Virginia Woolf, the infamous author and poet who drowned herself in a river by her home, is the inspiration of Florence and The Machine’s second album, Ceremonials.
With her epic visions of mythological creatures, pastoral landscapes and play between the lines of drama and fantasy, the album shows enormous creative growth from Welch’s premier album, Lungs.
Welch wields “pockets full of stones” as she asks the water to “lay her down” in a sacrificial act to save her loved ones from the “cruel mistress” of the river. A commanding crowd of voices cries out during the chorus in a sort of ritualistic chant of sacrifice, begging the water to “overflow.”
“Never Let Me Go,” the album’s tearjerker, is a sonorous ballad depicting the sacrifice of a parent for her child within the “arms of the ocean.” The album’s lead single, “Shake It Out” — the Ceremonials version of “Dog Days Are Over,” — is a powerful ode to Welch overcoming her demons and devils, but even so, she drags her past behind her and resigns from the feelings in her “graceless heart,” accepting defeat and finding comfort in the feelings she cannot “shake out.”
The deluxe edition is where Welch truly shines. Two demos, three acoustics, and four more bonus tracks add almost half of the album’s length while showcasing her vocal power without all the bells and whistles. And until you can listen to the album in its entirety more than once, these tracks will serve to remind you of Welch at her purest.
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