After the release of Ceremonials in 2011, the second studio album by Florence and The Machine, the indie rock band suddenly seemed to disappear beneath the musical radar. The album did not meet critically and publicly high expectations, with the tricky second album said to be no match for the standards set by the critically acclaimed debut Lungs. However as 2014 begun to draw to a close, speculations arose as to whether the band would be making a comeback in 2015 with the possibility of a third album. Recently these speculations were concreted with the release of ‘How Big How Blue How Beautiful’ on YouTube.
The video appears as less of a single and more of an album teaser, with Florence only singing the one line “How big how blue how beautiful” over a large and outstanding chorus of brass instruments. This video suggests that the band intend to return with majestic supremacy. Lead singer Florence Welch is also seen dancing with a clone of herself in an idyllic and Roman style outdoor theatre, surrounded by flourishing vegetation and a pool of crystal blue water – could this be a symbol of the band’s rebirth?
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hr2u2-gCI_g?rel=0]
Being added to the 2015 lineupsof international festivals such as Benicassím, Bonnaroo and Coachella, whilst also being rumoured to play at Latitude and headline Glastonbury, a comeback is inevitable. To fill a headline slot after being inactive for four years seems slightly ludicrous unless you are a band of very high prestige – after all the festival was headlined by Metallica and Arcade Fire in 2014. This therefore favours the prospect of a new album to be released in prime time for festival season.
Although extremely ambiguous but intriguing, if this preview is a taster of a new album, I anticipate a whole new sound from the band. Stepping away from the slightly more pop orientated tracks of Lungs and Ceremonials will be essential in order for this comeback to be momentous.
Words by William Castile