Prior to the arrival of Florence + the Machine’s debut release, Lungs, a Brit Award for Critic’s Choice and mass broadcasting of two featured tracks via O2 and E4 advertisements had generated a gathering fanbase and weighty anticipation.

A cursory listen to this debut album would leave any music aficionado itching to liken Florence Welch’s voice and sound to existing muso-heavyweights as Janis Joplin, Kate Bush or Tori Amos, among others. Musically, comparisons can be drawn with The White Stripes, Bat for Lashes and probably all and sundry in between. Which is why you have to listen to Lungs again. And again, and again. First, no expense was spared in assembling a crack production team—Paul Epworth (Bloc Party, Maximo Park), James Ford (Arctic Monkeys, Last Shadow Puppets) and Steve Mackay (PULP, M.I.A)—which employs layers of strings and expanses of drums, among other rich orchstrations to create undulations and climaxes of sound. Then there is the starlet at the centre of this act, Florence Welch, whose talent as a chanteuse resonates throughout the assorted styles and themes of this album. Her voice is sometimes wispy, often bellowing, sometimes playful, often agonised and consistently genuine in a way that stops you with its honesty. And that voice dips and soars through garage punk (“Kiss with a Fist”), kooky pop (“Rabbit Heart (Raise it Up)”), gothic macabre (“My Boy Builds Coffins”, “Girl With One Eye”) and grandiose ballads (“Howl”, “Cosmic Love”).

From the frantic gallop of opening track “Dog Days Are Over” to the capably-delivered closing track, a cover of Candi Staton’s “You’ve Got the Love”, this is an album which is sure to get your foot stomping and your heart pounding.

Tracks to download: “Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)”, ”Cosmic Love”, “Blinding”

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