Florence + The Machine, Dance Fever | Album Review 💿

Florence + The Machine makes a superb return with their compelling, consistent, and well-rounded fifth studio album, Dance Fever.

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“King”

“I am no mother, I am no bride, I am king.” Woo! Florence + The Machine kicks off Dance Fever with a bang with 🤩 🎵 “King.”  “King” was the first single released in advance of the album.  It finds Florence Welch reflecting on her current life essentially.  She’s contemplating family, specifically having children (“We argue in the kitchen about whether to have children”) but also remains focused on her career (“… About the world ending and the scale of my ambition / And how much is art really worth”). As always, the lyrics are poetic, and the vocals are elite; nuanced.  The production (Welch and 🎛 Jack Antonoff) and sound of the record are also brilliant including the percussive groove (including tambourine) and prominent left-hand piano hits. Later, there are strings and a more prominent guitar role. One of the best moments is when “King” ‘hits you right in the chest,’ past the halfway mark.

🤩 🎵 “Free” picks up the pace, contrasting the marvelous opener.  The groove makes you want to get up and dance, hence, matching the album title.  Once more working with Antonoff, the results are positive, with the sound being idiomatic of alternative pop with a dash of 80s.  “Free” is catchy, particularly the refrain, where Florence Welch exhibits no shortage of personality: “As it picks me up, puts me down / … A hundred times a day.” Likewise, the chorus is strong too: “But I hear the music, I feel the beat / And for a moment, when I’m dancing, I am free.” Two songs in, Florence + The Machine are off to an awesome start on Dance Fever.

Dance Fever is realized even more on the enigmatic 🤩 🎵 “Choreomania.” In the chorus, Flo asserts, “Something’s coming, so out of breath / I just kept spinnin’ and I danced myself to death.”  The song title, of course, refers to dancing yourself to death, something that literally happened in 1518.  Welch masterfully plays off this notion, summing it up during the epic chorus.  That said, beyond the chorus, one of the best moments comes via the bridge, where spirituality rears its head.  Here, Florence debunks the myth that rock and roll is dead.   She also takes a feminist perspective, arguing, “But is that just because it has not been / Resurrected in your image? / Like if Jesus came back / But in a beautiful dress / And all the evangelicals were like / ‘Oh, yes.’” Three for three, Flo + The Machine!

“Back in Town”

“I came for the pleasure, but I stayed / Yes, I stayed for the pain.” Oh my, Florence! 🎵 “Back in Town” commences even more enigmatically than 🎵 “Choreomania.” Dynamically, it’s reserved and restrained initially; the music has a hushed vibe.  The focal point, expectedly, are Welch’s vocals, which remain stunning in quality.  Once more, she’s poetically reflective.  Essentially, she comes in optimistic, with grandiose hopes but ultimately ends up disappointed.

The stronger record is 🤩 🎵 “Girls Against God,” which in principle, sounds atheistic.  It’s not necessarily atheistic or even agnostic, but there is a dark tilt.  Florence is angry with God because of the COVID-19 pandemic and how the lockdown shut down giving live performances.  “It’s good to be alive,” Welch acknowledges in the chorus, but goes on to say, “If they ever let me out, I’m gonna really let it out /… But, oh God, you’re gonna get it / You’ll be sorry you messed with this.” Woo! In the end, she leans into the darkness, asserting in the outro, “I met the Devil / You know, he gave me a choice / A golden heart / Or a golden voice.” It’s the perfect segue to one of the very best songs…

“Am I your dream girl? / You think of me in bed / But you could never hold me / And like me better in your head.” There is strong feminine (and devilish) energy on the impressive sixth track, 🤩 🎵 “Dream Girl Evil.” Welch’s vocals are a blend of playful and powerful. “Make me evil / Then I’m an angel instead / At least you’ll sanctify me when I’m dead / Dream girl, evil.” Welch penned “Dream Girl Evil” herself.  From the production end of things, she collaborates with 🎛 Dave Bayley (of 🎙 Glass Animals fame), Jack Antonoff, and 🎛 Thomas Bartlett.  The backdrop is stunning, packing a punch with its old-school rock/pop sensibilities.  The groove drives, carried by the drums and rhythm guitar.  Additionally, the vocal harmonies are stunning, sitting atop the gargantuan production during the chorus.  Thematically, Welch reflects on the expectations set for women, often unfairly (“Watch me shimmer (Shimmer) / A projection of your mother (Mother) / But don’t come cryin’ (Cry) / I am nobody’s moral center (Center)”).  Throughout, she satirizes to highlight the bigger picture that women should not have to go through more hoops than men and be treated as equals.  Ultimately, “Dream Girl Evil” features an awesome, transcendental message, and an utterly sublime song.

Appears in 🔻:

• Awesome Songs: May 2022

“Prayer Factory”

🎵 “Prayer Factory” arrives as one of three shorter records – more like interludes.  Interestingly, 🤩 🎵 “Cassandra” finds itself sandwiched between “Prayer Factory” (one-and-a-quarter-minutes long) and 🎵 “Heaven is Here” (clocks in just under two minutes).  Of the two briefer numbers, “Heaven is Here” is the most intriguing, with its sound effects, energetic vibe, and of course, Welch’s high-flying vocals.  Still, the most intriguing record of the three mentioned here is “Cassandra.”

“Cryin’ like Cassandra, I / I used to tell the future, but the cut out my tongue.” Who is Cassandra? Florence + The Machine reference Cassandra from Greek Mythology, who had the gift of prophecy.  Unfortunately, she was cursed, and her prophesies weren’t believed.  Florence uses Cassandra as a parallel to her own inabilities.  In the chorus, she asserts, “Everything I thought I knew has fallen out of view / In this blindness I’m condemned to,” later adding, “Every song I thought I knew, I’ve been deafened / And there’s no one left to sing to.” Also, notably, Welch dives back into the blues of the COVID-19 pandemic, mentioning how everything was closed. Her pain is relatable on “Cassandra,” but also, sweet music to our ears.

In another highlight from Dance Fever, 🤩 🎵 “Daffodil,” the feelings are mixed. On the one hand, Florence Welch leans into “The helpless optimism of spring.” Spring often signifies new birth, rebirth, and positive vibes.  Still, at the same time as Welch is happy about her beloved daffodils blooming, she acknowledges, “And the world bent double from weeping / And yet, the birds begin to sing.” Essentially, there is hope on “Daffodil,” even with the minor key and heavy instrumentation presented.  Spring has arrived, yet, the global pandemic, of which “Daffodil” is a product, continues.

“My Love”

🤩 🎵 “My Love” marked the third single released in advance of Dance Fever. “My Love” has no shortage of groove.  Produced with 🎛 Dave Bayley of 🎙 Glass Animals fame, perhaps that’s why “My Love” contrasts some of Welch’s work in the past.  The results are positive from the opening tip. “My Love” runs for just under four minutes. It commences with a celestial intro, characterized by its textures and vibe.  During this intro, we hear the powerful pipes of Welch sustaining notes – always welcoming to the ear.  When “My Love” kicks into gear with its groove and tempo, she’s on autopilot.  She pulls back more in the verses, packing a mightier punch in the chorus.  Clearly, like a disco, dance, or pop record, the chorus is the centerpiece for all to behold:

“So, tell me where to put my love

Do I wait for time to do what it does?

I don’t know where to put my love.”

Thematically, Welch references a lack of inspiration (writer’s block) and, once more, the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.  “I was always able to write my way out / The song always made sense to me,” she sings in the first verse, continuing, “Now I find that when I look down / Every page is empty.” The good news is the inspiration finally materialized with a surefire bang!

Appears in 🔻:

• Awesome Songs: March 2022
• 15 M Songs: No Rhyme or Reason, Vol. 2

“Restraint”

Following up a juggernaut like “My Love” is no easy task.  Dance Fever, however, has three more tracks. 🎵 “Restraint,” of course, marks the final interlude, running under a minute in duration.  If nothing else, it’s a surefire vibe, with Welch delivering an artful vocal.  The penultimate record, 🎵 “The Bomb,” is shorter than most of the full-length numbers, clocking in under three minutes itself.  Expectedly, a bomb plays a key role in the theme and narrative of the song.  In the chorus, Welch asserts, “I’ve blown apart my life for you / And bodies hit the floor for you / And break me, shake me, devastate me / Come here, baby, tell me that I’m wrong.” Woo!

Dance Fever concludes fittingly with 🤩 🎵 “Morning Elvis.” Expectedly, Flo references 🎙 Elvis Presley throughout, making it clear about the fact that she “Never made it to Graceland.” Of course, there’s plenty to unpack.  First, Elvis died at Graceland from a drug overdose in 1977.  Florence Welch, of course, struggled with alcoholism for years, so much so, that she hoped to make it to the stage. She is now sober, and she has essentially made it to ‘Graceland’ – the stage, without substance abuse holding her back. Furthermore, post-pandemic, she’s also returned to a place she’s complained about, yet lives for, something she does a fabulous job highlighting in the bridge.

Final Thoughts 💭 

All in all, Florence + The Machine delivers their best album in years with 💿 Dance Fever. Sure, 💿 How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful (2015) and 💿 High As Hope (2018) were good albums, but Dance Fever is a cut above.  It sounds like Welch is revitalized and rejuvenated, despite setbacks suffered during the COVID-19 pandemic, and of course, life itself.  There isn’t a bad song to be found by my estimations with the gems being incredibly elite.

🤩 Gems 💎: “King,” “Free,” “Choreomania,” “Girls Against God,” “Dream Girl Evil,” “Cassandra,” “My Love” & “Morning Elvis”

🎙 Florence + The Machine • 💿 Dance Fever • 🏷 Universal Music Operations Limited • 🗓 5.2022

[📷: Universal Music Operations Limited]