Ceremonials
| Florence and the Machine
Ceremonials
Ceremonials is the second studio album by English indie rock band Florence and the Machine, released on 28 October 2011 by Island Records. The band started working on the album in 2010 and finished it in 2011. The standard edition of the album was entirely produced by Paul Epworth, who also worked prominently on the band's debut album Lungs (2009).-Wikipedia
Critic Reviews
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Rolling Stone
Bono-worthy sentiment. And a voice to match.
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Pitchfork
Repetitiveness that's akin to looking at a skyline filled with 100-story behemoths lined-up one after the other, blocking out everything but their own size.
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Billboard
Like we said, drama queen - but in the best sense of the phrase.
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The Gaurdian
Welch is leagues better than Maguire; if only there were more substance here and less bluster.
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Consequence of Sound
No matter what’s changed or what’s being sung about, she’s got the love.
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AV Club
Against all odds, she manages to soar.
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Slant
So satisfying you could forget you ever wanted anything else from a musician
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BBC
Florence, the songstress of craft and great emotion, it’s a shame she’s now allowed her machine to take over.
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Pretty Much Amazing
A major new Artist who is worthy of that capital A. Her remarkable new album is too.
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Sputnik
Ceremonials has a pulse, it’s an adrenaline rush of pure pop song-craft.
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Music OMH
It’s bigger, brighter and braver than what went before, and should elevate Florence even higher
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All Music
That rare sophomore outing that not only manages to avoid the slump, but bests its predecessor in the process.
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The Current
Every song is epic enough to be used as a dramatic processional
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Spin
She’s a red-haired soul belter with a fierier, gnarlier, more volatile take on Adele’s retromania
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Telegraph UK
Bursting with sound .
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American Songwriter
Welch’s voice is again the showstopper, and this time it’s louder and more audacious
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LA Times
Welch has struck a fantastic and necessary balance.
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Lip Magazine
A great second album that both further demonstrates and challenges their captivating sound.
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Drowned in Sound
They’ll have to work a lot harder if they want to someday win over their doubters.
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On Magazine
Simply does not take a single breath before dying, naturally, and only seconds before the listener does, from exhaustion.
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Pop Matters
Sound enough like poetry to prove that she understands how and what she's doing pretty well as it is.
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Viva Scene
Some tracks that are nothing short of inspired
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Supajam
This collection of dark, emotive and finely crafted songs deserves acclaim
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Red Online
Guaranteed to be a winner
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Digital Spy
Contains no "weak" tracks
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Clash Music
The most successful pop stars are the ones who innovate, not imitate
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Uncut
Florence can undoubtedly sing up a storm
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Kim The Fan Girl
I dare you not to fall in love with Florence’s Bedroom Hymns.
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No Rip Cord
It's just a shame that she and her team weren't a little bit braver (and prudent) with the track selection.
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What Culture
Definite proof that Florence is a force to be reckoned with vocally and lyrically.
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Scotsman
Just dive right in and let the overwrought, multilayered vocals wash over you...
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Daily Collegian
More than worthy as a masterpiece on its own
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EW
A confident, unflinching tour de force.
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Ranting About Music
Nothing short of euphoric, and possibly features Welch’s best vocal performance
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The Cambridge
It's a wind tunnel approach which will chart well
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RTE
It's all huge, spooky and dramatic but also blustery in places.
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Music Trejectory
One of the best bands on the planet right now.
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The Cascade
In contrast, how utterly disappointing this album is.
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Beats Per Minute
Next time she’s going to have to try something a little more risky.
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Musik Express
The songs are good and the melodies catchy, every second track on this album is absolutely suitable for the hottest
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Indientry
Florence Welch is an impressively beautiful singer, and this album could not have been any better.
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Youthesource
Musically marvelous and spiritually challenging
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The Absolute Sound
Hhighlights the power and virtuosity of Welch’s singing
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Dappered
A cacophony of drums and percussion providing space for Florence’s other-worldy vocals.
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Jonali's Blog
There is no one in the musical landscape currently who so seamlessly blends different sounds the way she does
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Mind Equals Blown
I can listen to the album the whole way through without really being blown away by a single song.
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BGFalcon Media
Welch's larger-than-life vocals are just as great, if not better than her 2009 effort.
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Daily Tar Heel
Showcasing her vocal power without all the bells and whistles.
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Herald Sun
With some judicious editing and a few more risks, like her more diverse, less overwrought debut Lungs, Ceremonials could have really flown.
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Contact Music.com
The repetitive aspect to some songs, which in turn created an anthemic feel.
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Patrick's Music Blog
It’s probably not for everyone but definitely worth a listen.
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The Macaulay Messenger
Proves that we’ll be hearing more great things from them in the future.
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2020k
We would gladly give it a 4 if the end product was better sonically
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2 Oceans Vibe News
Girls will be swept away by the romance of it all, guys will appreciate the music itself – there’s nothing delicate about it
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The Crimson
Her knack for combining genres of music without losing her unique touch allows her to appeal to a broader base
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Elmigrante
Actually quite a cautious album. It’s also a very good one.
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Mezzic
Welch’s spectacular vocal range and the draining catharsis in her songs that causes people to fall in love with her
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Entertainment
Epic in sound and rich in emotional depth. Its narrative may be dark, but the songs are dynamically layered and the arrangements majestic
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Seeds
Few could do what Welch has done. Clinging to the old adage of “shooting for the moon and landing among the stars."
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The Wild Honey Pie
The harp features, consistent syncopations and dream-like choral arrangements wear the Florence seal with pride.
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Popped Music
It changes tempo and atmosphere just at the right time throughout. There’s always a moment of interest in each track
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Headphone Icon
There is still a magnificent, beautiful album to be had here. It’s full of solid melodies, wonderful vocals, stunning lyrics
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We Got This Covered
The exquisite voice of Florence Welch, which will surely, once again, make them one of the most talked about bands of the year.
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Project Rythym Seed
One of the best album releases of 2011 if not the best.
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Live Music
We generally appreciate this album.
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Under the Radar
Like a musical Category 5 hurricane tearing through a bat mitzvah.
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Marquette Wire
Dark and deep – but with her voice powerful as ever
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Daily Mail UK
Florence takes it to the limit
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Python The Pirate
A work of art with the vocal arrangements, the instruments that are used, the oceanesque quality
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Today
Exceptional songs that sound mysterious, big and arena-ready, and it all complements that powerful voice of the group's front woman, Florence Welch.
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Muzik Dizcovery
All the more satisying, and opens even greater possibilities as to how good she could get should she improve further.
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Oxford Student
This means that the treat of hearing Welch’s vocals accompanied by only a harp is all too rare.
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Boston.com
Welch's vocals are impeccable throughout, sounding soft and lovely
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Metro UK
Beneath the spooky wailing and wispy veneer, there has always been a steely driving force
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Everything Express
Florence as the Lady of Shalott or the drowned Ophelia? It doesn’t matter. Go listen. Now.
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Helen Sucess
Cements Florence + the Machine’s unique, confident sound
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Financial Times
Ups the bigness another notch.
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Embrace You Magazine
I’m more inclined to listen to their next release after being pulled in by this one because I’m quite taken aback by this kind of music.
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Impossible Things B4 Breakfast
A fascinating album. I would absolutely recommend getting it.
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Magazine 3
A cautious album. It’s also a very good one.
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WayToo Indie
It lacked the experimental qualities that Lungs embraced and exploited that shot Florence Welch into stardom.
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Front Stage Music
A good new album with a few outstanding tracks.
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The Patriot Online
Lungs is a hard enough album to follow, but Ceremonials does so perfectly.
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Mapped By What Surrounded Them
Excellent; just a hair away from being a masterpiece.
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The Blue Indian
Another solid recording effort. Her “Machine” has simply outdone themselves as well
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McGill Tribune
Provides a tremendously bold, emotionally draining, gospel-like sound, accentuated by Florence’s gut-wrenching vocals.
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Screen Invasion
Welch proves that she’s that style’s queen.
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2 UpTop
She may be away with the faeries, but she knows exactly what she's doing.
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Michigan Daily
Florence’s most memorable tracks of the album, however, are the ones that stray furthest from lavishness
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Adrian Denning
Fine, she's built herself a trademark sound
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The Sheaf
It is a pleasure to listen to and will leave any old or new fans of Florence wanting more.
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Journal Star
Welch can really sing and set a mood, cranking up the emotion as the music rises and falls.
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News OK
Dynamic range and knowing when to hold back would make “Ceremonials” much more worthy of ardent celebration.
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Las Vegas Weekly
The band’s fantastic second album. The disc’s instrumentation is ornate and whimsical
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Sonic Ambulance
Golden, she’s golden and can do no wrong in my eyes.
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Wrong Mog
Welch is leagues better than Maguire; if only there were more substance here and less bluster.
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Velocities in Music
A lot of that mood is stifled by the grandiose production.
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Daily Republic
A showpiece for Welch’s voice so much that one wonders if the band has any other tricks.
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