Album of the Year?

Ok, I'll start by saying any opinions I may have on this album may be skewed. I'm a huge fan which may distort my opinion, but only after 2 days of listening, I must say that this is one of my favourite albums. The artist is Sarah Blasko and the album is: 'What the Sea Wants the Sea Will Have'. Unfortunately I missed the signing she did at JB-Hifi last Sunday, however I had already pre-ordered an autographed copy from the online site. I didn't really have any pre-conceived ideas about the album and I enjoyed the first single [explain]. In an interview with Triple J, she mentions that this was not the resounding opinion of others to be the first single, however she decided to go ahead, create the video clip and release it. It's a fantastic clip, inspired by 'Watership Down' and is a great fit for a great first single.

Onto the album. There's a great mix of catchy choruses and slow thoughtful lyrics. In contrast to the previous record, there seems to be a much greater variety in the pitch at which she sings at within the songs. Also I notice that there are few songs with fantastic piano which I don't recall being too prevalent if at all previously. Most notably 'Queen of Apology' which just has a couple of piano notes throughout, but, accompanied with a similarly constant drum rhythm and nicely timed lyrics it results in a really good song. I would love to see this live, as I'd appreciate how hard it would be to pull off!

For me the standout from the album has to be 'Always On This Line'. Just something slightly different to the others, sung in a lower key with a catchy chorus. Similarly 'The Garden's End' has a great couple of constant guitar 'plucks' (Sorry about the terminology) almost throughout, a technique that I really like in songs. It's also interesting to hear 'The Woman By The Well' which I think was played back at the POW gig last year and the lyrics on a piece of paper. It's good to see that it made it onto the album. 'Showstopper' is one of those songs that grows on you with each listen, while I see 'Planet New Year' as the 'Always Worth It' of this album, with the distinction of having a Toy Piano listed as one of the instruments used.

Just on that, another great aspect of the album is the diverse use of accompanying instruments. Just look on the inside of the CD cover to discover the instruments used on each song. The CD is nicely packaging, with a little photo album with some snaps from the recording studio. With the production of the album's songs as a guide, its not unexpected that physical package appears to have been meticulously put together.

In short, there are a diverse range of songs on the album and overall its something I know I'll come back to many times. I hate people who review albums who say that artists produced something too similar to their previous ones. Honestly if it sounds good who cares? In this instance however, in my opinion, the second offering by Sarah Blasko is a contrast to the first in subtle ways and explores different musical avenues. Its a shame that there aren't more radio stations like Triple J that help discover and promote these artists. Good on them for naming this the feature album of the week - and understandably so.

People of Australia, get out and get some tickets to the live performances as she's touring in the next few weeks. I have my tickets and will be at the Forum. I saw her last year and thoroughly enjoyed the show with 'Flame Trees' and 'At Your Best' being favourites. If you don't believe my thoughts, the beauty of the internet showcases the songs on her website. Don't miss out on this one...