Album Review: Florence + The Machine, Everybody Scream

Hallowe’en is upon us, and Florence + The Machine are coming for you! Well, at least that’s the feeling you get from the off, on the band’s sixth studio album, as the title track smashes open this crackerjack of a record, insisting, “Everybody dance / Everybody sing / Everybody move / Everybody scream”. You'd be crazy not to obey. This is Florence, after all.

A social media post from the group contained the phrase Swans v Adele, and that, with Idles’ Mark Bowen of Idles in a collaborative seat, is a perfect summation of the storming opener. It also plays with the dualistic relationship between an in-demand front-woman and her baying audience.

Indeed ‘One Of The Greats’ – the second track in – is something of a manifesto of same. “To show you how it's done," Florence declares, "to show you what it takes / To conquer and to crucify, to become one of the greats” . It’s marvellous, and every single line – all 70-odd of them – is eminently quotable. Florence is, in short, a really brilliant lyricist.

she has assembled a superb production crew with Bowen, Aaron Dressner of The National, Danny L. Harle, Solomonophonic and James Ford of the Last Shadow Puppets all contributing alongside Florence herself, who is credited as co-producer on eleven if the twelve tracks.

In particular, the production across the wonderful breakbeat of ‘Witch Dance’ is exquisite, concocting a plush folk-horror worthy of Emily Brontë amid chattering foxes, chummy cats, consorting dogs, and chasing packs of demonic showbiz figures in pursuit of our monster hero. ‘Kraken’ reprises the doppelgänger monster theme, with scratched guitar and multi-tracked vocals exploding into sonic synth heaven.

The lyrically riotous ‘Music By Men’, meanwhile, doubles down on the warning that you don’t want to piss off Florence.

And why would you, when she has made such a scintillating and powerful record? Everybody Scream is marvellous, and undoubtedly one of the albums of the year...

9/10