Florence and the Machine, is the brainchild of singer Florence Welch, an import from Britain, who is changing the face of the music industry with every song she sings. The international star is dropping her highly anticipated sophomore album, Ceremonials, on November 1, but for all those fans that can’t wait that long, Florence has released two singles off her new album. The first, “What The Water Gave Me”, was released on August 21, the second, “Shake It Out,” was released last week. This is the only new sound from Florence fans have received since February, when she dropped Lungs-The B-Sides, with songs that did not make it on her debut album Lungs. It is hard to believe that has been two years since Florence released Lungs to a wave of hype. Now, with her more mature second album on the horizon, everyone should be prepared to be amazed once again. 

 With the first of the two highly anticipated songs, “What The Water Gave Me”, Florence stayed true to her original sound, producing a light and airy song, perfect for the final days of summer. The cover shows Florence dressed in white cotton, hair blowing in the wind, with the background of clouds. There is a strong implication that the photo was taken at the beach. The song is a perfect way to transition into autumn. While her voice is light and airy, it is slow, and sung like a dark lullaby. The track begins with “Time it took us, to where the water was/ That’s what the water gave me/ and time goes quicker between the two of us/ Oh, my love/ don’t forsake me/ take what the water gave me.” The song tells the story of a broken love, and the lyrics are rich with metaphors—this is a song that truly makes you think. Once again, she references mythical beasts and Victorian imagery that may take you back to another time and another place. Florence’s music, like a dream, portrays a twisted sense of reality that will have you listening again and again trying to figure out what she means.

 The second, “Shake It Out”, is no different. Florence’s voice is light as air, and hits each note perfectly. Her voice has a distinct quality that you would be hard pressed to find in the auto-tuned songs on the radio. You could tell that each note she hits is pure talent, not enhanced with synthesizers or auto-tune. This cover portrays Florence lying on a bed of silk: a much darker, richer image, which feels more geared towards the end of fall and the beginning of winter. “Shake It Out” is faster, with a more upbeat feel and medieval accents infused throughout the song.  Remnants of her first album come through, with talk of demons and ghouls haunting the song, and friendship, love and regrets serving as common themes. While this song is faster, it is darker than “Water”, both in tone and lyrics. The song is richer, more like silk and velour than air. All in all, the song is great and leaves you wanting more, waiting for the sophomore album to drop. Florence Welch says “I want my music to sound like throwing yourself out of a tree, or off a tall building, or as if you’re being sucked down into the ocean and you can’t breathe, it’s something overwhelming and all-encompassing that fills you up, and you’re either going to explode with it, or you’re just going to disappear.” That is the only way to describe her sound—in a word: magical.

Critics and fans agree that the album is worth waiting for. Florence has been perfecting this album for over two years, and if these two songs are any indication of how the album is going to sound, it shall be a magical portal that will transport you to another time and place. Filled with enchanting lyrics and sound, the album will surely be amazing. It will defiantly be an album to watch, an album that is going to revolutionize the music industry again. But whether or not it sets demons free, or stirs revolutions within us, it is sure to please fans. It will be the album that simply cannot be done justice to, the album you’ll need to play on repeat over and over again, the album you’ll want to imprint into your brain.