What the Sea Wants, the Sea Will Have

Talk about living up to your potential. After the promise displayed in her debut, 'The Overture and the Underscore', Melbourne girl Sarah Blasko has come through with a triumphant second record. So much for being difficult. Stylistically, 'What the Sea Wants, the Sea Will Have' is not far removed from its predecessor, but on top of the sweet vocals and gently plucked strings are layer upon layer of dense, orchestral arrangements, sweet, almost child-like vocals, or, in the astonishingly great (except for the slightly pretensious parentheses) '{Explain}', a hyper-dramatic descending piano ballad, replete with haunting clarinet and oboe.
The clearest example of this newfound confidence and clarity is 'The Garden's End' which would not be out of place on 'The Overture...' were it not for the gorgeous multitracked backing vocals and haunting, barely-there bass line.
Lyrically, Blasko is also well ahead of many of her contemporaries, often walking along well-trod lyrical paths, but leaving new and clearly defined footprints with a verbal deftness lacking in much of the current crop of sensitive new age solo singers.
God knows what's coming next.

4 stars