REVIEW #1: 98/100

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To be a voice of a generation is a heavy cross to bear but Florence Welch has always made it look so easy. 

 

A year and a half has passed since the release of Amor and in that time, there have been only a few albums that have truly risen up to meet the high bar that it raised. The album redefined Florence’s career and cemented her place in history as a songwriter that was born to be doing exactly what she is. It was impossible to think then that whatever she did to follow it up would be able to top it. There was no doubt it would be brilliant, and there was honestly little doubt that it would at least match it, but surpassing it seemed impossible. But this is Florence Welch we’re dealing with here and not once has she ever released something that wasn’t better than what came before it. 

 

Lost on the Air stands as the best album in her discography and as one of the best albums of the year, and perhaps of the last several. Florence is a contrarian to her peers in the sense that most believe in order to top something massive, you need to make something gargantuan. Few have understood that maybe the most powerful thing you do after doing something huge is to do something small. This album is small, personal, quiet, understated, and simple, but it manages to be all of this while also being exciting and demanding of attention. 

 

Her approach beckons you in and doesn’t let you go. This is an album that feels like it’s shared among friends, a conversation had on a day much like the one described in the album opener “The Most Beautiful Day in London”. Nothing ever feels as if it’s playing to the back of the house, it feels as if it’s playing directly to you. Florence has chosen to allow us to see something personal and honest. She does not mince words or try to make something painful look better, something good seem less significant, or something sad less impactful. She allows everything to true, never changing anything even to make herself look somehow stronger or somehow better. It’s rare to see an artist be so untouched up and so unfiltered, but it’s what truly sticks with you through the album. 

 

Her songwriting is truly next level on this album. Songs like “Hold Me Down”, “This Time Around”, and “Scorched Earth” move along with such brilliance, each line building on the previous, always moving forward toward something in way that when that something finally arrives, it lands like a revelation. There is no fault in any of these songs’ lyrics. It is a rare album where every word that is sung has earned its place and you cannot pick out one phrase or passage that could be taken out because to do so could ruin it entirely. 

 

Production wise, the song seems like the most evolved that Florence’s sound can possibly become. She doesn’t divert from the path laid out by The Garden and Amor, but rather keeps going forward to see what more laid ahead. In that way, it feels like the logical next step. When put side by side with the previous two albums, it’s clear how she got from the starting line to this point. You can track it’s DNA, and this makes seeing how perfected it all is even more impressive. She and her producer buckled down to define her sound here, and it’s an effort that has paid off in spades. 

 

Some may find themselves disappointed that she didn’t drastically alter her sound, but that sort of disappointment would ignore the fact that she did experiment here. Each song holds something unique, be it in a rhythm, the way the instruments are folded into the mix, the way in which the sound glides over every note, there’s always something here that’s interesting and intentional. The soundscape of the album perfectly matches it’s color palette, somewhat summery and somewhat like fall all at once. You’re never bored with the sounds on display, and the project has a cohesiveness that simply cannot be argued with. 

 

The album is a gorgeous snapshot of a specific time in it’s author’s life and while we did not live through what she is explaining to us, the way in which she depicts the past makes it play out like a memory of our own. The album feels lived in as if this has been our story. To be so personal, the album feels like a reach out to the listener for company, and that’s a sort of magic that is rare to find in any medium, especially music. The album clocks in at a little shy of 40 minutes, but it feels over in a flash. Not because there’s no substance to it, but because it’s so beautiful that you get lost in it. The time passes so suddenly because you’re so deeply involved with this album and what it has to say. 

 

There is no such thing as a perfect album, but sometimes there are albums that are so close that in order to find anything to point out as perhaps not as strong requires more effort than most are ever willing to put in. This is one of those albums. Florence has done the unthinkable and made every part, every element, every inch of this thing feel vital. Take even one thing away, and it loses part of its identity. This is a sensitive, delicate, grounded body of work that you can return to over and over and still find something new inside of. Every song feels like an instant classic, and I don’t envy her having to decide what gets made a single. 

 

Lost on the Air is truly a defining moment in Florence’s career, and is a defining moment in music this year. It towers over most of its competition, standing as a bold and impressive piece that will no doubt only continue to grow in beauty and vitality over time. Florence adds another flower to her crown on this record, and if this is to be the journey she chooses to continue taking us on with each successive album, then I think all there is to do is lay back, close our eyes, and savor every bit of the ride. 

 

 

 

Standout Tracks: The Most Beautiful Day in London, Scorched Earth, A Work of Art

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REVIEW #2: 92/100

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"Lost On The Air" is the title of Florence Welch's latest album. Her fifth studio album and the follow-up to the 4 time GRAMMY winning record, "Amor", the record offers the listener a in-depth look of Florence's reflection upon the past. Executive-produced by Paul Epworth, the record clocks in at under 40 minutes, keeping it short and sweet.

 

Lyrically, there is very little to criticize. The imagery on this album is immaculate. On songs such as “The Most Beautiful Day in London”, “Song for Sunday” and “Work of Art”, there is a certain connection with time and nature that so beautifully conveys the emotions and helps them rise to the top, making the listener empathize with Florence and even fall into the same emotional headspace. But that is something that we are used to from the English singer-songwriter. What we are not used to is her expanding the universe of her songwriting and even soundscape, as seen especially on “Little Did We Know”. An absolute highlight, the song marks the dawn of a new era for Florence, one where she broadens her horizons through a cheeky and unexpected “traditional” country girl track. There are also the hard hitters, “The Consequence of Time” and “Still You Cross My Mind”, two songs that talk about very real situations that many are familiar with. Put in contrast with the more imagery-based songs, they offer a balance, keeping the album in a soft, but perfect limbo between imagination and reality. “This Time Around” is the embodiment of that, toying with the idea of two worlds by addressing grief in a melancholic manner. Where the album falls short the most is on “Hold Me Down”, a song that suffers from following the incredible “Violence On The TV Screen”. Though its lyrics are far from being bad, they read as empty compared to what precedes it and give the impression of an afterthought in the context of the record, despite its great lyrical nature.

 

Sonically, the album’s production feels like it plays a secondary role in the record and its storytelling, allowing for the lyrics to take more space than the instrumental. However, that’s not to say there aren’t great moments on the album. The simplicity of “The Most Beautiful...”, “Song for Sunday”, “This Time Around” and “Work of Art” aid the song immensely, greeting the message and the emotion and working together to create beautiful moments on the album. Once again, though, there are certain instances on “Cross My Mind”, “Consequence” and “Hold Me Down” where the production seems like it’s holding back the song from reaching greatness. Especially on the latter, where the instrumental feels like it gets repetitive and fuels the idea of filler that’s brought to life first through the lyrics. However, even on its lowest points, the album shines very brightly. Despite the exaggerated consistency in the production, the song still manages to create a haunting atmosphere, seizing the theme of the song very well.

 

The best songs on the record are by far “Violence On The TV Screen”, “Little Did We Know” and “Scorched Earth”. First off, “Violence”, the lead single, might be one of the best written songs in Welch’s discography, even one of the best of the year. Immediately as the song starts, the music paired with the lyrics introduce us into Florence’s situation. The image of a stain “shaped like a rose”, followed by the image of yellow is a colored portrait of the struggle of a dead relationship. When the chorus arrives, you know this song is a classic. Continuing to use colors to describe the situation, Welch makes us see from her point of view a typical moment spent together with her partner that feels so vapid at first sight, but by digging deeper, we see how it illustrates the long-gone feelings between the two. And that’s what makes this song the best on the record. Its subtle hints at certain things (cheating, a tough argument, indifference) through mundane moments in the life of a couple are all put in contrast with a television show playing in the background, a soundtrack to this realization. The instrumental is gorgeous, especially the way it slowly builds up continuously until it explodes, when “gunshots echo, bombs explode”.

 

Following the lead single, there is fourth track on the record, “Little Did We Know”, an obvious nod to the common theme in country songs by women about punishing a cheater or a wrongdoer. Despite this concept sounding strange on paper, the song is a complete success, offering the world one of the most interesting, fun and cheeky moments in Welch’s discography. From the beginning of the song, it is made clear that she has had enough. The connection between her walking barefoot in grass and freeing herself from the shackles of her partner is a great metaphor, while the anger in the entire song is mirrored perfectly by the instrumental that is both not too country to stick like a store thumb, but also more different than anything Florence has done. Lastly, but not least, “Scorched Earth” comes, the most triumphant moment of the album, placing eight on the tracklist. A song with heavy David Bowie and Joni Mitchell influences, it stands out not only for its singer/songwriter sentiment. But also for the stellar production that sustains the lyrics in a powerful way. It is a very tasteful take on the idea of dealing with weak men who feel the need to put down strong women. Portraying the “Divine Feminine” as a bigger than life entity, the song calls out those who “could never just get up and go” in a mix of heartfelt and empowering lines. Its overall feeling is theatrical, almost musical-like, adding a new side to an album with many dimensions.

 

All in all, the record is encapsulated best by the line that named it, taken from a Ella Wheeler Cox poem: “Sing, and the hills will answer, sigh, lost on the air”. Despite some mishaps on a single song, it still stands out as one of the best and strongest releases of the year. With lyrics that touch upon Welch’s experiences in an expressive manner, backed by strong production, Florence explains tales of hope, fury, sorrow and appreciation on a canvas of relationships and love for the Earth.

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SCORE #3: 95/100

Florence blesses us with a (lovably) short, cohesive and concise album with standout songwriting and very intentional choices in production. The themes told are expressed with great poise, and at times are sure to well up your tear ducts. It is the perfect length, well structured, and overall a true highlight out of the big releases this year.

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SCORE #4: 85/100

There is a tangible sense of tranquility and peace on Lost On The Air both sonically and lyrically as Florence reflects on her past relationships and her mental health. It's pretty different from Amor because no song falls under a specific concept that glues all the songs together but the tracks on Lost On The Air do feel like they belong in the same familiar territory. The production is beautiful and delicate, starting really strong but during the middle feels like it doesn't really pick up or provide anything memorable (mostly on Still Cross Your Mind and The Consequence Of Time) but then ends on a strong note again with the stunning Work Of Art. Florence is aware of her songwriting strength and deploys it best on songs such as Violence, Hold Me Down, This Time Around, Scorched Earth and Work Of Art. Overall, this may not be Florence's best album but is surely another great and meaningful record added to her impressive discography.

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SCORE #5: 92/100

A quiet meditation on love and heartbreak, Florence Welch's Lost On The Air arrives as one of the best records of the year and her strongest album to date.