sarah blasko / albums

For her third album, the eclectic Australian Sarah Blasko took her sound even further than before. Previous albums centered somewhat more around the guitar, while As Day Follows Night starts her on a more piano-driven path. The result is a surprising one. Blasko's voice is at once fragile and careful, holding a lot of breathy similarities to some contemporary female singer/songwriters (Feist, Sara Bareilles), while the music incorporates many contemporary touches from the meeting points between electronica and folk. Though there are pieces of tinkling, lilting modernity throughout, there are also massive throwbacks to sounds that were seemingly lost and gone. "All I Want," the first single released from the album, has a slight Western thump mixed with a voice and delivery equal parts Shirley Bassey and Portishead's Beth Gibbons. "Bird on a Wire" takes a turn toward jazzier territory. "Lost & Defeated" uses a hollow-sounding piano with an orchestral backup for a sound that seems to emanate from a historic beer hall as much as it does from a modern studio. Throughout her temporal and stylistic ramblings, Blasko (in combination with producer Björn Yttling) keeps a steady hand on the rudder, making a full album result rather than a series of singles. It's a very nice listen, with enough intricacy and musical surprise to enchant a listener into more runs through the material. ~ Adam Greenberg, All Music Guide