Tim: New one off Sia, first off her upcoming second album, and there’s something she’d like you to know.
Tim: So apparently she’s alive. And it’s nice that’s she’s told us quite so vigorously because otherwise I wouldn’t be sure.
Tom: I was going to do a bit of sarcastic shtick here about “oh, really, I hadn’t noticed”, but frankly that voice is so powerful I can’t bring myself to do it.
Tim: Right, and it’s an interesting technique, that one of singing with such strength that your voice starts breaking, and with some singers very risky.
Tom: Particularly when you’re going to be called on to blast that song out, in that style, on every late-night show there is. It’s something she’s pulled off before, and it astonishes me.
Tim: She does it well, especially here where it works so very, very well, because it really serves to impress quite how alive and breathing she is, however much you may have taken it off, whatever it may be. It’s a very powerful song, this; to be honest I’m not sure we’ve had anything like it since Fight Song, and in terms of pure power it might even have come out on top.
Tom: But it is actually a decent song? I find myself not really wanting to reply it: I can’t deny the power and skill in the voice, but I’m not sure the composition actually backs that up. The middle eight is utterly brilliant, but then the chorus comes back and… hmm. I’m not convinced.
Tim: Oh, I disagree – for me at least, the power of the voice counts for everything, and almost forces you to ignore any defects the song may otherwise have. I’m saying, fine work all round.
Tom: I’ll tell you what though: this would have been a better Bond theme than Sam Smith’s.
Tim: Yes, but then Twinkle Twinkle Little Star would have been a better Bond theme than Sam Smith’s.