Real Teen Award
-Breakout Artist of 2010
-Breakout Artist of 2010
Reviewed by Dream Catcher
Song Time: 46 Minutes and 13 Seconds
Florence and the Machine was first discovered in 2008, surprising the U.K with their funky “punk-infused” sound. Their first single, “A Kiss With a Fist” was new and unique and eventually led to them creating their first album, Lungs. Lungs features more punk-y music and includes “A Kiss With a Fist” and the song that has come to be pretty popular in the U.S. “Dog Days Are Over”. Fun Fact: “Dog Days Are Over” was covered on Glee, but isn’t nearly as good as the original. They may not be the most well-known band ever, or the most popular, but I think their music is really different. The lead singer, Brit Florence Welch, has a really cool sounding voice and some of her songs sound really powerful and filled with emotion. Warning: some of their songs are just plain weird. Insanity. But I’ve learned to appreciate their interesting lyrics and funky sound.
Dog Days Are Over – 10/10 – I don’t remember when I first heard this song. What I do remember is that when I heard it that first time, I thought it was one of the weirdest songs ever. But after I heard it a few more times I really started to like it. When I learned what the words were – because with Florence and the Machine it’s really hard to hear what they’re saying – I liked the song even more. This is their song that’s the most popular, I think. The song people most likely know. It has really weird but interesting lyrics and a good beat. Definitely one of my favorite songs on the CD. Even if you don’t like the rest of the CD, I would recommend you buy this song as a single, or something. Favorite line from the song “Leave all you love and your longing behind/you can’t carry it with you if you want to survive”. I’m not sure what it is, but there’s just something amazing about this song that never gets old.
Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up) – 10/10 – Love this song. It has some interesting sounds throughout it, like maybe a harp-type-thing or something. Cool. I really like this song, but part of it I’m not so crazy about. There’s this line sung periodically and sounds almost like a tribal chant. “Raise it Up, Raise it Up!”. Other than that part (and I don’t even hate that) I really like the verses and the lyrics, because they’re funky and like nothing I’ve ever heard (in an awesome way). The melody is great because she sings a lot higher than the other songs on the CD and it sounds really good (pretty, even). Favorite Line: “Midas is king, and he holds me so tight/and turns me to gold in the sunlight”.
I’m Not Calling You A Liar – 11/10 – When I first heard this song, my reaction was “argh!”. In other words “gross!”. But I kept listening to it anyway, telling myself that it would be like “Dog Days Are Over” and it would seriously grow on me. Fortunately, it did. Now it’s my favorite song on the CD and maybe one of my favorite overall currently. I’m constantly singing it because the lyrics are really weird and awesome. What I love about them is that they’re something you’d never think to say, or think to make into a lyric. I think this song is also really good on her voice, too. The only problem is that the same lyrics are basically repeated over a few times. I guess I didn’t really mind though, because I really like them anyways. Favorite line: “There’s a ghost in my lungs and it sighs in my sleep”.
Howl – 8.5/10 – This is a slightly above average song. It sounds kinda techno with a fast beat. It’s pretty good, I guess. It certainly isn’t my favorite in CD. It’s one of those songs that you don’t really mind listening to, but wouldn’t seek it out or want to replay it a second time. The weirdest part about it is that the chorus is my least favorite part. I don’t mind the verses, but I think the chorus is just a little too…I dunno…odd, I guess. For me, at least. But it's grown on me a lot. The good thing about this song is that it’s packed full of descriptive lyrics. Favorite Line: “I’ve held it in but now it seems you’ve set it running free/ Screaming in the dark, I howl when we’re apart”.
A Kiss With A Fist - 9/10 – This song is basically about a couple abusing each other. So the message of the song is really bad. The lyrics say it all: “A kiss with a fist is better than none”. Is it? I certainly don’t think so. So that’s what’s annoying about that song. It’s really very catchy and has an interestingly screechy guitar solo thing in the middle. Even if you don’t like it at first (like me, simply because of the violent lyrics) it’ll grow on you. So, overall, pretty good. Favorite Line: “You smash a plate over my head/then I set fire to our bed”.
Girl With One Eye – 10/10 – A very different sound from the other songs on the CD. This one has some edgy guitar in it and the singer sounds aggressive and pretty angry. This, be warned, is a very weird song. Why is there a girl with one eye? Because Florence + The Machine cut out her other one. Lovely. Yeah, really weird song, but I like it. Not exactly sure why, but I think it’s the guitar and the melody. What I realized when listening to this song was that the singer has a very ugly-beautiful type voice. It’s beautiful in its imperfectness. She doesn’t always have to sound perfect and cookie-cutter. That’s what makes her voice always sounds amazing and – in an awesomely imperfect way – perfect. Very different and that’s why I like it. I also kind of like the fact that the lyrics tell a story, almost. Even if the story is a little gruesome… a story is a story, so points for originality. Oh, well. Favorite Line: “Well, she's lucky that I didn’t slip her smile/that’s why she sleeps with one eye open”.
Drumming Song – 9/10 – Needless to say, there is a lot of drumming in this song. I’m not sure why I like this song so much, because it’s really weird. It has a really good beat – because of all the drumming – and it’s catchy. I think this is another good song for her voice. Kinda pretty in a weird way. I don’t like the beginning of this song that much because it is literally all drums, but give it a chance because it gets better. Yeah. I really like this song. Favorite Line: “I run to the river and dive straight in/I pray the water will drown the din/but as the water fills my mouth/it couldn’t wash the echos out”.
Between Two Lungs – 8.5/10 – This isn’t my favorite song, and I’ve had a hard time figuring out what to rate it because I don’t feel the need, or the want to listen to it. It starts out really slow with a slow drumbeat to match. When she starts singing the beat stays exactly the same. Slow and steady, but after a few lines it picks up and gets better. It pretty much stays exactly like that for the rest of the song. The chorus is my favorite part of the song, even if all it is the words “trapped between two lungs” over and over. The sound is nice. It’s a pretty good song, but nothing remarkable. Favorite Line: “Gone are all the days of begging/ the days of theft/ no more gasping for a breath”.
Cosmic Love – 10/10 - I love the lyrics of this song; they sound kinda poetic. I feel like a broken record. I keep saying that the songs all have good beats. But it’s true! And this song was no exception. It’s hard to explain, but it’s not the norm and that’s what makes it awesome. But the thing I like best about this song is when she sings this oooooaaahhhhhhoooooo type thing. You’d know it if you heard it. Overall, a really good song. Lyrics are amazing. Favorite Line: “No dawn, no day, I’m always in this twilight/in the shadow of your heart”.
My Boy Builds Coffins – 9/10 - This song is exactly what it sounds like. It’s about a guy who builds coffins. Yeah, this is one of the weirder songs in the CD. It’s a very mellow song, despite the weird lyrics. It’s slow, but always gets stuck in my head. It’s an interestingly good song with a cool percussion. Favorite Line: “He’s made one for himself/one for me too/one of these days he’ll make one for you”. Kinda morbid, but true. I love it.
Hurricane Drunk – 9.5/10 – At first I didn’t really like this song. I didn’t think it was worth listening to. But after forcing myself to listen to it (so I could write a real review for it) I found that I really actually liked it. The tune of the chorus makes this song sound almost cheery or determined maybe. But it’s really sad! About a girl who finds out her boyfriend is cheating on her and is seriously upset about it. She says “I’m gunna drink myself to death”. Sad. But I like it. The song has a good beat (haven’t heard that yet have we? ) and I think is becoming one of my favorites on the CD. Favorite Line: ” But when you look over/ you look right through/ then you lean and kiss her on the head/and I’ve never felt so alive and so dead”.
Blinding – 9/10 – I don’t know why, but I was never motivated to listen to this song. But eventually I did listen to it, and I thought it was pretty good. It’s a slower song with a lower melody. The lyrics are the better part of this song, I think. They’re really good. But there’s another small thing I like about this song. It’s a tiny aspect of the song as a whole, but during the chorus there’s this sound, like the plucking of a harp or violin or cello or viola or something. Some string instrument. It really adds to the song in a subtle way. Coolio. Favorite Line “No more dreaming of the dead as if death itself was undone”.
You’ve Got the Love – 8.5/10 - This is the last song I listened to on the CD. It didn't really impress me. There was nothing special about it. It kind of lacked luster and the lyrics were just okay. I wouldn’t be too eager to listen to it again, but I wouldn't be upset if I had to. Just kinda one of those in between type songs with not much good or bad about it. I have a feeling it'll grow on me. Favorite Line “Now and then it seems that life is just too much/but you’ve got the love I need to see me through”.
I was looking up these songs to find the lyrics, and I think that the album Lungs is a collection of a bunch of their singles (with a few add-ons). Yeah, I think that was a fun fact, or something. Cool to know, right? Now, I know that not all people like this type of music, but I think you should give it a chance. I didn’t think I was going to like this CD so much, but after listening to it I found that I really liked almost all of the songs. Music will surprise you! Give it a chance!
Real Teen Rating~ A : Worth Buying!
Dog Days Are Over – 10/10 – I don’t remember when I first heard this song. What I do remember is that when I heard it that first time, I thought it was one of the weirdest songs ever. But after I heard it a few more times I really started to like it. When I learned what the words were – because with Florence and the Machine it’s really hard to hear what they’re saying – I liked the song even more. This is their song that’s the most popular, I think. The song people most likely know. It has really weird but interesting lyrics and a good beat. Definitely one of my favorite songs on the CD. Even if you don’t like the rest of the CD, I would recommend you buy this song as a single, or something. Favorite line from the song “Leave all you love and your longing behind/you can’t carry it with you if you want to survive”. I’m not sure what it is, but there’s just something amazing about this song that never gets old.
Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up) – 10/10 – Love this song. It has some interesting sounds throughout it, like maybe a harp-type-thing or something. Cool. I really like this song, but part of it I’m not so crazy about. There’s this line sung periodically and sounds almost like a tribal chant. “Raise it Up, Raise it Up!”. Other than that part (and I don’t even hate that) I really like the verses and the lyrics, because they’re funky and like nothing I’ve ever heard (in an awesome way). The melody is great because she sings a lot higher than the other songs on the CD and it sounds really good (pretty, even). Favorite Line: “Midas is king, and he holds me so tight/and turns me to gold in the sunlight”.
I’m Not Calling You A Liar – 11/10 – When I first heard this song, my reaction was “argh!”. In other words “gross!”. But I kept listening to it anyway, telling myself that it would be like “Dog Days Are Over” and it would seriously grow on me. Fortunately, it did. Now it’s my favorite song on the CD and maybe one of my favorite overall currently. I’m constantly singing it because the lyrics are really weird and awesome. What I love about them is that they’re something you’d never think to say, or think to make into a lyric. I think this song is also really good on her voice, too. The only problem is that the same lyrics are basically repeated over a few times. I guess I didn’t really mind though, because I really like them anyways. Favorite line: “There’s a ghost in my lungs and it sighs in my sleep”.
Howl – 8.5/10 – This is a slightly above average song. It sounds kinda techno with a fast beat. It’s pretty good, I guess. It certainly isn’t my favorite in CD. It’s one of those songs that you don’t really mind listening to, but wouldn’t seek it out or want to replay it a second time. The weirdest part about it is that the chorus is my least favorite part. I don’t mind the verses, but I think the chorus is just a little too…I dunno…odd, I guess. For me, at least. But it's grown on me a lot. The good thing about this song is that it’s packed full of descriptive lyrics. Favorite Line: “I’ve held it in but now it seems you’ve set it running free/ Screaming in the dark, I howl when we’re apart”.
A Kiss With A Fist - 9/10 – This song is basically about a couple abusing each other. So the message of the song is really bad. The lyrics say it all: “A kiss with a fist is better than none”. Is it? I certainly don’t think so. So that’s what’s annoying about that song. It’s really very catchy and has an interestingly screechy guitar solo thing in the middle. Even if you don’t like it at first (like me, simply because of the violent lyrics) it’ll grow on you. So, overall, pretty good. Favorite Line: “You smash a plate over my head/then I set fire to our bed”.
Girl With One Eye – 10/10 – A very different sound from the other songs on the CD. This one has some edgy guitar in it and the singer sounds aggressive and pretty angry. This, be warned, is a very weird song. Why is there a girl with one eye? Because Florence + The Machine cut out her other one. Lovely. Yeah, really weird song, but I like it. Not exactly sure why, but I think it’s the guitar and the melody. What I realized when listening to this song was that the singer has a very ugly-beautiful type voice. It’s beautiful in its imperfectness. She doesn’t always have to sound perfect and cookie-cutter. That’s what makes her voice always sounds amazing and – in an awesomely imperfect way – perfect. Very different and that’s why I like it. I also kind of like the fact that the lyrics tell a story, almost. Even if the story is a little gruesome… a story is a story, so points for originality. Oh, well. Favorite Line: “Well, she's lucky that I didn’t slip her smile/that’s why she sleeps with one eye open”.
Drumming Song – 9/10 – Needless to say, there is a lot of drumming in this song. I’m not sure why I like this song so much, because it’s really weird. It has a really good beat – because of all the drumming – and it’s catchy. I think this is another good song for her voice. Kinda pretty in a weird way. I don’t like the beginning of this song that much because it is literally all drums, but give it a chance because it gets better. Yeah. I really like this song. Favorite Line: “I run to the river and dive straight in/I pray the water will drown the din/but as the water fills my mouth/it couldn’t wash the echos out”.
Between Two Lungs – 8.5/10 – This isn’t my favorite song, and I’ve had a hard time figuring out what to rate it because I don’t feel the need, or the want to listen to it. It starts out really slow with a slow drumbeat to match. When she starts singing the beat stays exactly the same. Slow and steady, but after a few lines it picks up and gets better. It pretty much stays exactly like that for the rest of the song. The chorus is my favorite part of the song, even if all it is the words “trapped between two lungs” over and over. The sound is nice. It’s a pretty good song, but nothing remarkable. Favorite Line: “Gone are all the days of begging/ the days of theft/ no more gasping for a breath”.
Cosmic Love – 10/10 - I love the lyrics of this song; they sound kinda poetic. I feel like a broken record. I keep saying that the songs all have good beats. But it’s true! And this song was no exception. It’s hard to explain, but it’s not the norm and that’s what makes it awesome. But the thing I like best about this song is when she sings this oooooaaahhhhhhoooooo type thing. You’d know it if you heard it. Overall, a really good song. Lyrics are amazing. Favorite Line: “No dawn, no day, I’m always in this twilight/in the shadow of your heart”.
My Boy Builds Coffins – 9/10 - This song is exactly what it sounds like. It’s about a guy who builds coffins. Yeah, this is one of the weirder songs in the CD. It’s a very mellow song, despite the weird lyrics. It’s slow, but always gets stuck in my head. It’s an interestingly good song with a cool percussion. Favorite Line: “He’s made one for himself/one for me too/one of these days he’ll make one for you”. Kinda morbid, but true. I love it.
Hurricane Drunk – 9.5/10 – At first I didn’t really like this song. I didn’t think it was worth listening to. But after forcing myself to listen to it (so I could write a real review for it) I found that I really actually liked it. The tune of the chorus makes this song sound almost cheery or determined maybe. But it’s really sad! About a girl who finds out her boyfriend is cheating on her and is seriously upset about it. She says “I’m gunna drink myself to death”. Sad. But I like it. The song has a good beat (haven’t heard that yet have we? ) and I think is becoming one of my favorites on the CD. Favorite Line: ” But when you look over/ you look right through/ then you lean and kiss her on the head/and I’ve never felt so alive and so dead”.
Blinding – 9/10 – I don’t know why, but I was never motivated to listen to this song. But eventually I did listen to it, and I thought it was pretty good. It’s a slower song with a lower melody. The lyrics are the better part of this song, I think. They’re really good. But there’s another small thing I like about this song. It’s a tiny aspect of the song as a whole, but during the chorus there’s this sound, like the plucking of a harp or violin or cello or viola or something. Some string instrument. It really adds to the song in a subtle way. Coolio. Favorite Line “No more dreaming of the dead as if death itself was undone”.
You’ve Got the Love – 8.5/10 - This is the last song I listened to on the CD. It didn't really impress me. There was nothing special about it. It kind of lacked luster and the lyrics were just okay. I wouldn’t be too eager to listen to it again, but I wouldn't be upset if I had to. Just kinda one of those in between type songs with not much good or bad about it. I have a feeling it'll grow on me. Favorite Line “Now and then it seems that life is just too much/but you’ve got the love I need to see me through”.
I was looking up these songs to find the lyrics, and I think that the album Lungs is a collection of a bunch of their singles (with a few add-ons). Yeah, I think that was a fun fact, or something. Cool to know, right? Now, I know that not all people like this type of music, but I think you should give it a chance. I didn’t think I was going to like this CD so much, but after listening to it I found that I really liked almost all of the songs. Music will surprise you! Give it a chance!
Real Teen Rating~ A : Worth Buying!
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