Florence & The Machine - Lungs (CD 2009)

When I first heard Florence and the Machine on Steve Lamacq's show I didn't get it. Here was an artist who was being hyped as a live sensation and one of the tips for 2009 and it didn't impress me. I didn't see anything special in the music, the voice or the delivery. It just didn't add up for me. But then recently I heard most recent single `Rabbit Heart (Raise it Up)' whilst driving on a sunny day with the windows down and the radio up. Then it clicked. And so here I am on a Sunday afternoon sitting on the floor of my living room with a beer in hand having just watched the Wimbledon Men's final, and Florence is singing down my ear "I'll cut your little heart out, `cause you made me cry."

Florence and the Machine for me is the glorious sound of someone who has sat down with a piano and a drum kit having just listened to too much Tori Amos and Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. Florence has a strangely ethereal voice helped along by the slight echo in quieter moments of the songs and the layered choral like backing vocals. The sound is deceptive. It is simultaneously demanding and seductive. The drums are relatively simple designed for no other reason than to drive the songs. The piano adds melody in support of Florence's voice and if you listen carefully there are subtle layers an nuances in it that will slowly be uncovered as you listen more.
To follow all this Florence and the Machine could not hope for a better debut. It is simply a joy to listen to. The tracks fly by but you remember every beat of them. `Dog Days are Over' is a brilliant start and following this with the most recent single adds a nice bit familiarity. Tracks like `Howl' and `Kiss with a Fist' are then great additions before the rhythmic genius of `Drumming Song'. It then gets a little more widescreen and epic in its sound with the combination of `Between Two Lungs' and `Cosmic Love'. It then relaxes down to a more intimate and personal sound for the final three tracks which round off the whole album nicely.

It is a well crafted album that exhibits the quality and diversity of this band and especially Florence's wonderful voice. I feel like I have now found Florence and I don't want to go back.

Enjoy!

Things I like about this album: fantastical lyrics, powerful but beautiful vocals from Florence, there are harps involved, songs that each sound different, funky artwork. It's been on repeat on my cd player since!

This album is absolutly amazing, every single song is brilliant i listen to it 24/7!! There is absolutly nothing i dislike about it Florence and the Machine are UNREALLL!

I saw florence and the machine at the lovebox fesitial and she is fantastic so lively and just an amazing singer too a voice of an angel

Powerful, Moving, and Meaningful.
I recommend it completely.
One of the best record ive heard for years.

Must listen to;
-howl
-dog days are over
-girl with one eye