Back in the day, Sia Kate Isobelle Furler was the name that didn't mean a lot to vast majority of people on our crazy little planet. Yet, she was actually making better music back then than she does today, no matter how mainstream has paid off for her. Australian singer released her debut single Taken For Granted in 2000, and her debut album Healing Is Difficult brought her the title of the new big R'n'B star, which is also what she confirmed with two songs on Zero 7's album Simple Things. However, her sophomore Colour The Small One was far from r'n'b. In fact, it was like a lullaby for depressive people. It also stands as one of my favorite albums of all time, and I am kind of ashamed that it took me two years to cover it.
The album represented first in the series of twists Sia offered in her music. At that time, her new experiment was oriented towards jazzy-soul sound. Such a description will not mean a lot to you until you listen to it on your own and decide in which category you want to put it. What permeates the album is a melancholy that suits Sia's vocal best, and not some "cheap thrills".
I am huge fan of every single song on this record, but I am not going to bother you with a meticulous dissection of each one of them. Rather, I will suggest you which tracks to put on your favorites playlist, because that's where they belong. My absolute favorite is Breathe Me, a song that was used for the finale of Six Feet Under, and that fact speaks on its own. Morose piano, claustrophobic atmosphere and incredibly needy lyrics are everything depressive person needs to hear when they want to feel like they are not the only ones feeling that way in the world. The Bully is an intriguing collaboration with Beck, a country lullaby that sees Sia apologizing to the boy she hurt in her childhood. Numb is congruet to the general atmosphere of the album, while The Church Of What's Happening Now provides powerful verse Throw away yesterday, today is a brand new day. Sunday is an alluring magic that wants you to play it every sunday, or at least mumble it in your chin.
The whole album is a story about a small girl who is lost and vulnerable. Sia's shaky vocal fits the narrative perfectly. Maybe only Dido could have sung this songs. Still, Sia had to wait a lot more to have a hit single than Dido did. However, even though I am glad Sia gained universal approval and became a highly successful mainstream artist, I wish the old Sia was back and Colour The Small One always reminds me of tha wish. I highly suggest this album to anyone who feels like they are the only people experiencing depression. I also reccomend it to anyone struggling with insomnia, as Sia's voice inevitably brings desired peace and equanimity.
