Saturday, February 13, 2010

I'm Not Calling You A Liar

I must admit that I'm not the type that ravenously delves into new music. Many people will purchase new releases quickly, hit or miss. I tend to wait a bit, gather reviews and opinions of those I respect, and purchase releases often months (er...or years) later. Still, it's not a bad method of culling out music, and the purchases I do make tend to be winners.

Given this, I have not yet purchased or digested all the 2009 releases that I might want yet, but one of the joys of last year that I did get too was Florence + The Machine's Lungs. Interesting album title, but, boy, does lead singer Florence Welch have a set of them. I love the sound of the female voice, and rarely do you hear one as strong as Welch's on the pop music scene. Still, for a powerful voice, there is a great deal of nuance in the voice of this 23 year old Brit, and she shows a lot of maturity for a debut.

Florence + the Machine quickly got a lot of exposure last year. The fast paced, punkish "Kiss With A Fist" was used in the Megan Fox film "Jennifer's Body" as well as an episode of the sit-com "Community". Another number was used in on of the generic police shows filling our airways. Besides the life that pours from songs like "Kiss With A Fist" or "The Dog Days Are Over", Welch and her cowriters have an interesting, well let's say, humor in their lyrics. "The Girl With One Eye" describes a macabre way the title character becomes one-eyed. "The Bird Song" involves a Poe-like tale right out of "The Tell Tale Heart".

Among all the wonderful uptempo songs, I particularly enjoy when Welch tones it down a bit. "I'm Not Calling You A Liar", has (slightly) less bizarre lyrics, and really shows control as the song winds about and Welch's voice moves amidst the strings and percussion between lilting vulnerability and aching strength. Just wonderful! Enjoy this live youtube of her at the Bowery Ballroom in NYC.


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