Review: Florence + the Machine

Florence + the Machine (named for British singer Florence Welch and her backing band) have achieved great success in the U.K. with the release of the album Lungs in July of 2009. It seems that the States are a bit behind when it came to discovering this great talent. She's only recently gained noteriety in the States with her single Dog Days are Over. She recently performed this song on the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards and gave a stellar performance looking like a fairy goddess all the while (check it out below).

Florence has a voice that is well beyond her 24 years, invoking the vocal sounds of Chrissie Hynde and Beth Orton while creating dramatic songs that would please fans of Kate Bush. She has the sort of vocal prowess that makes you stop and listen. The first U.K. single to be released off of Lungs was the controversial, yet inherently catchy song Kiss with a Fist. The song itself is a melding of pop/punk/indie music with Florence's own clever twist. Upon first hearing this song, I could have sworn it was Kate Nash. With lyrics like A kick to the teeth is good for some / a kiss with a fist is better than none, she had the critics wondering if this was a song condoning domestic abuse. She later clarified that the song is actually all figurative. To be honest, this song feels a bit out of place because it varies quite drastically with the style of the other tracks.

The entire album is fantastic but some of my favorite tracks are Drumming, Howl, and of course Dog Days are Over. With some of her music being used for television shows and most recently the song Heavy in Your Arms appearing on the Twilight: Eclipse soundtrack, we should expect more great things to come for Florence + the Machine. She already has her second album slated for 2011.


Posted by SarahPlain&Tall.