Florence + Machine have come a long way since The Dog Days. After 2009’s release of the debut album, Lungs, I was happily surprised by the playful lyrics and unique sound of the band. Florence Welch and her friend and former teen collaborator, Isabella “Machine” Summers (who has since left the band) have created a hybrid-genre of music that one can both dance to and connect with on an intimate level. While Lungs had impressed me with superb vocals that sent chills down my spine, her 2011 album, Ceremonials, has sold me on Florence + Machine for life.
One of the reasons running is so great—a subject I will return to, at a later time of productive procrastination—is the mental escape from our problems that it provides. The right music can elevate even the most casual jog into a blissful and uplifting experience. Ceremonials is powerful; it goes far beyond Lungs and takes listeners into Florence’s world. Songs like: Only if for a Night, Heartlines, Bedroom Hymns, No Light and Spectrum are energetic and deeply soulful, and put me in the right head space for a good challenge. I can (and have) ran to the entire album, and have never felt more in tune with myself. Combining F+M with running creates what I can only describe as a minor spiritual quest; I work through feelings I didn’t even know existed that her songs bring out with a physical release that washes away stress and feelings of incompetence and inadequacy.
Listening to music is a fantastic pastime for daily traveling and especially for commuting, precisely because of songs that have this ability to change how you see the world. F+M songs truly bring out the beauty and color in the everyday landscapes—and in any and all kinds of weather. The lyrics sound like written poetry, like the kind that a young girl writes in the middle of the night and then hides in a shoebox stowed under her bed. They are honest and pure—touching on emotions of love, forgiveness, sorrow and joy. Quite refreshing from the majority of popular music, which I admit takes up a generous proportion of my iTunes library.
Of all the songs on the Ceremonials album, Remain Nameless is by far my favorite. If you are a.) female and b.) have ever felt (unreciprocal) love for someone, this song will resonate with you. It is a story about a hopeless romantic, professing her infinite support and steady presence (“remaining the same”) for a troubled, fleeting and undeserving man. Written like a poem and sung like a hymn, the vulnerability expressed in this song is what makes it genuine and truly amazing.
<3 <3 <3 Florence + Machine <3 <3 <3
