Dreamy "Ceremonials" Will Satisfy Listeners
By James Hill III
For any fan worried about Florence + the Machine falling victim to the "sophomore slump" that plagues artists with breakout debuts, let me ease your mind: "Ceremonials" is one of the best albums of 2011.
British songstress Florence Welch and her Machine burst onto the music scene with their 2009 debut album, "Lungs." After gaining attention on this side of the pond through MTV, "Twilight" and the Grammy Awards, the British rock outfit has returned with sophomore effort "Ceremonials" — and the album does not disappoint.
The album's opening track, "Only If for a Night," begins with the line: "And I had a dream..." The opener alludes to both the ethereal style that drives this entire album and the whirlwind that has been the band's life since the release of "Lungs." Dreams, ghosts, the mystical and fantastic — these lofty themes drive "Ceremonials" and, buoyed by Welch's stellar voice and a stronger band emphasis, add to a memorable, dreamlike atmosphere that is set in stone after the next two tracks.
The second song "Shake It Out" begins innocuously enough, with relatively quiet lyrics about regrets and one's past. Once the chorus kicks in it is easy to see that the track has more ambitious, arena-filling aspirations. By the time we reach the bridge — one of the best I've ever heard, in any song — the song has built into a show-stopping anthem on letting go and growing not just past, but with your flaws.
It would be fair to expect a drop off after a song like "Shake It Out," especially since it is the second track on a 12 song album, which has 20 tracks on the deluxe version. However, the third track "What the Water Gave Me" will have none of that. The five and a half minute tune — which was first played live at a concert last July in Berkeley's Greek Theatre — builds and retreats twice before finally allowing Florence + the Machine to explode to a rollicking conclusion. When played back-to-back, "What the Water Gave Me" is the most fulfilling 10-minute stretch on an album since Kanye West spent nearly the same amount of time sending up toasts in 2010's "Runaway."
"Ceremonials" continues quite spectacularly, even after its biggest highlights. The quiet surrender in "Never Let Me Go," the casual acknowledgement paired with well-controlled vocals in "Breaking Down" — the album never lets up. "Lover to Lover" harkens back to old-school pop and R&B, and the album's second official single "No Light, No Light" nearly rises to the heights of "Shake It Out" and "What the Water Gave Me."
Though the album is never quite as flooring after "No Light, No Light," it certainly does not lose momentum when it reaches its final tracks. "Spectrum" seems to be Florence's best effort at wrestling the phrase "Say my name," and album closer "Leave My Body" is a callback to an hour's worth of brilliant tone, music and lyrics.
Additionally, "Ceremonials" is one of the rare cases when even the bonus tracks could have been included in the album and detracted nothing from the listening experience. "Remain Nameless," the science-themed "Strangeness and Charm" — which had its live debut alongside "What the Water Gave Me" — and "Bedroom Hymns" are all worth a listen. The three songs given the acoustic treatment, "Heartlines," "Shake It Out" and "Breaking Down" are just as good, if not better than their fully produced counterparts.
Adele's "21," which also featured work by "Ceremonials" producer Paul Epworth, has sold over 10 million copies this year and has helped establish her as the current hot British songstress. Following Adele's lead, Florence + the Machine's superior "Ceremonials" should be destined for chart dominance in the months to come. The album is unbelievable and establishes Florence + the Machine as a truly talented band and redheaded siren Florence Welch as one of our generation's premier singer-songwriters.
Contact James Hill III at jhill@scu.edu or (408) 554-4582.