Introducing Lungs, the debut album from Florence and the Machine. The Florence part of the equation is one Florence Mary Leotine Welch, a fiery haired Londoner with a voice “louder than sirens, sweeter than heaven, and hotter than hell”. The Machine refers to the varied line up of musos who provide the cacophony of harps, guitars and drums that Florence layers her incredibly strong sound over.
The Machine could also refer to the UK popular press. They relentlessly hyped Florence months before Lungs was released, on the basis of her first three singles: ‘Kiss with a Fist’, a rollicking lo-fi ditty; ‘Dog Days Are Over’, full of energetic hand clapping action; and ‘Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up) ’, a swirling sacrificial number. This early critical acclaim saw her headlining NME shows as early as February and winning the Critics' Choice award at 2009 Brits.
Musically, Lungs is best described as a variety show – displaying flourishes of blues, folk, soul and pared back American rock. The songs are thematically linked by black-humored lyrics of violence and lovelorn despair. There are moments of chirpiness - “but I like to think at least things can't get any worse” makes ‘Hurricane Drunk’ almost a pop song.
Says Florence: “I want my music to sound like throwing yourself out of a tree, or off a tall building, or as if you’re being sucked down into the ocean and you can’t breathe”. Honest, rough, and ready to go (or gouge, a la ‘Girl with One Eye’), Lungs has a song for all these occasions. It’s well worth the time to investigate - however if you don’t find Lungs achingly tugging at your heart, then it’s probably best to stay quiet... One would hate to be at the receiving end of Florence’s wrath.
Essential Tracks
Girl with One Eye
Drumming
Hurricane Drunk
Full Track Listing
1. Dog Days Are Over (4:12)
2. Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up) (3:52)
3. I'm Not Calling You a Liar (3:05)
4. Howl (3:34)
5. Kiss with a Fist (2:04)
6. Girl with One Eye (3:38)
7. Drumming Song (3:43)
8. Between Two Lungs (4:09)
9. Cosmic Love (4:15)
10. My Boy Builds Coffins (2:56)
11. Hurricane Drunk (3:13)
12. Blinding (4:40)
13. You've Got the Love (2:48)
