Lungs [VINYL]

Cd arrived on time, well packaged and undamaged by Music Magpie Also, played well on cd playerFlorence sings in her unique voice a set of well written and imaginatively inspired songs with a kind of gothic feel to them but very listenable. Her hits Dog Days, You got the love and Drumming Song are on here as well as others. overall no poor songs at all bought as a present and well worth the price.

A number of reviewers have started out by mentioning their age and gender. Let me continue that trend: I'm male and getting on for 58. In my time, I've been a Beatles/Rolling Stones, Hendrix, King Crimson, Siouxsie and the Banshees and All About Eve fan - to name just a few bands - and then some time around the millennium I abandoned the "boring" mainstream (sorry, Michael Stipe and 1990s R.E.M.) and started listening mostly to dark continental metal. That too has evolved, but the point I want to make very strongly is that Florence has reconnected me with a small fragment of the mainstream. A small but very significant fragment.It's significant for a number of reasons. Yes, there's a gothic thread running through the album. Let's call it "gothic" rather than "goth" - I think that's a more accurate view. For a bright and "big" album (apparently, and in reply to another reviewer, Florence is on record as saying that she wants to make her music "big"), many of the lyrics are, of course, quite dark. In fact, "Girl With One Eye" is dreadfully dark - despite which the album has been accepted into the "mainstream" world without question. I can think of a great many doom metal and death metal albums, but none of them are ever likely to make the same journey!I see this album as a great, crazy achievement in itself, and as a wake-up call to some other artists. OK, so it isn't a competition - it's never been that - but there are plenty of successful artists out there who seem content with "less". One thing I've discovered from my journeys around continental metal is that "more" is an important part of the emotional hook: I think of it in terms of colour and texture. And this album is brimming over with colour and texture.To those who are disappointed that this Florence isn't quite the same as the live Florence, I'd say that the drama of the live gigs surely couldn't really work in the longer term - not if you're planning to put the CD on repeat. The studio version of "Bird Song" on the bonus CD has a rather different character compared to the YouTube videos, but it works perfectly well for me.Some reviewers have made comparisons with other singers, past and present. On "My Boy Builds Coffins", I hear something of the style of the late and much-missed John Martyn. Personally, I don't hear much Kate Bush in Florence's approach (stay away from those squeaky high notes please, Florence!), but she herself mentions Grace Slick as one of her influences and, well, perhaps something of that shows through. The key to Grace's way of singing, apparently, was that she was trying to emulate the sound of the electric guitar. That's a kind of madness in itself - and madness of a very special kind is something that Florence promises to deliver much more of in the future.Unless, that is, she gives up all this wacky stuff and turns into one of the best white soul singers ever ...

i was intrigued with this artist since i heard her in the BBC sound of 2009 contest, since then i have seen the video's and learnt more of Florence's musical style (electronic,folk alternative art rock)for Smash With A Fist,Dog Days Are Over and (one of the best songs ever!!) Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up).this album came today and i have heard the whole thing through and i must say this is as epic music can possibly get ever!!especially in this electronica dominated chart it's nice to have a change of pace and sound and Florence does not dissappoint with every song on here being unique and deep yet also overwhelmingly uplifting to certain degrees.similar in unusual taste as kate Bush's art rock style which is quite a gem to hear, and the album also has a sort of artistic imagery with each song which entails it to be not only an art piece in the music scene but makes it one of the best albums of the year!!!Florence incorporates so many distinctive layers within her music which incorporates a Madonna artistic innovation and creativity within her body of work (Florence sites her as a huge influence, and her rendition of Borderline is mesmerising! i long for Flo and Madonna to collaborate) with a Bjork unusually distinctive delivery via the way of Kate Bush and Stevie Nicks.Ms. Welch has since release (writing in October 2010) has achieved much acclaim the past year and a half for Lungs and it's so very easy to see in a year full of generic pop, Florence brought back that essence of pop music that is so very raw and needed in the genre and showing that British pop is coming back and on top, and by selling over 1.5 million copies across the UK and double worldwide and reaching acclaim in the US, Florence is going to grow as an artist.With huge anthems and rawly EPIC songs on here, Lungs is an album which EVERYONE must own.It's personal, it's artistic and it's very blissfully produced and Florence's voice is one that defies anything and is just so vibrant and raw.everyone must get LUNGS today!

This is a review for the vinyl edition of Florence and the Machine Lungs album. It's now a couple of months since I've had this album and I still don't tire listening to it. The Gatefold Vinyl presentation is first class - photography on both inner and outer cover tremendous plus photography on both sides of the sleeve insert makes this a fine addition to my vinyl collection. Nice touch on side 1 and side 2 of the record being labelled "in" and "out" - you won't get that on any other format like CD and definitely not on a digital download! Sound quality of the tracks is first rate played on a quality turntable and noticed that same track listings as in CD release so nothing added or lost.Florench Welch's fine vocals and energy like a fusion of Kate Bush and Siouxsie Sioux - can't wait to see her perform live in Dec 2009 Glasgow.Great to see new artists releasing their material on Vinyl. Just ordered Bat for Lashes "Two Suns" also on Vinyl and hoping that it will be of the same standard as Florence and The Machine's album. Keep it up for us vinyl collectors who still like to physically hold and cherish their music collection. Vinyl still rules for presentation of Album artwork, lyrics you can read on bigger fonts and of course the sound quality on a properly produced album such as this.