Music Review: Florence + The Machine, “Lungs”
Rating: 90
Don’t even try to put Florence Welch in a box — Florence + the Machine’s expectation-defiant debut, “Lungs,” is powerful and diverse enough to break the confines of any genre. Welch’s siren songs reverberate with Detroit soul and Renaissance faire Gothic swirl, raw garage rock impulses and Celtic folk, all sounding perfectly radio-ready if only the programming puppet masters at corporate radio magically took leave of their market-driven senses. And all this beautiful bombast exists to serve the range and power of Welch’s arresting, rare bird of a voice — an immodest instrument always at the center of this storm.
Welch’s big-net approach to culture and influence is immediately obvious with “Dog Days Are Over,” in which mandolin and harp wage war with Phil Spector girl-group beats as the singer booms like a supernatural soul diva. On the transcendent “Rabbit Heart (Raise it Up),” Welch comes on like “The Lion and the Cobra”-era Sinead O’Connor with Berry Gordy calling the shots, and “Kiss With a Fist” gets tough and gender-flips Jack White’s garage aesthetic.
This could have just been a genre-jumbling parlor trick, but Welch crafts arresting pop hooks on “Lungs” that justify her ambition — just try to dislodge the descending chords and soaring melody of “Hurricane Drunk” or the polyrhythmic propulsion of “Drumming Song.” As she sings on that epic pop song, Florence + the Machine is “louder than sirens, louder than bells, sweeter than Heaven and hotter than Hell.”
If you enjoyed this post, please consider to leave a comment or subscribe to the feed and get future articles delivered to your feed reader.
Comments
[...] Music Review: Florence + The Machine, “Lungs” Rating: 90 Don’t even try to put Florence Welch in a box — Florence + the Machine’s expectation-defiant debut, “Lungs,” is powerful and diverse enough to break the confines of any genre. Welch’s siren songs reverberate with Detroit soul and Renaissance faire Gothic swirl, raw garage rock impulses and Celtic folk, all sounding perfectly radio-ready if only the programming puppet masters at corporate radio magically took leave of their market-driven senses. And all this beautiful bombast exists [...]
[...] Music Review: Florence + The Machine, “Lungs” Rating: 90 Don’t even try to put Florence Welch in a box — Florence + the Machine’s expectation-defiant debut, “Lungs,” is powerful and diverse enough to break the confines of any genre. Welch’s siren songs reverberate with Detroit soul and Renaissance faire Gothic swirl, raw garage rock impulses and Celtic folk, all sounding perfectly radio-ready if only the programming puppet masters at corporate radio magically took leave of their market-driven senses. And all this beautiful bombast exists [...]