James Arden checks out the garage rockers latest album.
The Christian rock band from Brighton bring religion to the masses.
Recipe for modern R'n'B album: liberal helpings of guest rappers and an overdose of sexual euphemisms.
So the Mercury Prize has come and gone and yielded nothing for Florence + the Machine, despite their debut album having been tipped as the favourite by many. But then surely no amount of awards and accolades can ultimately add to, or detract from the intrinsic worth of any record, so what better time to evaluate Lungs than when the dust has had a chance to settle.
The fact that much of the material here came into being following Florence Welch’s temporary split from her boyfriend makes a lot of sense; Lungs is shot through with an air of worldly, self-assured defiance. Here is a woman evidently relieved that she finally has an opportunity to release her pent-up aggression. Her distinctive voice proves most effective when she really lets loose (which she thankfully does a great deal, most notably on opening tracks ‘Dog Days Are Over’ and ‘Rabbit Heart’) but she proves her versatility on the few occasions that Lungs actually slows for breath.
Meanwhile, the backdrop to Florence’s voice is nothing short of mercurial, evoking indie rock ‘n’ roll one moment (‘Kiss With A Fist’) and blues the next (‘Girl With One Eye’). Yet individuality is consistently retained, thanks in part to the binding powers of the ever-present rhythm section (the Machine…?).
While Florence and friends have produced a highly individual and enjoyable debut, perhaps the most exciting thing to be taken from Lungs is that this is but a debut! You can’t help but feel that this ensemble could produce so much more in the future. Let the awards look after themselves. After all, remind me how long it took the Mercury Prize to notice Elbow…?
You must log in to submit a comment.
