3.5/5 stars
Everything Florence Welch has done under the Florence + The Machine moniker has had considerable weight to it, even in the early days. All her music feels momentous and ornately layered.
As such, the balance has proven difficult to strike across her two previous studio albums – the issue lies with either having too much going on or not enough.
To use a Goldilocks analogy, How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful feels just right. Welch and co. appear to have found the middle ground that so rightfully needed to be stomped upon for fear of toppling over a nearby cliff side. That’s not to say, of course, that How Big… is a record that’s complacent or uninspired – it’s a record, rather, that knows when to sing to the heavens and when to use its inside voice. Songs such as the title track, opener ‘Ship To Wreck’ and ‘Third Eye’ have their own moments of pure pop grandeur, but are also anchored by solid arrangements and smart progressions.
Whatever level of entry you may have pertaining to Welch’s music, there’s a better chance than ever of finding something to enjoy within this particular collection.
