ALBUM Sia,1000 Forms Wear

SIA FURLER'S FIRST BREAKcamewhen her dirge- Though it'snothardto imaginesomeof the like2004ballad "Breathe Me"wasusedasthe songshere in the hands of otherpop stars("Fire bleak closingsongin the series finale of HBO's MeetGasoline" hasa monsterchorus reminis- Six Feet Under. So, her second act,assongwritercentofaBeyonc6powerballad), the vocals-an tothestars,has been unlikely,to saythe least.impossible blend of tremulous howl andsen- Her moody solo albums often detailed strug- sual siren's call-areall Sia's. The operatic leaps gles with addiction, complete with titles like and key changes of hit lead single "Chandelier" "TheCo-Dependent" and "The Girl You Lostalone should be enough toscareoffanAuto- toCocaine," which made it difficult forsome Tune -enabled starlet. Siamayhave takena step fanstoreconcile them with the comparativelyback from the spotlight to promote it, but with innocuous lyrics and trendy beats ofpophitsloonForms ofFear, her time has finally arrived. SINGLES she has written, like Flo Rida's "Wild Ones"or -Andrew Hampp Rihanna's "Diamonds." ARIANA GRANDE FEATURING ZEDD, "BREAK FREE" ButloonForms of Fear,Sia's first album in fouryearsand her first No./ onthe Billboard - Ariana Grande's "Problem"isstill duking it out with 200-is themostrepresentative collection of Iggy Azalea's "Fancy" for Song of the Summer both her idiosyncrasies and talents. It's stuffed status, but that hasn't stopped Grande, 21,from withmore pophooks thanevenshe andgo -to delivering another perfectlyon-trend smash with collaborator Greg Kurstin (Pink, Lily Allen) follow-up single "Break Free," featuring production know whattodo with,asevidencedon"Free from EDM beatmaker du jour Zedd. Thesong,the second single from Grande's sophomore album, the Animal,"onwhich Sia, 38, hasto prac- My Everything, adheres to the strict rules of 2014 tically interrupt herself mid-verse to get to dance-pop(generic lyrics about independence, the teeth -gnashing chorus. But there's also bass that doesn't drop until the chorus). But there's plenty of emotional depth andmomentsof onecrucial exception: her formidable pipes. "Break uncomfortable intimacy, like plaintive ballad PRODUCER:Greg Kurstin Free" succeeds in its insistenceonbeingasoaring powerballad disguisedas aclub banger, allowing "Cellophane," which hintsat afriendprevent- LABEL: Monkey Puzzle Records/RCA Grande to belt at full blast-particularlyonthe July8 infectious bridge, punctuated byan"oh bay -bay" release of zolo's We Are Born. that should quickly become her signature. -A.H.

Alvvays,Alvvays RYAN ADAMS PARMALEE "Gimme Something Good" "Close Your Eyes" Pax Am/Blue Note Stoney Creek Formerlymega-prolific There'sa sweetsimplicity "WHEN EVERY DAY'S A HURRICANE,youknow Always cross-pollinates Bethany Cosentino's songwriter Ryan Adam kicks to "Close Your Eyes," there's something wrong," sings Always' Molly sun-sick brooding with the breezy195osrock off his first album cycle in Parmalee's latest single, threeyearswitha gripping about the anticipation of Rankinonthe wistful comedown "Party Police." throwbacks of Scottish romanticsCamera blues -rocker good enough to that longed -for first kiss. To The Toronto indie-rock quintet certainly isn't Obscura. Even the disaffectedcroonof Rankin make the alt -country crowd lead singer Matt Thomas' wonder how it has survived credit, hemanages tosound afraidtoembrace rain -streaked melodies and-who's descended from Canadianfolkroy- this long without him. like neitheracliched hope- melancholy musingsonlove and other intoxi- alty The Rankin Family,athree -decade-strong Adams quit smoking and less romanticnoranother endured inner-eardisease guy out to get some,which cants. Butthe band's jangly guitars andpowerCeltic band-floatsonthesame current as to get to this point, so the makes lines like "Coming snares,reminiscent of NME's seminalcassette Obscura singer Tracyanne Campbell. song's dash of Springsteen on strong,I'mgonnalay it mythology sits tidily next to on yourlips"comeoffmore compilation C86, lend its full-length debuta Like both thatgroupand Cosentino's Best the subtle acoustic -guitar endearing than nauseating. sunnydisposition perfect forsummerrelease. Coast, Always balances musical froth with shimmers. -Chris Payne -Jill Menze lyrical darkness and viceversa."TheAgency JEEZY FEATURING RYN WEAVER Group"seguesfromanominous dronetodrip- LAY Z "OctaHate" pingnotesthat obscure the humorin "acaseof "Seen It All" self -released sobriety shortcomings." "Next of Kin" shim- CTE/Def Jam Recordings Singer -songwriter Ryn merswith riffssocarefree it'seasy tomiss the Weaver topped Billboard's Jigga and Jeezy sound Emerging Artist chart with line about "taking something"to"suppress right at homeastheyonce her catchy alt-popdebut. the things that makeyoufeel uptight." And again reminisce about their She's unsigned, but big dope -dealing daysonthe names arebehind the track: Rankin's elopement fantasyon"Archie,Marry title track to the latter's Passion Pit's Michael An- Me"-the album'smost unapologetically buoy- forthcoming LP. Jeezy spits gelakos, Cashmere Cat and extra -aggressive, and Jay Z Benny Blancoco-produced, anttrack, featuring chirping birds andasoaring happily plays the wizened and Charli XCXco -wrote. chorus-gets a caseof cold feetonthe panic- vet, but Cardo's exotic, flute- "OctaHate" benefits from heavy trap beat is the real its intricate arrangement, stricken "AtopaCake." MVP of the track, report- but Weaver's unrestrained PRODUCER:Chad VanGaalen Rankin'seyefor double meanings in failed edly recorded during Jay Z's confidenceseeps intothe Magna Carta...Holy Grail song's smallest corners. LABEL: Polyvinyl relationships, sugarcoated with jangle -pop's sessions. -Jason Upshutz -Dan Hyman RELEASE DATE: July 22 spiritedarrangements,makes Alvvays worth revisiting-rainorshine. -HarleyBrown

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