Florence Welch is quite a presence. Put her on the stage down your local and she’d knock the head of your ale and most likely send the old faithful running home to the sultry sounds of Santana. Put her on a stage at Glastonbury and she’s the most popular act of the weekend, and by last minute appointment too. On record The Machine’s bravura performance doesn’t make for great background listening either; but headphones in and fully immersed her stunning vocal talent and the bold sweep of the baroque pop behind her is a mammoth soundtrack looking for a movie.
In fact if there is one criticism to be levelled at her fantastic early records Lungs and Ceremonials it’s this exact absence of down time; of moments away from the supernatural gusto of her wrought emotions and overstretched diaphragm. It’s clear that producer Paul Epworth was brought in to provide some respite from the whirlwind; not to tone down her wilder instincts but to provide some counterbalance. The result are a selection of tracks that never rocket towards the stratosphere quite like old staples like ‘No Light, No Light’ do; but also manage to resist the urge towards taming a colossal talent that likes to remain colossal.
It is horns that seem to replace the staple harp on this third LP
It’s not like there’s not a focus on simpler things in the big moments. Despite the deceptively clunky album title, the first two singles ‘Ship To Wreck’ and ‘What Kind of Man’ centre around wildly catchy hooks in a way earworms like ‘Dog Days’ eschewed. At first the tracks were somewhat disappointing; the instrumental of the opener is undeniably underwritten – there are an awful lot of indie rock groups who can produce Starbucks wallpaper like this one; but along with the somewhat predictable rock direction of its follow up, its Florence’s voice and charisma that makes them stick.
The title track hints at a new direction; the band’s songs have often bathed themselves in high-register rapture but they’re normally chaotic and frantic and urgent, not gracefully euphoric as the horns are here. It is horns that seem to replace the staple harp on this third LP, comprising the gorgeous intro to ‘Queen of Peace’ also. The transition into the bulk of the track is a little clunky but their reprise later on makes it worth the wait, and the song’s joyous escalation culminates in the first grin-inducing moment on the record.
‘Third Eye’ is one of the very best songs the band has ever produced; but it’s nothing that sounds too new for them
This is perhaps the point; there are plenty of other moments as good as this later in the record but almost all of them come not from some left field diversity but a building on the foundation of what The Machine and its lead had previously crafted. The stomping drums and triumphant horns at the end of the track are also the first moment that could have fit snuggly on her prior two albums; ‘Deliah’ with its equally mammoth finish and the wonderfully intense ‘Mother’ are similar in this way. ‘Third Eye’ is one of the very best songs the band has ever produced; but it’s nothing that sounds too new for them. This might be a lesson for Florence; she has said recorded the softer songs on the album very quickly and had to be convinced they were as worthy as brasher tracks like ‘Which Witch’ which only were released as bonuses on the deluxe version. But her initial instinct was right. That bonus track is better than songs like ‘Long & Lost’ or ‘Various Storms and Saints’; because this is Florence and The Machine, and bombast is their bread and butter.
The incredibly high and impeccably held notes at its apex spark chills down the spine
That isn’t to say there can’t be diversity; there was always ‘You’ve Got The Love’ and ‘Never Let Me Go’ and indeed here ‘St Jude’ is their most delicate song ever; and one of their best in fact – it’s a slow burner but the incredibly high and impeccably held notes at its apex spark chills down the spine; and remind that Welch can be as haunting a singer as loud one. But it’s a great track because it’s well written and performed, not because it’s different from her usual material. There’s more variety on this record but that’s not too important when weaker songs than normal made the cut, and the most memorable moments remain on songs like the ones that comprised her first two records; like the moment on ‘Third Eye’ where she breaks the forth wall and proclaims “You don’t have to be a ghost/Here amongst the living/You are flesh and blood/ And you deserve to be loved and you deserve what you are given!” It’s a corny lyric on paper, but we need a band like this one to provide the jubilant sound to make it a glorious moment rather than a cringe worthy one, and inspire with its message. The band shouldn’t be made to feel ashamed of that talent, or compelled to water it down; because even if it’s a limiting one, who cares, when they’re this good at it?
Liam Inscoe – Jones
Liam is currently listening to ‘The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face’ by Roberta Flack
