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Florence Welch and her well-oiled machine have been pumping out indie rock bangers for almost the past 15 years and seemingly haven’t missed a single time yet. In preparation for their May 13th (fittingly Friday the 13th) album release with, Dance Fever, here’s my ranking of the 10 best songs by the infamous British group.
10. “Never Let Me Go” (2011)
The single from the bands second album, Ceremonials, unapologetically hits you like a gigantic crashing wave. “And it’s over and I’m going under / But I’m not giving up / I’m just giving in.” Her life and the self inflicted pain she has caused herself through her own choices is now simply over. However, it’s not by her choice, she’s simply giving into the guilt of the past and sinking deep, mercilessly into the darkness.
9. “King” (2022)
“King” is actually one of the first tracks Florence has independently produced without bandmates, like Isa Summers, instead teaming up with the illustrious Jack Antonoff. The cinematic build up is like an endlessly growing fire that concludes with an explosion of harps, violins, drums, and whatever whimsical instrument you can imagine. It’s an impactful analysis of what it means to be an aging woman in the music industry. In her mid-thirties, society expects Florence to simply be a mother or a bride, but she’s unapologetically a king.
8. “Dog Days Are Over” (2008)
The band’s staple hit known by the general public. Whilst its immense popularity has taken away some of what makes it special, it still stands the test of time. Just within the first few strums of strings and Florence crooning, “Happiness hit her like a train on a track…” you just can’t not sing along. It’s still quintessential Florence + The Machine, and is the defining moment in which their utterly unique sound was truly discovered.
7. “Kiss With A Fist” (2008)
The hard-hitting debut single that begun the career of what would become one of Britain’s most known indie rock bands, “Kiss With A Fist,” could not, not be included within this list of songs. Whilst on first glance a listener may think this song is about domestic violence, Florence cleverly utilizes it as a metaphor to describe the sheer strength of her and her lovers affection for each other. “A kiss with a fist is better than none…”
6. “Mother” (2015)
“Mother” is another track that blossoms into something completely new by the end of the song. It’s a slow build up into an absolute explosion of guitar riffs, synthesizers, and drums that lift the song from a simply beautiful ballad in the beginning to an eruptive psychedelic rock song. A trick Florence has perfected over the past decade.
5. “Patricia” (2018)
While 2018’s High As Hope proved to be a brief voyage away from the cinematic songs and thrashing guitars and drums, “Patricia” was a highlight on the body of work. Purely appreciating the simple things that life offers us, “It’s such a wonderful thing to love / It’s such a wonderful thing to love / It’s such a wonderful thing to love.” The song is a love letter to American punk music pioneer, Patti Smith whom Welch proclaims as her “north star” she’ll endlessly follow.
4. “Shake It Out” (2011)
The lead single off 2011’s Ceremonials, Florence finds herself in a dance with the devil, which surely will only end with the worst consequences. “And it’s hard to dance with the devil on your back / So shake him off, oh-woah.” Even with the pressures you find yourself going through in life, all that can be done is to simply shake them off and continuing going forward, no matter how big your demons might be.
3. “Hunger” (2018)
For a first time listener of Florence + The Machine, “Hunger” may be a bit of a jarring listen. Within the first seconds she gives the listener a vivid look within the struggle of her eating disorder, “At seventeen, I started to starve myself / I thought that love was a kind of emptiness.” Paired with a gorgeous and colorful music video, “Hunger” is a song that makes you want to dance, but on deeper examination may leave you crying at the same time. Who’s to complain?
2. “Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)” (2009)
The track is about learning to deal with the precipice of fame. Only Florence Welch would record an upbeat song to please her record label while having the chorus be about human sacrifice. And somehow it works perfectly! “This is a gift it comes with a price / Who is the lamb and who is the knife?” Fame isn’t solely going to be endlessly rewarding, in the end someone has the pay for the price of its luxury, even if it isn’t willingly.
1. “Ship To Wreck” (2015
“Ship To Wreck” was written when Florence was at her lowest, struggling with alcoholism, drug use, the mental strain of consistently being on the road touring; she could only question, did she “build this ship to wreck” in the first place? It chronicles the struggle of self sabotaging yourself through means that could have found themselves avoided and coming to terms with accepting that maybe, you’re the problem. Along with the gorgeously shot short film directed by Vince Haycock (Beyoncé’s Lemonade), it’s Florence and her machine at their best sonically, artistically, and visually.
Get lost within the magic of Florence + The Machine below.
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