There can be few people with ears who wouldn't recognise the jazzy slurs of Sia Furler's voice. Of the many mesmerising meanders which made Zero 7's 2001 debut "Simple Things" a cinematic must-have and the soundtrack for trendy retail establishments, Sia's contributions, "Destiny" and "Distractions" were the highlights. Since then there's barely been a BBC DIY programme which hasn't worked them into the background - denoting either absolute despair or a stylish finish.
Understandably then, the Australian chanteuse's second album opts to continue the downtempo theme, junking the strident R&B of her debut "Healing Is Difficult" and Prokofiev sampling Top 10 single, "Taken For Granted". Album to album it's a sharp change of direction, but as her Zero 7 experiment proved, shimmering melancholy more than suits her.
In fact, rather than mimicking and rehashing "Simple Things", she's found a warmth and depth of feeling that makes "Colour The Small One" the logical progression. Over "Breathe Me"'s circular piano and claustrophobic beats and "Numb"'s spiralling strings, she breathlessly wrestles her demons with a mix of despair and elation that's truly humbling. Similarly, her collaboration with Beck, "The Bully" - a childlike country lullaby apologising to a boy she tormented in her youth - is so sweet, gentle and cosy as to be sinister and lovable at once.
Being female, a singer and in the habit of delivering troubled thoughts to a backdrop that qualifies as easy listening, Dido comparisons are inevitable, if misleading. "Colour The Small One" is understated, not safe. There's a wealth of imagination and subtle boundary pushing. With every listen the hazy murmurs of "Sunday", "Sweet Potato" and "Natale’s Song" draw you deeper; previously unheard clicks, tinkles and harmonium parps adding grace, intrigue and majesty as she softly unloads her considerable emotional baggage.
That the album is so understated means there's nothing to repeat "Taken For Granted"'s chart success. Without question though, "Colour The Small One" shows every sign of being this year's sleeper hit.
