I absolutely love music! Any type of music, but it has to be good! I really don't want any rubbish i...
I absolutely love music! Any type of music, but it has to be good! I really don't want any rubbish in my collection. My aim is to write brief but truthful reviews on my entire album collection of 600+ albums.
Member since:05.09.2005
Reviews:22
Members who trust:1
This album is fantastic, although to be critical, I personally believe a little more time should have been spent on some of the tracks with respect to the consistency in production and stronger lyrics. This album apparently was produced by three people; Paul Epworth (Bloc Party, Jack Penate, Maximo Park), James Ford (Arctic Monkeys, Klaxons, Last Shadow Puppets) and Steve Mackay (Pulp, M.I.A.), where it should have been produced by one and one only! This would have made the album more consistent in its approach and may have sorted out the track listing to give a more continuous flow. However, the ‘Gothic Pop’ of the so called new answer to the ‘lack of Kate Bush’ has made an excellent start to her career, but will she be able to keep it up? I for one hope so! Essentially her main skills belong to the live stage where she is emphatic in her performances. In a similar mould to Muse the one may always complement the other. The lyrics are sublime although a little disjointed in places, with the main focus being on violence and death and apparently loosely based around a temporary break-up with her past and still present boyfriend. Her vocals are absolutely excellent from start to finish but the production seems to waiver from full to minimal which does disjoint the album somewhat. This is a shame as it really is a good album, but with this improvement could have been a masterpiece. Coupled with a refreshing and brilliant harp string section and some fantastic drumming reminiscent of the ‘Hounds of Love’ by her so called forbearer ‘Kate Bush’, this should take its place amongst you record collection as you will not be disappointed despite the media hype that surrounds it.
The album starts with the rip roaring ‘Dog Days are Over’, which is an excellent original pop song, especially for this day an age where the
beaten generation try to be something that they aren't, churning up plastic tune after plastic tune about being gangsters when really they probably travel around on buses and go home to their mum for tea. Her vocals on this song are heartfelt, although apparently it is made up of snippets from an art installation, which somewhat confuses me! However, the continuous change in vocal application from soft to strong make this a hippy answer to ‘Grunge’ and the drums and harp make this a strong and relentless opener to the album . Next is ‘Rabbit Heart’, a true hippy fest with a gospel twist, using poetic tongue to describe how a girl must give up her whole and fight for her ‘man’? At least that's what I think it is about. On this second tune, Florence changes from her angry persona to a more submissive one which I think is a very interesting comparison between the first two tracks. The backing music is excellent and the chorus sublime with poetic use of the tongue reminiscent of medieval times to make this a quiet essential English pop tune.
‘Rabbit Heart’ is followed by ‘I'm Not Calling You a Liar’, which I think should have been placed somewhere else on the track listing as it doesn't really follow on from the first two songs. Stronger more direct lyrics are used here but this song should have been given more time to develop before releasing it on the album, with perhaps a little more production and the addition of an orchestral string section. It sounds very much like Beth Orton on a bad day when it should have sounded like her on a good day. This is definitely the weakest song on the album. However, it is not all bad and is a very respectable song in its own right; I just think this album could have been much better using the existing material and undoubted vocal talent and skill of delivery that this lady has!
Next is ‘Howl’, this has an eerie feel to it, but again I think some extra production and some more heart felt singing from Florence wouldn't have gone amiss. It almost seems that the album was rushed out a little bit and more time should have been spent on this track. However, this is a beautiful song and is worthy of any album track.
Next up is the excellent ‘Kiss with a Fist’, which doesn't seem to belong on the album due to its abstract change of style with basically just guitar and drums and Florence giving you what for! This is totally different from the rest of the album and this is both its main strength and weakness. Again more time should thought about including this on the album, or where it was on the track listing. Perhaps it should have been the opener or the last song of the album. I personally think this should have been the finishing tracks as it is far raunchier than the other songs and would have been a sort of encore.
It is followed by ‘Girl with One Eye’, a bluesy number bringing out a surprising side to Florence's nature that is somewhat surprising and unbelievable. A simple guitar tells us of how she wreaks vengeance on a girl who has upset her big time. Again this track seems to pop out of nowhere and maybe should have been placed somewhere else in the track listing. However, this is an excellent song and she deserves the credit for attempting to write a song in this style, which essentially she pulls of well. However, again this does not seem to belong to the rest of the album, although it is an excellent song in its own right.
‘Drumming Song’, is next which is reminiscent of ‘Bjork’ at her best. Good vocals couple with a full beat makes this a very interesting and upbeat song! It really shows off Florence's massive voice talent. A Flawless song in an original style with big drums and the lyrics describe the how the noise of drums matches heartfelt warmth for another human being perfectly.
‘Drumming Song’ is followed by ‘Between Two Lungs’. Here, Florence is at her most calm, singing basically a lullaby, but with her usual change in vocal style has enough to keep your attention for the entire song. A skill she can be thankful of, with the production problems.
‘Cosmic Love’ is next which essentially follows on from the previous song with a sort of Fairy Tale feel to it, with sweet melodies and Florence’s voice at its most sweet. This is definitely the most ‘celebratory pop’ of all the tunes on the album. But is very powerful as a track and one of the best points of the entire LP.
‘My Boy Builds Coffins’, essentially a folk song, is surprisingly very good, despite the subject matter. The words are excellent, making what we would all feel the worse job in the world to become something of a desirable occupation. Again the song does have a medieval feel to it, which comes and goes more or less throughout the album.
‘Hurricane Drunk’ is next, which sort of has a refreshing appeal to it, with thoughts of Lazy Summery Days springing to mind before being shocked by a powerful chorus telling us of her bitterness over a failed relationship.
Closing the album is ‘Blinding’, another solid performance. With harps relaxing you and leading you into a trance like state before the clattering of horse hooves and the emergence of drums takes you into a powerful chorus.
The last song is a cover version of Candy Staton's, ‘You've got the Love’which has been done very well and is possibly better than the original. Personally this should not have been placed on the album as it has been for populist sake, or there should have been a long gap so it separated this song (which I believe is a bonus track) from the rest of the tracks that she has written herself or with collaborators.
Overall this is a well written album that puts contemporary a English feel back into our pop music and hopefully will raise awareness of our talent around the world. Not totally original, but original enough in this day and age to warrant an excellent rating. I hope other bands follow suite and add a twist to essentially what has become until recently, stagnant Indie music, with the likes of Coldplay and co. What’s more what a pleasant change to hear thought provoking lyrics that are also good fun, so hats of to Florence. Personally if I were her I would bite my lip, sort out the production and track listing and re-release it! But that will never happen as this is big business and you never admit you mistakes! However, long live ‘Florence and the Machine’, a fantastic debut and let’s hope that she can take things a little easier in future so that her impact factor takes full effect by good management. I can’t wait for the next album and thoroughly recommend that you purchase this album!
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
Advantages: Extra tracks and better sleeve, some good remixes of the most well known original tracks Disadvantages: Possibly enough room on one CD to incorporate all 20 tracks
Advantages: Very original artist, Great voice, Catchy pop/indie songs suitable for everyone Disadvantages: CD2 is a bit dissapointing and pointless, some tracks are a bit strange
exceptional by (7%):
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