Review: Florence and The Machine's Ceremonials

By Thompson Wall | The Daily Tar Heel
Updated: 11/09/11 11:58am

Virginia Woolf, the infamous author and poet who drowned herself in a river by her home, is the inspiration of Florence and The Machine’s second album, Ceremonials.

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The album tells the story of a “sinful” woman plagued by ghosts and ghouls of her past, finding solace in the tragic stories of historical heroines. The record is littered with Gothic themes of water, sacrifice, and the passage of time, poetically embodying a shadowy tone that layers into lead singer Florence Welch’s ethereal vocals and explorations of feminism.

With her epic visions of mythological creatures, pastoral landscapes and play between the lines of drama and fantasy, the album shows enormous creative growth from Welch’s premier album, Lungs.

The album feels tremendously polished — producer Paul Epworth has brought this same feel to similarly virtuoso projects with the likes of Adele, Friendly Fires and Kate Nash. The album’s first single, “What the Water Gave Me,” is an ‘80s goth-style testament to Virginia Woolf’s suicide.

Welch wields “pockets full of stones” as she asks the water to “lay her down” in a sacrificial act to save her loved ones from the “cruel mistress” of the river. A commanding crowd of voices cries out during the chorus in a sort of ritualistic chant of sacrifice, begging the water to “overflow.”
“Never Let Me Go,” the album’s tearjerker, is a sonorous ballad depicting the sacrifice of a parent for her child within the “arms of the ocean.” The album’s lead single, “Shake It Out” ­— the Ceremonials version of “Dog Days Are Over,” — is a powerful ode to Welch overcoming her demons and devils, but even so, she drags her past behind her and resigns from the feelings in her “graceless heart,” accepting defeat and finding comfort in the feelings she cannot “shake out.”

Ceremonials provides stark evidence that Welch has matured as a singer and songwriter, yet the album makes her feel lost in a sea of overproduction. She has sacrificed her faith for her art, leaving behind a work bathed in emotion and soul but lacking confidence that the tracks can stand on their own without layers of synth-laden orchestrations and enough ambience to facilitate a Gregorian chant.

The deluxe edition is where Welch truly shines. Two demos, three acoustics, and four more bonus tracks add almost half of the album’s length while showcasing her vocal power without all the bells and whistles. And until you can listen to the album in its entirety more than once, these tracks will serve to remind you of Welch at her purest.

Published November 8, 2011 in Diversions
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Diversions is a Thursday entertainment section focused on local artists. Includes movie and album reviews, columns, calendars and local entertainment news. Email story ideas or submit a correction.

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