IN QUEUE MUSIC REVIEW
February 8, 2023
Florence + The Machine’s fifth studio album released on May 13, 2022 titled Dance Fever begins on a high note. The first track, “King”, is a feminist anthem uplifting in both its message and instrumentation. It’s sure to have listeners proclaiming the triumphant lyrics, “I am no mother / I am no bride / I am king.”
Florence Welch has been impressing audiences since the band’s first album in 2009, which hailed the iconic track “Dog Days Are Over.” With her unique voice and carefully crafted songwriting, Dance Fever is an illustration of modern day, medieval times, and fairy tales. Somehow, Welch has managed to combine all these elements in the music and visual aesthetic of the album to create a work that is timeless yet still relatable to listeners.
The album includes songs that deserve to be danced to, but if you stop and listen to the lyrics closely, you’ll hear some of Welch’s most poignant writing. For example, the song “Cassandra” carries the lyrics “Every song I thought I knew / I’ve been deafened to / And there’s no one left to sing to.”
The track “Daffodil” begins with a deep breath in. It’s a song that depicts narcissism with none other than the Narcissus flower. The song is tension filled, featuring lyrics like “Sometimes, I see so much beauty / I don’t think that I can cope.”
Dance Fever closes with the story of “Morning Elvis” in which Welch details why she “never made it to Graceland.” The song includes beautiful harmonies typical of Florence + The Machine songs, but also vulnerability in Welch’s voice as she tells her story.
Florence + The Machine have been successful yet again, perfectly piecing together the eclectic stories of Dance Fever in a way that encourages self-acceptance, freedom, and passion.
