The siren called Florence Welch beckons once again. She purrs and wails, whispers and howls. And the world finally understands why it has been hanging on the lips of the 31-year-old for a good ten years, oblivious and out of its mind. »High as Hope« is Florence & The Machine‘s most personal album to date. Florence Welch lifts the veil she has woven from her earlier lyrics full of supernatural figures (»St. Jude«?), spiritual references (»Third Eye«!) and sacred mysteriousness. Among them are eating disorders, drinking addiction, the existential fear of loneliness and wild party mania to numb it all. With their yearning-laden lyrics and driving rhythms, her previous albums already gave a hint at this. Now that the singer-songwriter has found unambiguous words for her lifestyle, it makes sense to the listener’s brain what the heart has already understood. Fortunately, Florence + The Machine doesn’t sound quite different, even though Jamie xx, Sampha and Kamasi Washington, among others, have worked with her. Clapping still starts after about a third of the songs, the melodies are still not simple but wondrous, the beat sometimes sluggish, sometimes of exorcising energy. »High As Hope« is up there with the times not only because of subordinate lines referring to climate change and the decline of decency (»Big God« deals with nothing but ghosting), but because of lines like: »Grab me by the ankles, I’ve been flying for too long« and »Hold me now, I’m so tired now«: Who, please, is not tired of this world? From time to time, at least.
Black Country, New Road
Forever Howlong
Ninja Tune