Sarah Blasko - What The Sea Wants, The Sea Will Have - Deluxe Edition (Album)
» Sarah Blasko - A True Showstopper Tour - August 13, 2007
» Sarah Blasko - Stones of the Yarra Valley, VIC - January 11, 2008
» Falls Festival 2007 - Lorne, Vic - December 31, 2007
» The Sweet Side of Sarah Blasko - November 11, 2005
» Sarah Blasko - Prince of Wales, Vic - November 28, 2005
Sarah Blasko made her mark on the Australia music scene with her debut album "The Overture & The Underscore" in 2005. This was quite a bright, cheerful album; and radio-friendly songs such as "Don't U Eva" and "Always Worth It" received much airplay.
I found "What The Sea Wants, The Sea Will Have" to be quite different. Lyrically it is deep and poetic, and musically it feels a little darker. That said, it's certainly not a depressing album; although I wouldn't call it an up-beat or "feel good" album either. The musical arrangements are layered with classical and contemporary instruments, and there is always a sense of beauty with Sarah's enchanting voice.
This album was number 7 on the ARIA charts, and recently was voted "Best Pop Release" in the ARIA Awards for 2007. This was quite a surprise to me - I certainly wouldn't call it pop, but it's fantastic that the Australian public rates alternative talent highly when compared with mainstream music.
I won't delve too much further into the album itself or the individual songs, as there are many reviews on the Internet for "What The Sea Wants, The Sea Will Have" - instead I will take a closer look at the features of the Deluxe Edition, which was released in October 2006.
This special edition comes with a DVD with 8 video clips, and gives a complete taste of Sarah's range - including songs from her previous album "The Overture & The Underscore". The clips included are "Your Way", "Don't U Eva", "Always Worth It", "Perfect Now", "[Explain]", "Always on This Line", "Planet New Year" and "Amazing Things". An extra feature of the DVD is the commentary, where Sarah discusses various aspects about each of her clips - from the planning to production. Her modest and down-to-earth nature makes the commentaries a pleasure to watch.
The CD itself comes with a protective cardboard sleeve, and the booklet of lyrics is beautifully decorated - with each line of text hand drawn in stylized, wavy lines - like waves in the "Sea". Although this is a little difficult to read, the way the lyrics are presented is visually stunning. I'd be surprised if Sarah didn't have them framed as artworks on her walls!
Even if you have the original release, the video clips and commentaries in the Deluxe Edition are engaging enough that you would not be disappointed with this album. It's a must for fans, and comes highly recommended to anyone else.
