FLORENCE + THE MACHINE

Album review for Everybody Scream

By: Lindsay Carson

Florence + the Machine have become one of my favourite artists over the past few years. I listened to “Mermaids” on repeat when it came out, and I couldn’t have been more excited when the British musician announced a new album release on Halloween. Suffice to say, I rushed to listen to it and was hit with many different emotions.

Everybody Scream

Apt title for the way I’m sure most people feel in the year of 2025. The ethereal melody immediately brings you into the fantastical, dark, and almost punk vibe of the song. Florence has always had songs an audience can scream along to, and this song is not exempt from that. This song is so poignant, a real look into the mentality of an artist who feels stretched thin. The dichotomy of feeling tired and ragged but the satisfaction of seeing an audience of thousands screaming your music. As much as she may feel exhausted, the audience is screaming her name, making her feel unstoppable. This song was released as a single, well before Halloween, but the haunting melody made me eager to hear if the rest of the album was released on the 31st of October because it’s melodically relevant.

One of the Greats 

Perhaps I’m overthinking this, but I do hope the title of the song paired with the guitar intro having a classic rock tone to it was intentional, because that is genius. This song is seemingly about Florence’s journey of pouring her whole heart and soul, her love stories and the likes, all to create this legacy for herself. She clawed her way to this, to fulfill her dreams. She mentions being on stage making her feel beautiful and powerful. She also seemed to be done with it all, perhaps the lifestyle of an artist and criticism artists receive was too much at one point, but now she’s “back from the dead.” My favourite lyrics from this song are “you'll say it's all pretend, that I could never be great being held up against such male tastes”  “It must be nice to be a man and make boring music just because you can”  and “it’s funny how men don’t find power very sexy” as they really highlight why she has felt fed up with the music industry. How much harder it is for women to be “one of the greats.” It’s on the nose, sure, but it’s a point people may need to be hit over the head with and she does it in such a way that you can feel her genuine frustration. Coming from an artist that isn’t a billionaire or even a household name, it truly provokes thought on the topic and is more likely to get a conversation going.

Witch Dance

Now this is a title I expect from Florence, especially when releasing an album on Halloween. The breathing intro is why I find her to be one of the most creative and experimental artists out there right now. Her lyricism is evocative and the way the song changes from upbeat and sexy to airy and fantastical is so fun. Not to mention, the witchiness of the spoken word verse with howling like backing vocals pulls the listener in. I think this song also does a great job of showcasing Florence’s wide vocal range from her singing low, soft notes, to belting high, and powerful notes.

Sympathy Magic

Continuing with the magical theme, this song has another light, slow, and whimsical instrumental intro. Although, it juxtaposes the sadness in tone of the lyrics. The song grows more upbeat as the first verse escalates in emotion. One thing that must be noted with Florence + the Machine’s artistry is that the lyrics and melody work together to create a story, which is so very special. This song comes across as very personal to Florence, where she goes on to a journey of feeling like she no longer recognizes herself. She’s battling anxiety, and the lack of boundaries that a famous person is afforded. She tried her best to be good, to be kept safe, and it didn’t do her any good. So, she accepts that she must simply live. The best she can do is simply the best she can do, not try to be ‘worthy’ and ‘good.’ She ends the journey feeling stronger and ready to take on what fame throws at her. At least, that was my interpretation of the lyrics.

Perfume and Milk

This song is much more seductive than the previous song, with more breathy and raspy vocals in the opening verse. It once again continues to get more powerful musically and vocally as the verse leads up to the chorus. If I had to compare this song to the music of another artist, it kind of reminded me of Fleetwood Mac. It’s guitar heavy with the occasional tambourine and ethereal backing vocals. The metaphors, allusions, imagery and the likes used in this song are rooted in nature (pun intended) and the way it evolves. My interpretation of the song is that Florence is growing with the seasons. She is getting stronger, rebuilding herself, and trusting in herself if not anyone else. It’s an edgy, dark, and emotionally dense song.

Buckle

This song has almost a folky tone to it. Its production is much more stripped back than other Florence + the Machine songs. Lyrically, it is a song I’m sure many will relate to. Florence feels lonely, despite having thousands of fans, because she has lost someone she loves. Seemingly from a breakup. She felt like all the things wrong with her and her life took a backseat while she was with this person because they made everything feel better. So, now, she’s still hanging onto what they had. The relationship they had wasn’t even perfect, and she's “much too old for this” but she’s not over what they had. At times, she seems willing to make herself smaller to make this relationship work. She’s not in a place to realize she deserves better, she’s still hanging onto what she had. It’s another very emotional song that is so beautifully written.

Kraken

Continuing with the folky tone but adding on more production with backing vocals and mixing in some whimsical sounds. Then evolving into more of a rock sound, showing the complication and true artistry that went into composing this album. This song is a badass, “look at me now” song. She’s bigger than the person she was with, the person who made her feel small. She uses a mythical creature to show how she is worlds bigger than they could handle now. They’re the one who is small now, compared to the Kraken that Florence is. The repetition of “do you see me now?” is very empowering and really shows the way in which Florence has grown and moved on.

The Old Religion

The piano focused musicality in the beginning already gives the listener the idea that this song is going to be wrought with emotions. It also, once again, left room for the song to grow more intense as the verse introduces guitars and electronic production. This is a song I wanted to belt along to, but I’m still learning the lyrics. I believe this song is about falling back into old habits, or the past coming back to haunt you. It is a song that I think requires multiple listens and for you to really sit with the lyrics to find that deeper meaning, even if it’s just figuring out what it means to you. Regardless, it is beautifully written and performed.

Drink Deep 

The intro to this is haunting, but has almost a science fiction tone to the sound as well. I believe there was heavy synthesizer use, but that is just a guess. It’s a dark song, but beautiful, nonetheless. The repetitive trill Florence does while singing “deep,” which was a low note as well, was not just stunning, but really hammered home the message and the artist's creativity. Singing “deep” while singing in a deeper voice is genius. It’s truly the little things. This is not the first song Florence + the Machine has done where you feel the drums in your chest, but I love it every time they do it. Not to mention the story telling through the lyrics, she practically wrote a short film with this one. It felt like a song that should be a part of some dark folklore. I’m gonna have to sit with the way this song made me feel for a while because I am truly in awe of it.

Music by Men 

Florence is in her man-hating era, and we must respect it. This is another song that reminded me of Fleetwood Mac, but I’m still hesitant to say that because I think Florence + the Machine is truly unique. This is a song for the lovers that can’t seem to get the committed relationship they want, and every romantic relationship they have just falls apart instead. Though, she does mention how hard love is. She seems to find it harder than achieving success as an artist. It’s relatable, and also more stripped back than other songs.

You Can Have It All 

This is a classic Florence + the Machine song to me. Sound-wise, it’s haunting and intense. Lyrically, it’s filled with imagery and deeply emotional. It has feminist undertones that the general population of women can relate to, while still being personal to Florence’s experiences. It’s so insanely sad lyrically, yet so very strong instrumentally. The combination may help listeners going through a hard time by letting them sing along to an emotional song in such a strong way. The chorus is so powerful, and I don’t know how someone could not want to belt along to it.

And Love

A slower, lighter song to end with. Not just lighter lyrically, but lighter with an airy melody. Although, Florence sings about love feeling like surrender. She’s no longer running; she’s resting and letting peace come to her. She has seemingly been so used to love being a battle. It may still be work, but it should still feel safe and overall peaceful. Love was not like she thought it would be, not the way it is in fairy tales. It’s real, and it is a surrender. I love the way the whimsical music juxtaposes the lyrics saying love is not like “a romance novel heroine being swept away.” It’s not like fiction, it’s much different when it’s real, but it still brings peace into your life. I just really appreciate how she ends the album on a calm, hopeful note. The album is full of sadness and rage, which I love. I think getting your emotions out through art is so important. However, hope is also so important. Being strong also means having hope. I needed the reminder given by ending the album like this, so I must thank Florence + the Machine for it.

Florence Welch inspires me like no other songwriter, save for Mitski, and is a huge reason why I even still write music as a hobby. Her art is so nuanced, so evocative, and so much different than much of the music we hear in mainstream media. This album is so powerful, emotional, and I think will be one many listeners run too when they need music to help them heal.  In my opinion, there’s not a single skip on this album.