 Forms of Fear last week. First things first, Sia has slayed me so hard with this album, it is probably my favorite album of the year. Let's get into the album!
The production is really good on this album, so it really helps set the mood in some of the songs, such as "Chandelier," "Big Girls Cry," and "Straight For The Knife." Also, she put the tracks that would hook you in in the first half, and the songs that complete the album in the second half. I will review the songs I loved!
The first song off the album, the lead single "Chandelier," is also a song that slayed me really hard and got me wanting to hear this album. The lyrics are just pure gold, I loved the choreography and the dancing by Dance Mom's Maddie Ziegler in the video, and just the song all together. It is a perfectly well put pop song, and it's showing that it can shine as it climbs up the top 20 on the Billboard Hot 100.
The second song off the album, "Big Girls Cry," is an amazing song that I hope becomes single #2. This song tells about getting your heart broken and that it's OK, that crying can help. This song really tells about heartbreaks.
The third song off the album, "Burn The Pages," is a great song that tells about Sia burning the pages from her lover. This song, too, deserves to be a single as it is one of the best songs off of the album.
Other songs that I really enjoyed are Eye of the Needle, Hostage, Straight For The Knife, Fire Meets Gasoline, and Dressed In Black.
I really enjoyed listening to this new album by Sia, and it really gave me a burst of joy and a new love for her amazing music. I hope her next album slays me just hard.
Chandelier, Big Girls Cry, Eye of the Needle, Straight For The Knife, Fire Meets Gasoline
9.5/10
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Member Since: 1/1/2014
Posts: 12,760
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Sia: '1000 Forms of Fear'
6.8
At first I didn't get the hype for 'Chandelier', often hailed as the best Pop song of 2014. But after I warmed to Sia's idiosyncratic vocals, the song definitely grew on me. Sia's voice is certainly something you have to get used to, her poor enunciation, at it's worst in the pre-chorus of 'Big Girls Cry', is sure to be divisive. But even if you can't always understand her, the songs are still enjoyable. While Sia does have an amazing and unique voice (and certainly loves the sound of it), her melodramatic warbling drags out the closing track, 'Dressed in Black' to over 6 minutes. I find the album best when she holds back, such as on 'Fair Game' where Sia sings about power in a relationship over restrained strings. To older fans of Sia, this album may be slightly disappointing: for a singer known for her quirks, perhaps the most unique thing about '1000 Forms of Fear' is the somewhat out-there song titles. However the more mainstream approach means that it won't be difficult for fans of the singers she writes for, such as Rihanna and Beyoncé, to enjoy this album. Many of the songs on the album are similar to 'Diamonds'; mid-tempo pop songs with powerful, emotive, choruses built around a metaphorical title. The lyrics are poignant and personal, one thing is certain in 1000 Forms of Fear, Sia is writing for herself and nobody else.
Must listen: Burn the Pages, Big Girls Cry, Fair Game, Cellophane, Chandelier
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