Thursday, November 22, 2007

SHOWCASE: SARAH BLASKO

"A thousand ears to turn away, not one mouth to stay closed."


Sarah Blasko is an Australian singer with a gorgeous voice and a knack for intriguing lyrics. Already being noticed with only a pair of CDs under her belt, her debut CD was nominated for 4 ARIA awards including Album of the Year, and her second debuted at #7 on the ARIA Albums Chart. Sarah Blasko is #25 on my LastFM charts. Her CDs are 'The Overture and the Underscore', and 'What the Sea Wants, the Sea Will Have'.

Sarah Blasko - Queen of Apology (Sendspace link)
Kicking off with a reference to 'The Ancient Mariner', this song discusses being 'bride to the king of blame', the titular queen of apology. Building as the song goes on, Sarah Blasko's beautiful voice gets a great, dark showcase here. Probably my favourite Blasko song, one that I could listen to five times in a row and enjoy it equally every time. Lyrically brilliant, sensually moving.

Sarah Blasko - The Garden's End (Sendspace link)
Aother darker song, 'End' gives the impression of a hunt, a chase through the darkness that will scar everyone involved. Chilling, atmospheric and Blasko's lyrics at their best. Still not 100% sure whether this song is a straigh, bizarre fantasy or whether, like 'Queen', it's a metaphor for some deeper, real-life issue Blasko wants to explore.

Sarah Blasko - Don't You Eva (Sendspace link)
"You've got a way with words, you've got a way that makes me feel so complicated." Thus starts this song from Blasko's debut album, a song about yearning for the 'one thing you may never know'. Piano strikes in the background periodically as this song pushes onwards, drawing you into the world Blasko's voice creates. quite possibly the best song off 'Underscore'.

BONUS MP3: Sarah Blasko - Don't Dream It's Over (Crowded House cover) (Sendspace link)

BUY: Amazon, Amazon Canada, Insound

Sarah Blasko is a rare treat. Her voice is a night wind, sending chills down your spine you as you walk down a dark forest path and hope you're not being followed. She's a tossing sea at midnight, the creak of the ship's planks under your feet as you watch the swaying full moon. She's an amazing singer, and you'll love her.

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