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Florence + The Machine // How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful
The woman behind Florence + The Machine has made a carreer out of her booming voals and grand songs, and she certainly doesn't slow down on this latest album.
June 24, 2015 at 5:15 AM
Florence + the Machine
How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful
Island
3.5/5
If Florence Welch wants you to know about something, you're going to hear about it. The woman behind Florence + the Machine has made a career out of her booming vocals and grand songs, and she certainly doesn't slow down on her latest album How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful. Welch goes for it all on these 11 tracks, providing arena-sized orchestrations for when she belts out her lines, an emotional maelstrom of lyrics devoted to love and the loss of a relationship. Even a song entitled "Queen of Peace" refuses to settle down and relax, instead providing a bombastic five minutes of horns, strings, and Welch. It's a rousing ride, albeit one that could use a break. "Vicious Storms & Saints" provides a slight reprieve from the multitude of booming tracks, but How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful comes off as heavy handed at times. Still, Welch keeps the album under control, creating a big, bold ride that refuses to slow down. – Alex Bieler