Rating: NNN
Ceremonials is the musically cohesive follow-up to Florence and the Machine’s breakout but uneven 2009 debut, Lungs, which established Florence Welch as a stylish, ambitious songwriter with a powerhouse voice and a penchant for visceral metaphors.
Working solely with A-list producer Paul Epworth, Welch expands on the debut’s blustery moments with unapologetically huge-sounding production that channels the wild, communal energy of her go-for-broke live shows. Church bells, triumphant piano chords, epic builds and multi-track harmonies on opener Only If For A Night establish her reverent formula, while intoxicating single Shake It Out kicks the gospel rave into overdrive – Welch’s voice swells, swoops and crashes with graceful violence.
So all-encompassing is Ceremonials that the Machine sometimes threatens to swallow Florence. Like Mickey Mouse conducting the ocean in Fantasia, she often seems more a celestial vessel for the heady energy and abstract imagery than a relatable character – a balance she doesn’t always strike.
Top track: Shake It Out