Album- Ceremonials
Artist- Florence and
the Machine
On the follow up to the critical and commercial debut that
was Lungs, Florence and the Machine produced an album that was anthemic
sounding, built for stadiums of people to just listen in awe at this awesome
artist.
Track 1- Only If For
A Night
A slow burner of a number that arrives with a gentle harp
instrumental, and is then unleashed into full power mode with a powerful vocal
chorus and incessant drums, this is a great album opener that showcases the
epicness of the sound that is encompassed on the record. The vocal layering of
the pre chorus also adds a great dimension to the song, linking well with the
lyrical ideas.
4/5
Track 2- Shake It Out
The booming drums throughout this song, the lyrics that
speak of shaking of our demons and inspire a sense of frivolity, and the
delicate but powerful vocal make this the standout track of the album. It does
exactly what it says on the tin: makes you want to go a bit silly and just
shake yourself out. And the repeated ooh ooh at the end gives a nice little touch
that makes you just want to listen to the song again. Florence Welch states
herself that she wrote this song whilst having a hangover. If this is what she
produces with a hangover, please just keep drinking Florence, please!!!
5/5
Track 3- What The
Water Gave Me
A nice contrast with the drama and power of Shake It Out
comes in the form of this song. That’s not to say that this isn’t a powerful
song, but it’s very different in tone and how this power is conveyed. The
delicate verses contrast with the powerful chorus, a chorus that builds with
each lyric and almost feels as if the listening is singing with Florence. And
it’s a little bit deeper, built upon the idea of the power of such a simple
thing as water and the things that it can do. It’s definitely a song that
showcases that Florence and the Machine is a better musician than most of the
artists around today, in that they look at the world in a more profound, deep
way and are able to produce great music because of it. A nice little flourish
of harp strings at the end of this is also very welcome.
4.5/5
Track 4- Never Let Me
Go
My friend has said that she wants this as her wedding song.
And I can definitely see why. The first ballad of the album, this is an amazing
song that opens with a fractured, what sounded to me like an old radio kind of
noise. It is then led throughout by piano instrumentation, as well as some
drums (well it is a Florence song). And lyrically the song is simple but
beautiful, capturing the notion of love in never letting a person go. But the
best thing about this song has to be Florence Welch’s voice. It’s so smooth and
gorgeous that I could easily listen to it whilst going to bed, and she knows
just exactly how to use it, never over singing or losing the songs message. And
the background repetition of the lyric never let me go immediately conjures up
an arm swaying stadium moment waiting to happen.
5/5
Track 5- Breaking
Down
A mid tempo track that this time is definitely led by the
thumping of drums that are ever present throughout the song, this is great in
that the chorus is simple and not lyrically overwhelming, but the delicacy and
low sung nature of the verses emphasises that Florence is indeed Breaking Down.
4/5
Track 6- Lover to
Lover
Still on a mid tempo setting but slightly more upbeat than
the last track, Lover to Lover is a powerful track in terms of the chorus that
emphasises the immense power that is contained with Florence’s voice. The only
thing that lets down this track is that for me it felt that it was probably
written in the same session as Breaking Down, and in this sense just sounds
that little bit samey.
3.5/5
Track 7- No Light, No
Light
An up tempo track that blends a great mix of haunting vocals
and powerful production, Florence laments of the state of her relationship and
how she is trying to keep it together. The great thing about the track is the
simple yet powerful points of it; the slow building fast paced drumming at the
songs opening and the love driven exclamations of the pre chorus. But the best
thing about the track is the powerful note that Florence holds at the end of
the final verse, a majestic note that makes her seem like an ethereal being
more than just an artist.
4.5/5
Track 8- Seven Devils
This is a great track in that it is Florence at her most
eerie and gothic. And this isn’t just simply reflected in the lyrics, but most
definitely in terms of the piano production that almost gives a fast pace
urgency to the track, as if we should expect danger. And the track is different
in that the chorus is more delicate whilst the verses hold more grit and power
to them. The violin orchestra and raising of the key creates a great ending to
the song before the last, delicate chorus.
4/5
Track 9- Heartlines
This is a song that is good but for me wasn’t as great as
some of the other work on this album. The message is more uplifting, and the
chorus cries out to be sung out along with Florence by a crowd of people.
Furthermore, the chanting like end of each chorus adds a nice twist to the
track. But I think this song just needed an extra something to elevate, whether
that be a harsher drum beat or greater lyrical content, as at times it could
feel a bit repetitive.
3/5
Track 10- Spectrum
Most people nowadays know this track through the Calvin
Harris remix, and indeed that was a great remix that gave a great new dance
dimension to the song. But this also a good song in its original form. The
simple, low sung verses provide a great lead in to the powerful chorus that
showcases Florence’s voice, and the original heavy drum production provides a
dancey feel of its own. The harp towards
the tracks close is also a nice flourish (albeit merely a flourish).
3.5/5
Track 11- All This
and Heaven Too
One of the happiest songs on the record this is when
Florence can sound a bit samey. Whilst vocally she is on point and in the
verses a happier sentiment seems to be conveyed in her tone, the chorus isn’t quite
a powerful as other work on this record, and lacks just a little bit of
passion. Still it gives a bit diversity,
as you can’t have too much soul destruction on one record.
3/5
Track 12- Leave My
Body
This moody final track incorporates many of the tricks of
the trade on the album; booming drums, moody vocal and chorus voices. But it
just doesn’t feel as good as the other tracks on this album, and unfortunately
the album ends on sadly the worst song. But if this is their worst work, then
many would give to have one tenth of this groups collective talent.
Final Review
The second album is always seen as one of the hardest things
for an artist, particularly in the wake of extreme success for a debut. Yet
with an epic sound in which almost every track is just tantalisingly great,
this seems to have been no problem for Florence and the Machine. And I just
cant wait to hear album number 3.
No comments:
Post a Comment