Sarah Blasko - New Waves @ Breaking More Waves

Sarah Blasko is a singer songwriter from Australia who reminds us very much of another Breaking More Waves approved Australian -Lisa Mitchell . Or rather, what we should be saying is that Lisa Mitchell very much reminds us of Sarah Blasko, as the thirty three year old has released three albums, so is some way ahead of the younger Mitchell in terms of a back catalogue.

In her native Australia Blasko is a multi-platinum selling and award winning star who has performed at the closing ceremony of Sydney’s Commonwealth Games, but in Europe she remains virtually unknown. However, in April Sarah will be raising her profile in the UK with the release of the Bjorn Yttling (Peter, Bjorn and John) produced As Day Follows Night. It’s an album of carefully arranged pop songs full of elegant melodies and uncluttered organic sounds, recorded in the same studio that Abba once used. The tunes flit between genres but combine as a whole to provide a solid and consistent album. There’s the midnight folk sounds of All I Want, the stomping jazz of No Turning Back which bizarrely has the scent of The White Stripes stomp painted over it, to the unaffected percussive earthiness of We Won’t Run, a soulful song about accepting things and letting go. It is the simplicity of Blasko’s work, combined with her clear fragile voice that engage the most, irrespective of the style of music she plays.

With As Day Follows Night Blasko says that her aim was to make a classic pop album. “I wanted pure, elemental songs played on acoustic instruments. I didn’t want to hide the lyrics behind electronics or effects pedals.” Blasko has also recently been involved in writing a score for the Bell Shakespeare Company’s production of Hamlet, in which she also performed. “Being involved in Hamlet at the same time was a big influence - when I wasn’t performing, I would sit backstage at the piano and write my own songs. Even though I hadn’t played much piano in the past, it’s my favourite instrument and I found the loneliness of its sound inspiring. It suited Hamlet and it suited my state of mind at the time.”

Blasko will release We Won’t Run as a single at the end of the March in the UK, followed by the album in April. For the time being, here’s All I Want from the album.