Soulful yet playful blonde Australian finally delivers on all her potential.

Sia has been, up to this point, a relative unknown. Sure, she had that song “Breathe Me” that was featured in Six Feet Under - and then with countless other copycat television shows shortly thereafter looking to cash in on its cache. But the fact remains that Sia is still more “that girl who did the Six Feet Under song” than a truly respected artist in her own right. Sia has, however, managed to attract a solid amount of the right kind of attention from your city’s rapidly aging hip set, starting with collaborative works with trip-hop and downtempo outfits Massive Attack and Zero 7, and culminating with two extremely meandering and low budget albums up to this point. Sia’s live effort, Lady Croissant, helped her capture some of her true greatness, as she is most certainly at her best when seen and heard live on stage. However, her fans still clamored and salivated for that breakthrough record that would put her on the map. Their wait is almost at an end.

Some People have Real Problems is slated for an early 2008 release, but copies are already flying around on the internet. I believe the record was being traded on Oink (R.I.P.) and SoulSeek in particular, as well as various .rar download sites. While the pertinent thing to do would be to wait and then buy the record when it comes out, if your patience (or total lack thereof) won’t allow for such a plan, then download the record and then buy it when it comes out (or better yet get tickets to see Sia live and get the record on her new North American tour). No matter when you hear the record, you will be struck by one thing above all else - the record is an instant classic.

Some People have Real Problems is one of those perfectly logical and simple records that should happen all the time but unfortunately rarely does. Take a talented musician and songwriter with a beautiful voice, give her a decent budget and the full backing of actual instrumentation, mix her gorgeous singing with the organic soundscape being built into every track, and look - you’ve got a great record on your hands. Sounds simple, and yet we’re stuck with the Feists and Emily Hainesess of the world sighing and trilling through their derivative records, each song just as boring as the next.

Sia’s new record is such a wonderfully heartfelt and sincere breath of fresh air in the world of glib ironic hipster crap that you may find yourself smiling uncontrollably as you listen to it. The songs are all amazingly well-crafted pop tunes, rising and falling at all the right moments and truly showcasing Sia’s range not just as a singer but as a songwriter as well. Those looking for another slow and plodding record with trip-hop overtones can move on. Sia has.

This folky, soulful pop record is almost completely devoid of bleeps, whistles, and electronic ambiance. In its place are horns, a string section, and other purely natural musical motifs. The fact that these sounds may or may not have come from a computer as well is irrelevant. Sia has made a definitive decision to separate herself as a solo artist from her earlier collaborative works.

Track highlights include Academia (a huge hit among every single college girl in e.costello glasses, mark my words), I Go To Sleep, and Playground. Tracks six through eight - the heart of the 14 track record - are the very best tracks the album has to offer. It’s the little things that make great LPs true classics, and Some People have Real Problems just seems to have all the little things you always wanted in an introspective female singer/songwriting album, without any of the fluff.

You can visit Sia’s Website to find out everything you need to know about upcoming shows in your area, record releases, and anything else in the world of Sia.