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Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
Already the year’s most hyped new artist--not only first in the BBC’s famously unreliable poll of new talent and recipient of a special Brit award devised just for her--Florence Welsh has a lot to live up to, and thankfully the artfully titled and sleeved Lungs justifies the investment. The singles are undeniably the standouts. The impressive "Dog Days Are Over", neurotic and fierce, and the slightly more reserved follow-up "Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)" lead her debut collection, sometimes overshadowing her other material. Yet the extremes of "Kiss With A Fist", a jokey celebration of mutual domestic violence and noisy guitars that shamelessly steals its melody from the White Stripes’ charming "We Are Gonna Be Friends", and the showstopping, almost unashamedly stagy "Girl With One Eye" show off both her development and an already instantly recognisable voice. The gallows humour of songs like "Between Two Lungs", the daft "My Boy Builds Coffins" and the ferocious "Hurricane Drunk" where she threatens "I’m gonna drink myself to death" backed by a spirited choir of Florences, save her from accusations of self-absorption. The concluding, and hugely loud "Blinding" is all Kate Bush tics over bruising drum patterns. So a straightforward and affectionate cover of the classic Candi Staton and Source club banger "You’ve Got The Love", previously only available online, comes as a welcome chance to get one’s breath back. Much better than an apparent plan to position her as some kind of missing link between PJ Harvey and Avril Lavigne suggested, Lungs is a clever, catchy set, yet unresolved enough to sustain curiosity.--Steve Jelbert
Review
Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock since the beginning of the year, you’ll be aware of Florence and the Machine. Before even releasing an album, the first lady and her revolving band have been championed by BBC Introducing, invited to play Glastonbury and support Blur at Hyde Park, and won the Critic's Choice Award at this year’s BRITs. Now they're being tipped for Mercury Prize glory. How can an album possibly live up to the pressure of all that expectation? I don't quite know… but it does by the gallon.
Florence Welch's distinctive voice intertwines beautifully with harps, strings and drums as she sings her inimitable 'soul inspired indie' and 'Tim Burton-style fairytales'. The gothic pop of Lungs has been excellently produced by a crack team - Paul Epworth (Bloc Party, Jack Penate, Maximo Park), James Ford (Arctic Monkeys, Klaxons, Last Shadow Puppets) and Steve Mackey (Pulp, M.I.A.).
There's so much brilliant stuff it's difficult to know where to begin. The soaring crescendo of new single Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up), the achingly beautiful Howl and a breathtaking cover of The Source classic You Got The Love. Drumming is a fabulous nail-on-the-head song about what it feels like to be in love.
There are touches of Mama Cass on happy clappy debut single Dogs Days Are Over and at the other end of the energy scale, the twinkly loveliness of Hurricane Drunk. The low points are few – perhaps that I'm Not Calling You A Liar falls a bit flat between choruses, and the lyrics to Girl With One Eye are closer to disturbing than kooky. But mostly it's sheer gleeful bliss listening to Lungs.
Florence says music is, ''at best a kind of magic that lifts you up and takes you somewhere else''. With vocals building from breathy almost-nothings to soaring, arching crescendos and the accompanying harps, strings, hopes and dreams, this album takes you somewhere you'll never want to come back from. When news gets out that she writes her best stuff, ''when drunk or hungover'', Florence's transition from unknown to British classic will be complete. --Sophie Bruce
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
I first discovered Florence and the Machine whilst watching the Glastonbury 2009 highlight's on the Red Button (too muddy for me these day's) and also when they guested on "Friday Night with Jonathan Ross". On the strength of these appearances I went ahead and purchased Lungs completely on impulse. I'm so glad that I did..... Lungs is a terrific album. There are a variety of tracks here which show a great versality and diversity of styles. Florence and the Machine are way out there but still keep their feet both firmly on the ground..... Outstanding!
70 of 81 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
When I first heard Florence and the Machine on Steve Lamacq's show I didn't get it. Here was an artist who was being hyped as a live sensation and one of the tips for 2009 and it didn't impress me. I didn't see anything special in the music, the voice or the delivery. It just didn't add up for me. But then recently I heard most recent single `Rabbit Heart (Raise it Up)' whilst driving on a sunny day with the windows down and the radio up. Then it clicked. And so here I am on a Sunday afternoon sitting on the floor of my living room with a beer in hand having just watched the Wimbledon Men's final, and Florence is singing down my ear "I'll cut your little heart out, `cause you made me cry."
Florence and the Machine for me is the glorious sound of someone who has sat down with a piano and a drum kit having just listened to too much Tori Amos and Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. Florence has a strangely ethereal voice helped along by the slight echo in quieter moments of the songs and the layered choral like backing vocals. The sound is deceptive. It is simultaneously demanding and seductive. The drums are relatively simple designed for no other reason than to drive the songs. The piano adds melody in support of Florence's voice and if you listen carefully there are subtle layers an nuances in it that will slowly be uncovered as you listen more.
To follow all this Florence and the Machine could not hope for a better debut. It is simply a joy to listen to. The tracks fly by but you remember every beat of them. `Dog Days are Over' is a brilliant start and following this with the most recent single adds a nice bit familiarity. Tracks like `Howl' and `Kiss with a Fist' are then great additions before the rhythmic genius of `Drumming Song'. It then gets a little more widescreen and epic in its sound with the combination of `Between Two Lungs' and `Cosmic Love'. It then relaxes down to a more intimate and personal sound for the final three tracks which round off the whole album nicely.
It is a well crafted album that exhibits the quality and diversity of this band and especially Florence's wonderful voice. I feel like I have now found Florence and I don't want to go back.
Enjoy!
Florence and the Machine for me is the glorious sound of someone who has sat down with a piano and a drum kit having just listened to too much Tori Amos and Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. Florence has a strangely ethereal voice helped along by the slight echo in quieter moments of the songs and the layered choral like backing vocals. The sound is deceptive. It is simultaneously demanding and seductive. The drums are relatively simple designed for no other reason than to drive the songs. The piano adds melody in support of Florence's voice and if you listen carefully there are subtle layers an nuances in it that will slowly be uncovered as you listen more.
To follow all this Florence and the Machine could not hope for a better debut. It is simply a joy to listen to. The tracks fly by but you remember every beat of them. `Dog Days are Over' is a brilliant start and following this with the most recent single adds a nice bit familiarity. Tracks like `Howl' and `Kiss with a Fist' are then great additions before the rhythmic genius of `Drumming Song'. It then gets a little more widescreen and epic in its sound with the combination of `Between Two Lungs' and `Cosmic Love'. It then relaxes down to a more intimate and personal sound for the final three tracks which round off the whole album nicely.
It is a well crafted album that exhibits the quality and diversity of this band and especially Florence's wonderful voice. I feel like I have now found Florence and I don't want to go back.
Enjoy!
43 of 50 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Me and female singers have never really gotten along. I much prefer to listen to the sounds of Thom Yorke or Brandon Flowers or (dare I say) Bono. Whilst my mates fawn over Bjork or Tori Amos or Britney they kind of leave me cold. Then along comes Florence and the Machine. In a year which has been pretty shoddy for decent albums this rises head and shoulders above any other long player. it's so good I could almost imagine Kate Bush discovering this album and sending her minions out to bring this 'florence girl' straight to her. I was fortunate to see her live last month and she's truly a star. When you hear music like this and know that we're still able to discover stars in the world of digital disposal music it makes you sick to your stomach that Simon Cowell is driving the heart and soul out of music. The odd thing is, Florence probably wouldn't have made it past week one of X Factor.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Wonderful!
I'm very pleased of my purchase,the quality of the CD is very good,no scratches,perfect sound and Florence and the Machine they are simply spectacular. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Violeta
Excellent album
Although Florence has released another album I bought this one as I still love listening to a couple of tracks from it. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Kazz45
Wow......
When my friends ask me what music I actually like to listen to (I'm very picky about my music taste) I proudly state that I love Arcade Fire, Interpol and Florence + the machine. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Mark Rowland- Jones
florence and the lungs review
very many thanks, packaged very well, I am delighted. Arrived well on time, I highly recommend your company, I Staples
Published 5 months ago by Ingrid Staples
Magical album!
This album is amazing, I like every song from the album. The lyrics are awesome and the music is really beautiful!
Ceremonials (2CD Deluxe Edition)
Ceremonials (2CD Deluxe Edition)
Published 5 months ago by Jow
One of the best albums I've bought in years.
I really love this album. Great voice, lyrics are little dark in places but somehow that makes it more unusual and interesting.
Published 5 months ago by Em13
One of the greatest albums of the decade
I will be honest, this was a random buy. I had obviously heard of this band on the radio (well I had only really heard their cover "You Got The Love") so I came across the cheap... Read more
Published 6 months ago by Sean Wilson-blake
Am I the last person at the party or what?
Just discovered Florence recently. Oh my! So wonderful and unique. My favorites are Rabbit Heart and You Got the Love but the whole album is just stunning. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Holly Shephard
More wailing than your average Japanese fleet can muster.
Music is a very personal thing, and I realise that many many people love Florence and her Machine, but after repeated listenings to this album I would have been happier if Dougal... Read more
Published 8 months ago by Wowbagger the Infinite
amazing voice
easy listening.
you won't be able to stop yourself singing along.
WONDERFUL and refreshing.
Includes the remake of a well known song, but she makes it her own. Read more
you won't be able to stop yourself singing along.
WONDERFUL and refreshing.
Includes the remake of a well known song, but she makes it her own. Read more
Published 8 months ago by R. Bevan
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