Album Review: Everybody Scream | Florence + The Machine
- Spyros Psarras
- Jan 2
- 4 min read
It’s been three years since Dance Fever but the fever gets a sequel in FATM’s latest release, a glorious comeback that reminds of the artist’s nerve and tension in Lungs and Ceremonials yet is inevitably soaked in her maturity and life experiences. Without further ado, let’s bone Everybody Scream piece by piece. Pressing Play >
The homonymous Everybody Scream announces the return of FATM triumphantly with this almighty alt-rock anthem - an ecstatic calling for witches of the modern era. From the raving choir to the determined kick drum, from the savage performance of Florence to the commanding poetry, the opening track is a boiling cauldron that fumes and overflows with Florence’s brilliance. The following One of the Greats keeps the rock vibe going with guitar riffs - tribute to the classic rock era. The piece is lengthy, dragging a deeply personal pain and narrative that needs further investigation or fantastical interpretation to make some sense out of it. However, themes of betrayal, disenchantment, glory and power are lying there like pieces of a puzzle that call you to put them together. It’s worth mentioning how Florence sounds epic and vengeful as ever. Witch Dance opens in this brassy manner that reminded me of The Gossip’s earlier work while the narrating parts of it brought me some Bat For Lashes memories. This one sounds like a love story of another time with lots of transformations along the way, from angsty to peaceful and from devilish to angelic. It’s a piece that exhibits how an artist’s inner complexity can lead to such elaborate music-making and songwriting.
The super enchanting Sympathy Magic is a revolution against false virtues and the calling to build a life around proving our worth. Florence suggests a life free of the chains that promise safety, away from the fear that whispers we are not enough. One might say that Sympathy Magic has a more conventional pop structure and so it makes for a fine recommendation to someone who needs a brief taste of the album or a warmup before diving into it. Perfume and Milk is a prayer about surviving in a world of countless distractions where we struggle to connect with the earth, the changing seasons and their offerings. The track is deeply esoteric, transcending and even mournful as you pause to visualize the artist’s poetry. I dare say Perfume and Milk resembles Michael Jackson’s Earth Song in many ways as Florence gives a detailed artistic description of how humanity turned their backs on the earthly paradise it was given.
Moving on to the romantic Buckle which contains a balanced blend of rock, folk and country spices crushed in a pestle, resulting to a divine dish with Florence being a victim of love. The artist speaks of being infatuated by every little move of the one who stole her heart and it’s quite interesting witnessing her more worldly, human side considering she’s a pixie 95% of the time. And then we have Kraken, a surreal story about becoming a monster in situations we feel helpless, weird or alien. Florence offers some grand cinematic imagery of tentacles touching cheeks, a throat swallowing a remote and friends drowning in swamps – material that would fascinate David Lynch, Giorgos Lanthimos and directors of a similar aesthetic. Kraken is a crazy fun ride before we land on the emotional grounds of The Old Religion where the artist speaks of the animal that lies within humans, the primordial hunger for relief that wakes up in the darkest of times. The instrumental is galloping on an ancient land through its huge horns and percussion which are continuously climaxing from start to finish. Old Religion is like a 4-minute firework that changes form and colors by the second.
Now, what can one say about Drink Deep… One of the most seductively terrifying and beautifully haunting creations of Florence’s entire discography, worthy of standing next to Which Witch and Big God in a list of her top occult gems. Biased as can be, I fear words will not make this one justice so I leave this epitaph of a track to you and I move on to Music by Men. This one is grounded as Buckle but this time, Florence takes a chance to speak sarcastically about her fragility in romantic relationships, her heart’s restlessness and the fear of always ending up back to where she started. It’s almost painful to witness such relatable frustrations and that makes it easy to feel compassion for the artist, especially considering it all comes from lived experience. We Can Have it All changes the mood completely with Florence screaming at the top of her lungs in her signature manner introducing a sequel to Everybody Scream, just as epic and rock-driven, setting the tone for a memorable ending. The album is closing with And Love, a magical spell about peace, formed by minimal, ethereal instrumentation -with the harp having the starring role-, reminding us of the artist’s earlier work. It’s a deeply touching piece of witchcraft - of the benevolent kind, a blessing to provide us all with love and understanding in times like these when it’s most needed.
In a nutshell, Everybody Scream feels like a slow-burning yet confident progression in Florence’s personal journey both as a human being and an artist who loves life despite the suffering and deeply cares about the world’s current state. Once again, Florence + The Machine provides a safety net for many of us who struggle to process the experience of life and need a sense of stability - to feel that some things remain untouched by today’s chaos. Until next time, take care!
Listen to Everybody Scream here:
Comments