Ceremonials
by Florence + The Machine

Only getting to this album in 2022 - although recognised the singles. This is an exceptional album. The songs are big, excellent production and delivery. Great vocals. Nothing not to like here.

From TerryTezza 07/15/2019 23:14 | #239688

Such an amazing voice with powerful use of instruments, backing vocals and lyrics. This album shines to me as their best but Lungs and How Big... are also great. 'The darkest hour is always just before the dawn' Brilliant!!

Really good album.

Favorites: Only If For a Night, Shake it Out, Never Let Me Go, Breaking Down, Lover to Lover, All This and Heaven Too.

Kinda sounds like a lot of extras from "Lungs", but still weaved together very well. Emotional for sure. 7/10

From cestuneblague 08/08/2016 14:05 | #172497

Lungs already made it look like the Tower of Babel was child's play, Ceremonials doubles down- and is even bigger, louder, more bombastic and exponentially expands Lung's already massive life & death & everythingafter themes. It's an album that reaches for... everything... and never actually stops to let us realize why it's all worthwhile. Ceremonials has a gigantic rallying cry and it certainly sounds like something Really 'Effin Important, but what where we supposed to get out of this? Clearly it's emotions are big, but they feel reflective rather than lived-in. Metaphors about water, celebrations and out-of-body spirits run rampant, but they can alternately feel too redundant and too oblique for their own good. I don't like to chide an album for being too ambitious, but Ceremonials as a whole is just way too breathless and arduous of an experience to really let it's songs stick and resonant on a deeper level...

... that being said, a lot of it's individual moments still shine. The first third of the album is often marvelous, doing an accessible expansion of her gospel/orchestra-tinged style of indie mega-pop. If it spread that energy over the course of the album and actually connected it with some substantive, more relaxed songs inbetween it could have had quite the impact. Ultimately it only tries to top that level of volume and bombast with nearly every. single. song.

Guess all I can say is Ceremonials is friggin' exhausting, but even if it was a bit of a chore to get through I still enjoyed it, even if it's not something I ever want to return to in it's entirity. Best to savor the already massive individual triumphs.

From zags7000 06/21/2015 04:00 | #144303

Great follow up that does everything on her debut better. Her best album so far and certainly a classic. One of the best of the decade.

I LOVE this album!! One of my fav ever!!
She has an amazing voice and I think she is a great songwriter.

The album takes you in a journey. Is very unique and powerful.

I think it's simply touching. Never get tired of this album

From RockyRaccoon 07/18/2013 12:57 | #81822

I think there’s one word that pretty much sums of Florence & The Machine’s sound: big. It’s huge. Lots of things going on, lots of choir-sounding arrangements, just a big sound and it’s really good which I would say is to be expected based on their last album. And Florence Welch can really sing, she has quite the voice. Almost like an indie rock Adele. It’s a great album though and definitely worth checking out.

A great follow-up to Lungs. Best songs Heartlines, Never Let Me Go, All This And heaven Too.