Rachael Darmanin reviews Sia's new album.

Sia's got real problems. Her breakout track "Breathe Me," so cleverly featured in the fabulous series finale to Six Feet Under (HBO) has been her greatest moment and greatest demise. Following that stint, she was dropped from EMI and now has the feat of showing the public at large that she is more than a sappy love song. Not to say that song isn't great, but there's a whole lot more where that came from. Her new album Some People Have Real Problems, shows this gal's got spunk. A jazz and reggae-infused rowdy effort, her return to independence seems to show that this may have all happened for the best.

Opening with the catchy "Little Black Sandals," Sia -- Australian born Sia Furler -- shows a soulful side that is neither apologetic or forced. Letting the notes roll off her tongue, the moody chorus shows a different side to solitude, one that is powerful and inviting. The climax of the album is in the track "The Girl You Lost To Cocaine," which ironically premiered on ABC's Brothers And Sisters featuring Six Feet Under alum Rachel Griffiths.

Complete with a horn section to back her, this songstress knows a thing or two about rhythm, using her vocals to compete with the drums to see who's got more fight in them (I think she wins). Throughout Some People Have Real Problems, Sia's pouts and rasps are used to slither you in, because once this album starts, there's nowhere to hide. A surprising listen from beginning to end, I'm glad this little firecracker will finally break through the stereotype, and just breathe.

Sia's Some People Have Real Problems will be released on Starbucks' Hear Music January 8.