But often, the upbeat production masks pensive, brooding lyrics that depict an aging soul coming to terms with the loss of its sonic youth. The haunting, ethereal “I’m In Here” is a lonely cry from a lost spirit yearning to be found, and despite its sunny, doo-wop pop rock vibe, there’s no ignoring the melancholy of “You’re Hurting Me Now.” She sulks and wails on “Cloud,” pouring stormy temperament all over the track, and unflaggingly accepts a lover’s flaws on the deceptively buoyant “The Co-Dependent.”
Heavy with mood, many of the songs, whether sunny or solemn, play on the tension between being an adolescent and becoming an adult, that time in life when love is rarely simple, emotions go haywire, the world seems scary, tough choices must be made, and ultimately, when rebirth occurs. This is especially clear on “Big Girl Little Girl,” where an older self delivers sobering truths to the child within, and the painfully plaintive “Oh Father,” where a daughter discovers that growing up sometimes means letting go. We Are Born is a musical manifesto for giving birth to a new self, of embracing maturity while maintaining innocence.
As Sia’s rich vocals curve and climb around each song, she makes you feel that she knows of what she sings, that she’s lived the struggle to make sense of the worlds both in and outside of yourself. Fiery and feisty one minute, solemn and soulful the next, coming of age never sounded so good.
published on Okayplayer.com