This album is growing on me. I've now decided that No Light, No Light is the best song on this record.

Edited November 5, 201113 yr by Conderella

After all my misgivings, this album is actually growing on me a bit now! What The Water Gave Me sounds much better in the context of the album than it did as a single.

I'm in love with the melodies on this album too much to worry about the production (which sounds fine to me anyway? if not as haunting as Lungs was in parts.)

'Spectrum' is still the only song for me that stands out, there's certainly nothing wrong with the rest but no urge to listen to the rest of it ever again after 2 weeks of trying with it.

The font for the album title is an atrocity. I've made better fonts and I by no means consider myself a type designer. Where'd she get it, dafont or something ? ? ? It looks like a font that a graphic design student would use in their first assignement. (Photo is pretty great, though)

 

I also agree that this album is a disappointment. It tries too hard, whereas Lungs sort of felt effortlessly pop but meaningful. Shake It Out and What the Water Gave Me are the best songs on it (and Shake It Out is still one of the best pop singles of the year imo)

 

I think the art deco font is absolutely perfect for the photos used. And pass me the details of this fledgeling designer if this us what their 'first assignment' looks like!

SPOT ON.

 

It's the sort of album that you can imagine her wanting to re-release in 10 years time in a re-produced form to show how good it could have been. I do really think that a handful of the tracks are potentially amazing and you can listen to them and really see the potential - if you strain enough to pay attention to what's happening in the background of the tracks then there's some pretty intricate vocal and percussion layers that just leave no impression at all unless you're searching for them.

 

(I'll leave it at that as I feel I'm bordering on overkill with my view on it!)

'No Light, No Light' is an excellent example of what you are arguing I'd suggest. You have at the heart of it, an excellent, powerful journey of a song, you can get swept up into it; but on an entirely superficial level. There are so many elements to the production, so many instruments used without any flow between the elements. Random harp interjections that are simply ill-fitting and jarring with the heavy drumming. You have at the heart of it a phenomenal chorus (which one can only assume the song has been built around) and then completely anonymous verses which sink into the clunky instrumental to the point it sounds muffled. The long note towards the end doesn't add anything and is the greatest element to spoil the progression of the track. But there IS a phenomenal song there if it were only to be revisited. So frustrating. Ultimately ends up sounds like the track Florence thinks WE WANT TO HEAR and not an organic process. Plus it sounds like an inferior 'Shake It Out' with its hypothesis as a song.

 

That said 'Shake It Out' seems to be one of the moments where she got her ideas and musicality correct. It really does build into something phenomenal. What a pop song. Her X Factor performance was sublime and I want to see her live again.

Nearly all the online reviews, both professional and amateur, have mentioned the awful production.... and I have to agree - the greatest songs are swamped..... the vocals are too far down in the mix and at times, even on the great tracks, it's just a mess.... weird considering the money put behind this album and the people involved.....

I'm listening to the album right now. I don't mind the production actually, but I don't have it on CD so perhaps I can't judge. I really enjoy the theatrical sound that some of the songs have.

I already prefer it to 'Lungs'.

It doesn't matter that she played it safe, not everyone needs to change their style in order to remain relevant and successful. Ceremonials is definitely in my top 5 albums of the year. Possibly top 3 but I'm holding 2 spots for Rihanna + The Saturdays.

I keep listening to this album. Reminds me of 'Bright Lights', in that the more you listen to it, the more it fits together, the better it gets.

I think Lover to Lover is my favourite.

Great video. Manages to do the whole pagan goddess thing without looking like it was set at the village fete after party (Shake It Out).

LOVE IT!

What a fantastic song and video! I bet it'll help the album a lot!

The falling scenes are terrible! The rest is rather good though (particularly when she's being chased by a midget)

'Ceremonials' is Q magazine's 'Best Album of 2011'.

'Ceremonials' is Q magazine's 'Best Album of 2011'.

 

 

Strange - I haven't seen the list so I'm assuming Let England Shake isn't far behind.

Strange - I haven't seen the list so I'm assuming Let England Shake isn't far behind.

 

PJ is 2nd, Adele 3rd, Bon Iver 4th and Coldplay 5th.

Thanks, gd