Happy almost-end-of-the-semester, collegiettes! I was taking a break from listening to the new Fall Out Boy album that dropped on April 16th (I definitely recommend you checking it out), and I was thinking about what to recommend this week. Then it came to me. What is better to make the long hours of studying pass by faster than music that engulfs you and takes you away? In honor of the announcement of their song on the soundtrack for this summer’s The Great Gatsby, I recommend to you: Florence + the Machine.
Personally, I am more familiar with their two more widely known albums, Lungs and Ceremonials, but they do appear on a few soundtracks, and they have one live album and one of b-sides.
Lungs (2009)
I distinctly remember spending a summer driving around South Florida to “Dog Days Are Over.” The DJs of all the local radio stations were obsessed with this one. Although it took me a while to fall in love with that song, I do enjoy this album quite a bit. On Lungs, my favorite song is, without contest, “Drumming Song,” followed by “Kiss with a Fist.” If you think you are still tired of “Dog Days Are Over,” give it another try. If it grew on me, it might grow on you, too.
Ceremonials (2011)
Lungs (as a whole) took me time to get into, but I fell in love with Ceremonials the first time I heard it. There is a distinct sound of Florence + the Machine that begins here, and they stay true to it throughout the album. It sweeps you up and surrounds you in sound — just like the water imagery to which they are partial. I enjoyed Lungs, but Florence + the Machine came into their own in Ceremonials. I would suggest just listening to it straight through. My favorites are “Shake it Out,” “No Light, No Light,” and “Spectrum,” though I will happily sing along to any of the tracks.
No, their music isn’t the nicest or sweetest. It is loud; it is passionate; and if there is any time that warrants music that provokes such feeling, it is finals week. So, instead of throwing books at people, use the music to dance it out. Good luck!