Best of 2011 – Matt’s Music Picks
The Best
Florence + The Machine – Ceremonials (Island)
Not to be simply lost in Adele’s shadow, UK sensation Florence + The Machine released a strong follow-up to 2009′s Lungs. Florence Welsh’s voice is still as haunting as ever, and sounds as if, at times, she’s channeling Tori Amos at her best. Her talents lead the album down a more imaginative path than its simply raw and powerful predecessor. Producer Paul Epworth is in no small part responsible for providing Welsh with her canvas, and does a fine job of keeping The Machine focused. The epic scale of horns and strings interlaced with a driving voice makes any track a good fit for a movie soundtrack. (more…)
