So many column inches have been devoted to the origins of the title of Florence + The Machine’s fifth album, Dance Fever, while trying to apply the theories to the music. Yet, anyone who has witnessed the theatrical energy of a Florence Welch’s live show knows, that movement is an important part of her creative expression and emotional release. ‘Release’ is the word that defines Dance Fever. After the months of pandemic-induced repression, the album is cathartic—an expression of emotional, sexual and physical release. The moment the needle hits the record, Welch invites us into her soaring vaulted sonic cathedral for a dance of life.
The inspiration behind the album came from Welch reading about the social phenomenon of choreomania (also known as the dancing plague or St. Vitus’ dance). This phenomenon occurred mainly in Europe between the 14th and 17th centuries and would see hordes of people dance until they collapsed from exhaustion—many died. Those afflicted would often be prone to jumping and leaping about and some had odd reactions to the colour red. There is little wonder that an exuberant flame-haired performer such as Welch should see choreomania as the root of her new album. The irony is that the pandemic struck weeks after work on the album began.
In the past, mythology, paganism and even witches (How, Big, How Blue, How Beautiful started life as a concept album about a witches’ coven) have inspired Welch’s music but the strength of Dance Fever is just how personal it is. Choreomania may be the core of the album but Welch has built upon the fact that nobody knows the origins of the phenomenon (was it madness, disease or stress release?) and constructed a piece of work that acts as a release for so many emotional themes.
Dance Fever sees Welch team up with prolific producer Jack Antonoff for the first time but, while there is evidence of Antonoff’s influence, this is still very much a Florence + The Machine album. The album kicks off with lead single, ‘King’, with all the hallmarks of a steady Antonoff heavy percussive beat unpinning understated vocals. At the midpoint in the track, the beat changes, treating us to soaring Welch vocals above stirring strings. The message about whether it is possible to juggle motherhood with a demanding career is both extremely personal and powerful. The lyrics touch on Welch’s previous mental health issues: “And I was never as good as I always thought I was // But I knew how to dress it up” and also sets the tone for the entire album “Just when you think you have it figured out // Something new begins to take.”
‘Free’ has a sound straight from a Bleachers album but is sure to become a stadium bop. Despite being more of a painting by numbers pop song than traditional Florence + The Machine tracks, it is a joy listening to the angelic backing. A buoyant Welch references mental health and celebrates how “ When I am dancing, I am free.”
Appropriately, Dance Fever comes into its own with the opening bars of ‘Choreomania’. With a beautifully spoken intro, poet Welch sets the scene, describing a panic attack: “And I am freaking out in the middle of the street // With the complete conviction of someone // Who has never had anything actually really bad happen to them.” Layers of music and vocal urgency build to a clash of dancing and mental anxiety. It is a magnificent mesh of instrumental, vocals, and frenetic lyrics—perfect for a choreographed live performance. Here, Antonoff’s influence complements Welch’s to create an ideal synergy and a standout track.
Welch has cited the influence of horror movies, such as the Italian classic, Suspira, on the sound of Dance Fever. There are touches of this on several tracks, particularly the Dave Bayley (of Glass Animals) produced ‘Dream Girl Evil’ and the two interludes of ‘Prayer Factory’ and the croaking gothic ‘Restraint’. The former track echoes with Fleetwood Mac-esque qualities while delivering a powerful message about societal expectations of women. Vocally, Welch acts both angel and devil with the switch filling the track with empowerment. The deep stern delivery of the lines; “ Well, did I disappoint you? // Did mommy make you sad? // Do I just remind you // Of every girl that made you mad?” will send shivers down the spine of the patriarchy.
The album’s power is in how it explores deep emotional subjects within such a varied soundscape. This isn’t a dance album or pop album, nor does it have as many of the baroque gothic pop tropes that the band is known for. Some influences are still there, such as the Tori Amos sounding ‘Daffodil’ —an ode to the rebirth we see in Spring, symbolised by the yellow flower. Welch manages to be introspective as she sings: “ I never thought it would get this far // This somewhat drunken joke” being a nod to earlier struggles with alcoholism. She also references her musical career, “Made myself mythical, tried to be real.”
Often, the sound is understated, with Welch’s vocals taking centre stage. ‘Back in Town’ with its talk of a toxic relationship, “I came for the pleasure but stayed for the pain”, sounds like it belongs in a smokey blues bar. The similarly themed, ’The Bomb’ is a gentle undulating ballad with a percussive, shuffling Bossanova beat. Angelic vocals permeate the track, despite the subject, “I don’t love you, I just love the bomb.”
On ‘Girls against God’, Maggie Rogers joins Welch on a song packed with West Coast 1970’s folk vibes that has nods to Lorde’s Solar Power album, also produced by Antonoff. The sound also resembles the 2020 track ‘Light of Love’. Welch gives us a beautiful summery song packed with emotion and hope. On an album filled with emotional release, ‘Girls against God’ is the perfect post-pandemic anthem and a symbol of the uplifting vibe of Dance Fever. “ Oh, it’s good to be alive // Crying into cereal at midnight” Welch sings, “And if they ever let me out, I’m gonna really let it out.”
Read More: Album Review: Solar Power // Lorde
On Dance Fever, it feels like Florence + The Machine have “let it out”. The emotional release is a fifty-minute cathartic dance and their best album to date.
Words by Andrew Butcher
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