6/06/2015

Florence and the Machine- How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful review with The Retro

I've got together with The Retro Store again to bring you another album review. You can find the full article on The Retro's blog


On June 1st, something very wonderful happened. The hypnotic vibes of Florence + the Machine returned in the form of a 3rd studio album- How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful. With Florence’s gripping voice and those spellbinding instrumentals, the band has stayed consistent in providing their classic, strong sound but bring something a little more mature and different to this album than previous. You’ll notice a bohemian ambience shine through from the very beginning with a fast tempo, psychedelic opening in Ship to Wreck, a rock and roll ending in Mother, and a tambourine backing spread through the middle to round off that flowerchild atmosphere. 

Expect a healthy dose of drums, harmonies and classic Florence howls. As usual, there’s an abundance of possible contemporary/lyrical dance tracks so all you dancers will love this!

MY TOP 5 TRACKS:

Queen of Peace
You've got to love an orchestral vibe. Queen of Peace (track 4) is one of the album’s anthem style songs, filled out with brass and strings. Surprisingly, the chorus doesn't feature the expected choir backing vocals which is fairly refreshing for a track like this but I probably wouldn't say no to a choral group cover!

Delilah 
Delilah is the 6th track and the 4th single released from the new album. It’s another strong, upbeat song that oozes the band’s signature style. It starts off modest but continuously builds with layers of Florence harmonizing with more Florence, a solid drum and that sneaky tambourine.

Long & Lost
The simple guitar, sparse instrumentals and toned down vocals are just stunning in track 7, Long & Lost but, as well as this, the actual lyrics are just as gorgeous as the voice that sings it. This is what I would call a ‘movie window-stare’ worthy song. Have a listen.

Third Eye
I have to go ahead and say Third Eye is my number one song from the record. It’s the 9th track on the album but, if you've bagged yourself the deluxe edition, you need to just stop everything and lose yourself in track 15- a beautiful and raw demo version of Third Eye. The demo has a slightly tribal feel that is also present in the unbelievably powerful bonus track Which Witch.

St Jude
St Jude (track 10) is a toned down song with a steady flow and slightly eerie vocals supporting the minimalist instrumentals. It’s got a lot less going on than most of the album but is still as effective and beautiful as the heavier songs. Check out the eerie video to match.