Released: 06/07/09

This is the girl that introduced herself with “Kiss with a fist” - pleasant, isn’t she? We love that glitter-smeared-over-face look and big ‘can’t see my eyes’ lashes and with a Brit Award under her belt and that 80’s pop sense using sentimental feelings to poetically inspire, finally Britain has a female singer with a retro style.

Florence is the girl and The Machine is the band; this five-piece show their musical range with a guitar, drums, keyboard and weirdly enough a harp. The lyrics are blunt (not sugar coated like a Simon Cowell manufactured piece of pop) and the music is zappy, out of control and vibrant; a dainty optimistic and emotive album that places you in a melodic fixated aura that leaves you mesmerised.

Lungs begins with Dog Days Are Over, that song they used in the Skins lesbian snog scene (you’d be lying if you said you hadn’t seen it) and the sound hits the bill of all emotions that love can possess. For me, this is what the album personifies, singing about love and heartbreak with instrumental composure that makes each track very individual. What I noticed more about this album was vocally we had more Mariah ‘let’s hit the high notes’ songs, not essential but are there to show off Florence’s vocal range. Her talent is on full display too during Girl With One Eye with its sorrowful blues with lines like; “I slipped my hand under her skirt” - she wants us to be the voyeuristic listener.

Finishing the album with You’ve Got The Love is a perfect ending and finishes on a blissful note. These 13 tracks of a beauty leave you thrilled and enlightened. Lungs is a strong contender to be the album of the year and this is the CD missing from your collection.

www.florenceandthemachine.net

Skye Portman