Sarah Blasko – What The Sea Wants, The Sea Will Have
(2007)

Review by Chris Wood

My main reason for listening to Sarah Blasko in the beginning was because, unlike other Australian folk/indie/electronica artists, she is above moderately attractive.  

It must be said however, that Sarah Blasko's ability not to resemble a man-hating lesbian isn't the only reason I'm utterly captivated by this mysterious diva. 

With a handful of ARIA nominations to her name, along with a coveted nomination for the 2006 Australian Music Prize  for her smash debut album, "The Overture and The Underscore", I couldn’t help but think what every other idiotic Triple J listener was thinking: What’s the deal with this girl who’s musical stylings render herself liable to claims of being the illegitimate love-child of Thom Yorke and Bjork, (even the names are similar…hmmmmm. I’m starting to think that if Ms Blasko has a wonky eye that this theory may actually have some credibility).

Regardless, whether or not Bjork and the world’s most famous depressive did in fact hit it off years ago, no amount of speculation can overshadow the undeniable talent of one of Australia’s most capable pop princesses.

To be a successful female singer/artist in these modern times, it is essential you excel in at least one of the following;

a) Attractiveness. It’s quite possibly the female pop-singers most potent attribute. Without it, she is given the difficult task to excel in either of the following areas;

b) To be able to sing. In the world of over-commercialized pop-ventures, the overwhelming un-attractiveness of any Pop-Diva-To- Be can be covered up by a competent voice. Just look at Fergie (On closer inspection she bears an uncanny resemblance to a midget-single mother of three from the outer regions of Geelong) but no-one cares! 

And finally, apparently one of the less-redeeming qualities of a pop-singer,

c) The ability to write songs. 

Usually the most famous pop-divas will have a strong affinity for at least one of these areas of expertise, at times branching out to the other categories. Very rarely will you find someone who covers all three of these groups with such conviction. However, Ms Blasko seems to encompass all  of these skills with such a convincing display of strength. She is honestly one of Australia’s best talents at the moment, on par with Tim Rogers, Luke Steel and Nick Cave.

Aside from being able to sing like an angel, her songs are simultaneously mysterious and open, light and dark, happy and sad. More often than not they’re deeply melancholic. One gets the sense that she must have, at some stage, subscribed to the poetic stylings of Sylvia Plath.

From the albums opening track, For You, we are taken on a dark and emboldened spiritual journey of love, reality and the ultimate outcomes when these realms work against each other. Listening to the album as a whole, you get the sense that Sarah Blasko is someone who’s not afraid to experiment with not only a multitude of instruments, but is also willing to transcend the barriers that separate the genres. 

She mixes and re-recreates typical sounds to capture a style that you would most likely define as earthy-sonic-indie-folk. Her willingness to experiment with a variety of sounds are commendable, yielding a delicate and fertile landscape for Sarah to layer her velvet and graceful tonal illuminations.

The Gardens End bites at the heels of other notable female artists including Charlyn Marshall of 'Cat Power’ fame and 'Love Outside Andromeda’s’ Sianna Lee, reassuring the rest of us that she hasn’t forgotten how to write a guitar driven epic. 

Planet New Year is beautifully written, and is probably the most commercially viable track on the album (I vaguely recall hearing it on Nova amidst the one millionth run of the latest Anthony Callea track). The chimey, yet gloomy verse make way for the delightfully surprising chorus that doesn’t quite resonate properly the first time it’s heard. However, subsequent listens allows justice to prevail, as it is understood that we’re not dealing with an ordinary artist. 

The Hammer starts off with a haunting howl not too dissimilar to the Pixies Where Is My Mind, where once again we are taught another lesson in not trusting what to expect from Ms Blasko.

Her style of music would suggest that she would be the most appropriate choice for the soundtrack of the latest Harry Potter installment (in which Harry becomes disillusioned with his lifestyle of witchery and ponders abandoning the order to pursue his dream of becoming a professional soccer player, all the time wallowing in his seemingly shallow existence, as he contemplates the basic ethical dilemmas faced by anyone who has the ability to turn another human into an hermaphroditic ground sloth). 

In an industry polluted with so much crap, Sarah Blasko should be celebrated as one of Australia’s foremost talents. "What The Sea Wants, The Sea Will Have" is definitely a move forward in her rich musical story. Indulge whatever introspective desire you’ve ever had and experience the incendiary talent of Sarah Blasko.

RATING: 4.5 out of 5

Check out the "Planet New Year" Clip Here