SARAH BLASKO As Day Follows Night (2010 UK 12-track CD album - In modern pop, Sarah Blasko is a rare beast. On the one hand, she is a fiercely-independent free spirit whose haunting music critics have run out of superlatives to describe. On the other, the 33 year old Australian is a multi-platinum selling star whose mantelpiece houses an ever increasing array of awards. Produced by Björn Yttling [from Peter, Bjorn and John] and recorded in a Swedish studio once frequented by Abba, 'AsDay Follows Night' is an elegant, intelligent collection of quirky, captivating pop songs of heartbreak and hope. There are elements of folk and jazz in the album's bold but sparse instrumentation, though don't be fooled that this is a regular singer/songwriter record. You'll also hear references to Henry Mancini, Ennio Morricone and Talking Heads that belie the aching sadness of the lyrics, peculiar percussion and adventurous arrangements. However, most striking of all are Blasko's bewitching vocals, at once intimate & otherworldly. The album's intriguing adventure takes in highlights as diverse as the spaghetti-western strains of future single 'All I Want', the joyous pop of 'Hold On My Heart' and 'Over & Over's prickly, leftfield folk. There's also the spooky, bluesy shudder of Lost & Defeated's tribute to Screamin' Jay Hawkins, the double bass-driven 'Bird On A Wire's sizzling, old-school jazz club vibes and the album's dreamy, debut single, 'We Won't Run').