Each day in December, I’ll be reflecting back on a song from the 2000’s. The decade saw the return of post-punk and the popularization of folk music, all while some of music’s biggest acts gained their indie footing. Thankfully, it’s a period that I can look back at fondly without cringing. #31DaysOf2000sSongs
When Florence first came onto the scene her sound was so incredibly polished, confident and distinct it felt like she had already been at it for years. Just look at Lungs, probably one of the greatest debut records of all time, greatness that most artists hope to achieve even just once in their career. For me, that greatness all starts with Florence’s voice. No one else sounds like her. She cites Kate Bush, Stevie Nicks and Siouxsie Sioux as influences, but she has her own unique sound. She sings like a siren, howling with this incredible ferocity one moment and singing laser-sharp falsetto interludes effortlessly in another. There isn’t a mediocre track on Lungs, but one of the strongest, in my opinion, is “Cosmic Love”.
When I play it, I feel like I have left this universe. Florence + The Machine was one of the first acts to pioneer the use of the harp in rock — and on “Cosmic Love” the angelic stringed instrument delivers these gorgeous treble notes from the heavens. It’s enough to transport you. But Florence’s vocals took us even further, soaring and swirling its way through space. The music was otherworldly, the melody was divine and the lyrics were transcendent.
“I took the stars from my eyes, and then I made a map. And knew that somehow I could find my way back.”