I admit it. I am totally addicted to Florence and the Machine. They say the first step of recovery is admitting you have a problem, but I have a feeling that this particular addiction will take a while to shift. She is quite simply regal and her powerhouse of a vocal line guilds yet another killer album, “How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful“.

Highlights:

• “Ship To Wreck” has some powerful lyrics and elegantly describes the confusion of feeling blue. It’s epic sound lets Welch’s chords run riot. Such a fun song to randomly whip your hair to.
• “How Big, How blue, How beautiful” has this amazing orchestra arrangement that makes it sound almost as sonorous as a Lord of the Rings theme tune. A+ for movie score power. Beautiful lyrics as well. At one point she crows, “And every day I wore your face/Like an atmosphere around me”. Poetry.
• “Delilah” was sung by FloMo at Glastonbury whilst she jumped around like a very tall pixie and I believe 90% of people that watched that were totally transfixed so there you go. I love songs about wayward leading ladies and this one does not disappoint. “I never knew I was a dancer/Until Delilah taught me how”. Makes you either want to be Delilah’s best buddy or just be Delilah…

Hidden gem:

• “Caught” has the same vibe of reckless abandon as some of the other tracks on the album but some slightly gentler lyrics. A dream to listen to whilst driving.

All in all, Florence has quite literally killed it with this album. This lady can do no wrong, and I feel almost proud of her for managing to get through the rough patch in her life and turn it into this amazing, angsty, yet somehow weirdly optimistic album. I have absolutely no shame in admitting that I put this album on when I get into the car and continuously attempt to wail the lyrics along with queen Flo. Soak up the genius people.

Emma x

[Photo source: Vogue, January 2012)