Is Sarah Blasko Australia's Best Female Singer?

The ARIA charts would say otherwise, and claim that the Kylies, Kaseys, Missys, Deltas and Amiels are better - but I beg to differ. I'm sorry, this gets me angry, because I think Kasey Chambers music is fucking shit. I'd rather swallow razor blades than listen to her strangle a song like a dying chicken. AND she had the gall to try and cover Cyndi Lauper's "True Colours"!!!! Biyartch! And Delta's music has always been so predictable, plus she dated the Poo, he of the Dumb Eyes and a zillion tennis comebacks that rivals Pat Cash (enuf said).

Seeing Sarah Blasko perform last night at the Melbourne-Is-The-Centre-Of-The-Universe, I mean Closing Ceremony of the Commonwealth Games just makes me so mad that she's underappreciated in this bloody country. She has the best voice, so sweet with wonderful tones and such feeling in her singing. She also has the strangest dance moves on stage - kudos to her in my books!

Sarah performed her rendition of Neil Finn's "Don't Dream It's Over" amidst a flurry of "snowflakes" and bad rock-eistedford-like dancers and choreography. Sarah was also flanked by 2 strange-looking, antique-like instruments that had to be wheeled out. However, channel 9's coverage was shite, and we barely got to see what these 2 interesting instruments actually looked like. At the end of her performance she picked up a massive glowing ball, that resembled the Mood Lamp that S____ gave me a few birthdays ago. Sarah had the massive audience entranced with her haunting, beautiful cover of the Crowded House classic.

Seeing her again, reminded me of her fantastic version of Cold Chisel's "Flame Trees" from last year's movie "Little Fish". I can't remember if her version is in the actual movie, but it's on the CD soundtrack. She does that wonderful song justice.

Having listened to the song again tonight, I'm amazed at the poetic economy of the very first lyrics....

"The kids are driving and Saturday afternoon just passed me by
I’m just savouring familiar sights
We have a history, this town and I…"

Straight away we understand that the man is old enough to have kids, and that he is visiting the town he grew up in.....the sense of regret is planted early for the rest of the song.....

And this reminds me that one of my favourite moments from film last year was in "Little Fish" when Cate Blanchett's character enters the school hall and listens to the school choir sing "Flame Trees". The song is haunting (there's that word again) because young children are singing it. It's a pivotal moment in the film, and the song perfectly sums up the emotions within her character at that point in time. Just beautiful. Like Sarah Blasko.