Florence, Diamond in the Rough

“And you were broken-hearted and the world was too,” Florence Welch sings despairingly in the opening track of “High as Hope.” Florence + the Machine’s fourth studio album, “High as Hope,” was released on June 29, 2018, and is an entirely different approach to the extravagance and artistic complexity exhibited in their previous studio albums.

Florence + the Machine is composed of nine members, most notably frontwoman Florence Welch and Isabella “the Machine” Summers. “High as Hope” takes on a more subtle, vulnerable tone as Welch explores battles with addiction, love, and state of mind. Her voice is more stripped down than ever before; the album’s 10 tracks feel more textured, almost physical, and more dense with deliberate polyphony than her previous studio efforts.

Soft guitar chords and piano lead into a melodic ballad in the opening track, “June.” Welch croons in a hoarse voice about love in the midst of terror and how same sex love is under attack: “In those heavy days in June / When love became an act of defiance.” The track, in memoriam of the 2016 gay nightclub shooting in Orlando, Florida, sets a soaring, yet vulnerable tone present in the rest of the tracks.

“Big God,” in particular, borrows from that vulnerable tone; the composition feels almost primitivist—featuring jarring percussion and primal-like tones. The accompanying music video for the song reflects the sound, with a group of women wearing draped robes in vivid primary colors dancing in sync.

Other tracks are less deviant, but nonetheless urge the listener to indulge in Welch’s emotional state: “Grace,” a heartfelt apology to her sister; “Sky Full of Song,” a beautiful ballad about her emotions when she sings; “Patricia,” a song about finding inspiration and love; and “100 Years,” a song about healing from relationship abuse, a topic explored extensively in her previous studio albums. The familiarity of the style and topic matter of these tracks, being consistent with the arc of Florence’s journey from struggles to acceptance, rounds out “High as Hope” as a whole.

Lastly, there are a few notable standout tracks that help develop the album. “The End of Love” is a simple melancholic ballad at first listen as Welch mentions “reaching in the dark / that summer in New York.” However, after a few listens, you start to melt into the harmonic texture that underlies the chorus. Each layer of background music seems meticulously planned and produced as Welch harmonizes with instrumentals, but also feels smooth, dense, and vulnerable in composition.

Perhaps no other track is as jarring as the lead single, “Hunger.” The track is an upbeat, distinctively Florence + the Machine song that evokes a vibe similar to that of previous singles, like “Spectrum” (from “Ceremonials,” 2011), “Cosmic Love” (from “Lungs,” 2009), and “Delilah” (from “How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful,” 2013). Welch sings about love, vulnerability, and dealing with body issues. She borrows heavily from stylistic elements that made her previous albums successful: wistful extravagance, glittery music videos, and ornate production. Welch’s decision to include a song of similar composition to her previous successful albums appeals to older fans who may feel that they can’t follow her newest album’s arc. However, the track fractures the cohesivity of the album’s composition. Thus, though “Hunger” was a safe move from Florence + the Machine, it is also feels out of place on the album.

“High as Hope” is vulnerable and brutally honest; it takes on a different tone than the band’s previous albums. This vivid composition is a soaring odyssey through Welch’s past experiences. Most tracks, though some fall back on familiar themes, are refreshing. They leave a lasting impression on the listener, evident of Welch’s masterful songwriting and the band’s collective harmony.