Sarah Blasko I Awake

Following her team-up with Sally Seltmann and Holly Throsby for indie supergroup Seeker Lover Keeper, Sarah Blasko dove further into introspection on her fourth solo album, 2012’s I Awake. “No one knows just why we’re here … it’s all about the endless search,” the Sydney singer/songwriter proclaims through a rush of timpani on the thrilling title track. It’s a powerful opening statement to this journey of self-discovery, all given extra weight by the 52-piece Bulgarian Symphony Orchestra that colours each song with slow-building suspense. Still, Blasko—who also produced the album—is in full command, her tender yet formidable voice always front and centre as she navigates fleeting moments of self-assuredness (“All of Me”) and self-doubt (“Fool”). The arrangements are rich in subtlety, with threads of harp glistening through dark ballad “New Country” and soft pizzicato lending a mystical ambiance to the symphonic folk of “Bury This” and “Here”. Meanwhile, a sea of strings undulate throughout, rising alongside her most unsettling revelations, with the biggest saved for last. “I admit that I’m unprepared, staring into the face of death,” she croons over moody minor keys on final track “Not Yet”, an ominous reminder of her own mortality—and ours.