Everybody Scream by Florence + The Machine review: 'her sorceress powers have not deserted her'
Although the latest album from Florence + The Machine gets off to a strong start it loses momentum as Welch dials down the drama, writes Fiona Shepherd
Florence + the Machine: Everybody Scream (Polydor) ★★★
Happy Hallowe’en from Florence + the Machine who return with a sixth album, Everybody Scream, replete with suitably pagan song titles such as Witch Dance, Sympathy Magic and The Old Religion. Band leader Florence Welch needs no excuse to carry on screaming, particularly since recovering from surgery for an ectopic pregnancy. She whoops it up on the title track over a tribal pop beat redolent of Kate Bush and drips scorn all over the sardonic One of the Greats with a cutting charisma that would make Father John Misty blush.
Welch’s collaborators on this occasion include pop performer Mitski, Idles guitarist Mark Bowen and Taylor Swift’s favourite indie producer Aaron Dessner alongside regular wingman James Ford. Together, they power off to a strong start but the album starts to fade as Welch dials down the drama.
Kraken tries and fails to drum up a sea storm. The Old Religion is more elemental but relies on an inexorable rhythm and swelling strings to soup it up.
Of all the quieter songs, Music By Men is the most fully formed, with a touch of Stevie Nicks to her soft confessional warble. Like Nicks, she is not averse to applying some eye-roll drollery to the conversational lyrics and as she unleashes her banshee howl on “You Can Have It All” it is clear that her sorceress powers have not deserted her.
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