Prick up your ears, installment 6 - SiA & Downtempo

I'll admit it, I am a fan of the music genre often called "Downtempo." While I have never liked most rap music, for some reason downtempo really appeals to me. Massive Attack, Portishead, Lamb, Morcheeba, Hooverphonic and the like are very cool on the whole. My favorite downtempo group is Zero 7, featuring SiA, the definitive downtempo singer.

SiA has a new album out, "Some People Have Real Problems," that I listened to for the first time yesterday on my walk with my dog. I LOVE this album. SiA gets to show us that she is far more diverse that her signature, laconic, slurry delivery -- this girl can sing. My "Allmusic" link to the album reveals that their critic does not agree with me. I guess I'm just one of those people he describes as:

"Sia is exactly the sort of artist a middle-aged Starbucks devotee who wants to remain at least tangentially hip would flock to: if Amy Winehouse did yoga instead of Jack Daniels, she'd sound a lot like Sia.

I'm guilty, but feeling zero shame about it. SiA simply makes me feel really, really good. What's not to like about that? Oh, could have have a Mocha Grande please?

~ Tom