13 tracks of straight-out pop bombardment, Some People Have Real Problems sees Adelaide's own(TM) Sia Furler the most assured she's ever been. Lavish bordering (and occasionally crossing over to) the over-produced, the album has a tangible I-just-broke-up-with-my-boyfriend-but-I-feel-fine exhuberance. The title, Some People Have Real Problems was apparently a result of an ironic conversation had by Sia about the trivial nature of most middle-class Westener problems, and that kind of self-aware 'my problems are silly, but they're problems all the same' vibe translates across to the thematic content of the album.

 

The laid-back 'Black Sandals' does well at exhibiting Sia's range, and the flowy chorus serves as a nice introduction to the album. But Sia has a bit of kick in her, and 'The Girl You Lost of Cocaine' impresses with its stern refrain and empowered lyrics, but there's a strange sense that this exact sound may have been done somewhere before - and a bit of a dirty feeling once you realise that that place you last saw it was Pink's latest.

 

Nevertheless, the hooks are catchy and the lyrics often clever - check out the standout duet with everyone's buddy Beck in 'Arithmetic', in which you'll hear the unbeatable line "And if you are a number you're infinity plus one" delivered with just the right amount of casualness. But the album and often become washed out with backing vocals and lush instrumentation - and there aren't enough quieter moments where Sia's confident, smoky voice can really command. As far as the pop indulgence road can be followed, it's not a bad way to pass the time – whether it'll be enough to really satisfy you is another matter.