There could be no better sign for a pop record than to have you actually smiling within its first few seconds on a first listen, but that's what the kick-off to "The Fight" did for me. And the album charges on from there, with Sia's sidelong hook prowess and range on full display across its first half, through "Clap Your Hands" (maybe the leanest and most straight ahead of them), "Stop Trying", "You've Changed" (with its repeated expectation upending pause and swoop on '... for the better'), "Be Good To Me" and "Bring Night". It drops off from there, but still.
(1000 Forms of Fear; This Is Acting)
(1000 Forms of Fear; This Is Acting)
