Ceremonials

The best album of 2011 full stop. This album is full of a whole host of to-be hits. The album opener, Only If For A Night, sets the scene for Ceremonials and is my personal favourite on the album. With it's thunderous drum line and eerie harp it is a hit to come. The next song Shake It Out being the albums second single is a let down for me even though it's charted pretty well. The chourus drones on a little and for me it's my worst song on the record. What the Water Gave Me is truly inspirational where Florence sings about the Death of Virginia Wolf and how she drowned herself! The fourth track of Ceremonials Never Let Me Go is a song that could have been written for Adele. It's very releaxing and should ened up being a single at some point. Breaking Down, despite it's creepy lyrics and odd theme, is probably the most upbeat and happy song on the record. In this song she does a Lily Allen on us by writing about something that's not the happiest of subjects and putting it to a very up tempo joyous beat. Lover to Lover continues the happiness of the album and is then followed by No Light, No Light the third single from the record. I don't love the song but I think it was a pretty could pick of thrid single. Seven Devils takes us back to the dark, drum overloaded side of Ceremonials where Florence sings: "I'll be Dead before the day is done." My second best song on the record, Heartlines, followes Seven Devils. It's another up tempo song with punding beats and a nice happy tune. Spectrum, yet another great song comes after. The only critism for this song would be that Flroence strains her voice quite a lot in this, especially in the chourus where she almost yells "Say my name!". Great song but maybe tone it down a little. All thsi and Heaven Too I hated to start with but the song has grown on me to the pint where I put it on repaet. The album closes with Leave My Body. I love this song but it lacks something that I can't quite think of. Overall the album is absolutely amazing. A great follow up to 2009's Lungs. Some songs could be improved in diffrent ways but a very good album overall. I bet the follow up to this will be even more epic.

What can i say that hasn't been said better by so many wonderful reviews here about this album. I was romanced over by Florence and her Machine's Lungs but this is another story altogether. Whilst Lungs was more of a collection of singles and had a rather eclectic edge to it, Ceremonials is a proper album, much darker and grander in ambition and design.I love most of the songs especially Heartlines, Never Let Me Go, Lover To Lover, Seven Devils, No Light, No Light and What The Water Gave Me, but my fave has to be the glorious opener Only If For A Night with its beautiful cathedral bells and majestic invocation to dance and theatre and Flo's amazing soulful voice. In fact i always spin that twice when listening to the album just to absorb its magical energy!The drums are still pounding away on Breaking Down and Heartlines which is the closest link to Lungs and the harp is still there too as on Spectrum but overall its the production that sets it apart and allows the songs to, well, flow (no pun intended!) much better than on the debut. Also Flo has really developed her beautifully poetic and soulful voice to new depths and she sings like a angel at times and the rest of her band are right there behind her.My only gripe is the second song Shake It Out which i'm struggling with a bit. I feel its just a tad overdone Flo, i know you want to show us what a great range you have but i think it comes across a bit strained, still its a grower and i won't mark you down for that hun!Ceremonials may not have the sheer strength of songs Lungs has or its punky eclecticism and eccentricity but it makes up for it by its grand design. In this respect it ain't better than Lungs, just different. Mind you i'm still waiting for them to come up with anything as gripping as Blinding on the debut.

This album currently rules my world. I would have said I left the age of fangirling behind me (2 decades behind!) but here I am absolutely addicted. I also love Lungs and whichever album I'm currently listening to seems the better of the two. Aaand back to the other one again once that's playing again - I just can't decide. Same with my favourite track on here. The only one I didn't like at first sight was Lover to Lover - and yet that's one of my favourites now. Flo's voice just carries it through! Yes it has a consistent sound (as opposed to the "scrapbook" that was Lungs), but I wouldn't say it's "samey". Yes the wall of sounds seems overwhelming at first - but just discover the layers of instrumentation and vocals behind it! (good speakers or headphones recommended) Oh, and absolutely definitely get the deluxe version - the additional tracks are so worth it. F+TM have the luxury to relegate songs to their B sides that others would kill for as their title tracks! Some people have called it pompous and as if she invented her own religion (if only! I wouldn't mind submitting myself to Floism!). I think it is a grand album with a grand sound which grows on you with each repetition - just be careful, you might end up equally addicted! Oh and did I mention her voice???? Ahhh I'll just go back to my dark room worshipping The Flo ;-)

Es un muy buen álbum

Capita di sentire una canzone per radio, scoprire chi la canta (grazie Shazam!) e poi d’istinto acquistare tutto il disco e capita ovviamente con questo sistema di prendere delle belle cantonate. Non in questo caso. La canzone era «Shake It Out» e a cantarla i Florence + The Machine, cioè – trascurando i musicisti di complemento - la bella Florence Welch alla voce e l’amica Isabella Summers alle tastiere. Il CD è questo Ceremonials, che ho apprezzato dall’inizio alla fine. Un pop barocco e a tratti sovraccarico, ma pure trascinante e suggestivo: merito della vocalità della Welch che non sarà forse originalissima ma riassume in sé tutta una sfilza di interpreti al femminile a partire dalla mitica Grace Slick e poi via via Kate Bush, Siouxsie Sioux, PJ Harvey e magari anche Annie Lennox e Tori Amos. E così mi sono goduto l’insinuante crescendo di «Whatever the Water Gave Me», il grintoso neo-soul di «Lover to Lover», la seducente «Breaking Down» dai toni vagamente beatlesiani e l’incalzante galoppata di «Heartlines» sostenuta dal potente drumming di Chris Hayden, quest’ultimo vera architrave ritmica di tutto il disco. Nell’equilibrio dei pezzi ci stanno pure una power song strappacuore già dal titolo come «Never Let Me Go», l’enfatica preghiera di «No Light No Light e l’oscura psichedelia di «Seven Devils». In realtà in questo CD ad ogni ascolto non c’è niente da buttare e molto da scoprire a conferma dell’ottima produzione di Paul Epworth (nel suo palmares: «Rolling in the Deep» di Adele). Molto curata la parte grafica sia di copertina che del libretto (art director: Tabitha Denholm) a sottolineare la seducente chioma rosso-naturale della Welch, che quasi si atteggia a musa di pittori preraffaelliti, mentre ho trovato inadeguata la parte informativa: niente testi delle canzoni e informazioni tecniche scritte fitte fitte, incomprensibili e inutili come le code della pubblicità. Vabbè, non cascherà il mondo per questo: solo due segni meno sulle CINQUE STELLE del mio giudizio

J'ai decouvert florence grace a heartlines que j'avais deja entendu dans une serie tv, l'album est vraiment excellent on est submergé par la voix de flo et de sa musique ayant ecouté lungs auparavant ceremonials est beaucoup mieux que ce dernier vivement le 3e album avec impatience!

Disco stupendo, come tutti di Florence and the Machine. Sicuramente buon acquisto.Acquistato con Amazon Warehouse aveva solo una crepa sulla custodia ma CD perfetto.

Excellent album, j'adore Florence, une voix magnifique et un accompagnement instrumental d'exception, cette album vous fait voyager dans un monde magique et plain de charme.