If you hadn't heard of Florence + The Machine before their song's appearance on glee or their Grammy nomination...I'm not going to shame you. Other people will, I'm sure. But I won't. I'm just here to educate. So bask in the warmth of my knowledge, little chickadees. It's a cold, cruel world out there.
The first thing you should know is that I'm not reviewing Lungs, which is Florence + The Machine's debut masterpiece. No, instead I'm taking a look at Between Two Lungs, which consists of Lungs along with what I consider to be necessary bonus material. So that way, when your friend inevitably mocks you for your ignorance when you inevitably mention reading this review (I mean, who can help themselves?), you can also mention the dreamscape that is The Horrors remix of "Hurricane Drunk" and use it to parry the attack on your dignity. But I digress.
Florence is a some kind of combination Victorian-oddball-poet-model (c'mon, she's fucking gorgeous), and that jumble of hyphens really does her no justice. Allow this picture to explain instead.
See what I mean?
credit: Daniel Boud
If I could describe the album in a word, it would be opulent. There are harps, what I'm assuming are Japanese drums, lush vocals and vivid imagery. Florence is like a Poe heroine, and I mean that as a high compliment. She sings about her casket-crafting boyfriend ("My Boy Builds Coffins"), her body parts ("Drumming Song"), ghosts (I'm Not Calling You A Liar") and like any musician, getting drunk off her ass ("Hurricane Drunk"). Florence (and the Machine, who are her backing musicians) tend to build off a quiet intro with a poppier, dramatastic bridge. Florence's vocals are best suited for it, and it makes the most use of the Machine's impressive assortment of instruments. Yes, the formula is limiting, but the band copes their best. Florence's lyrics keep things interesting for the most part – and always, always dark.
The entirety of Lungs is epic in pretty much every definition of the term. But Between Two Lungs offers extra content that highlights the triumphs of the original disc – something most bonus albums only try to achieve.
There are two sets of live tracks, two from the Hammersmith Apollo in London, and six from the iTunes Festival...also in London. Damn those British people, having all the fun. Anyway, the two Hammersmith tracks, "Strangeness & Charm" and "Swimming" are not featured on the original album, but they're just as good. It's pleasant to know there is more material coming. The four iTunes festival tracks, a mix of album numbers ("Drumming Song," "Girl With One Eye," "Hurricane Drunk," "Dog Days are Over," "My Boy Builds Coffins") with one cover, The Cold War Kid's "Hospital Beds." All prove that Florence Welch has the vocal prowess to kill these tunes in a live performance and makes me wonder how big is The Machine – excuse me, that's too meta. I mean how do they all fit on stage?
The two remixes are what really caught my eye, though. As much as the lovely vulnerability on the acoustic turn of the live version of "Dog Days are Over" is beautiful like a wilting lily, there is so much more substance in the Yeasayer remix of the original track.
It takes the power, in my opinion, away from the original heroine presented by Florence. By dropping off her pronouns and cutting out the refrain (that's right, you will NOT hear "dog days are over." Not once.) they paint a much darker picture. A more experimental electronic picture, true, complete with signature Yeasayer flourishes like a distorted bass and electronically altered embellishments. Listen to it, you'll see what I mean.
The Horrors remix of "Hurricane Drunk" which I mentioned before, starts off with slow. There are glissando-ing harps, and a laid-back funk beat. They turn Florence into a blues chanteuse before, at about two minutes in, it all builds and shifts. The vocals die, the drum kicks it up and at 2:30 some piano joins in. It becomes a soothing but upbeat jam that swirls as the lyrics drop in and out. They only took one line from the song, "I'm going to blow myself away," but here it seems like a pleasant idea – like being swept away on a breeze.
To be honest, that interpretation is how Between Two Lungs is different than Lungs. It shows more vulnerability, more sides, and most importantly, other artist's visions of Florence + The Machine. Sometimes they're darker, and sometimes they're angelic. It only fills the gap until the band's next release, but it'll do. It'll certainly do.
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