Pick four songs from any band and you can tell a lot about their sound. This summer, I’m featuring #RockBlocks, four picks from bands across various genres. They might be wildly different from each other, but what binds them together is the fact that they’re all a part of my life soundtrack.
Some music acts take a couple of albums to get going. Some start strong, but fizzle out just as quickly. Then there are a select few that begin with an overly impressive debut and only keep getting better. Florence + the Machine is one of the few acts that have been able to accomplish this impressive feat. Lungs isn’t just a superb debut album, it’s one of the greatest albums of the 2000s period. And “Cosmic Love” is arguably the best track on the LP.
Florence was one of the first acts to pioneer the use of the harp in indie rock — and “Cosmic Love” is a shining example. The harp ended up being the perfect instrumental choice. They’re like treble notes from the heavens. There’s a swagger and confidence in Florence’s vocals in this song — and throughout Lungs — that’s almost unfathomable for a debut recording. But as my #RockBlock series on Florence continues, we're reminded this is only the beginning.
“I took the stars from my eyes, and then I made a map, and knew that somehow I could find my way back.”