Tales To Tell: Florence + The Machine - Lungs

Florence + The Machine's debut album 'Lungs' sees the theatricality of Kate Bush meet the heart and beautiful means to express that heart of Sia. With a jazz-centered voice alternatively applied to contrast fun, love, hate, longing and the whole mess that comes with a heavy heart, lead vocalist Florence Welch finds a talent for poetic and honest storytelling. Her storytelling hits a variety of climaxes throughout the album perfectly embodied by the animalistic love/lust story 'Howl', describing the forceful desire for another as a feral hunting and feeding frenzy.

Her poetic nature coupled with her recognition of all the good and bad in life makes for intricate storylines varying from the haunting melody of 'Blinding', telling an epic story of refusal to accept an unthinkable loss in love, to the familiar upbeat outlook offered in 'Dog Days Are Over'.

Few artists can juxtapose heartbreak and excitement to fine effect but Florence + The Machine see their efforts culminate perfectly in an album reaching the highs of a wrecked and opportunistic weekend with your closest friends made all the better by spontaneity and the lows of losing everything that seems to matter without any viable resolve for a brighter tomorrow.

This album is a manic expression of life's best, worst and consistently aggressive states ultimately summarised in spine tingling heartache and desperation melodies thrown against optimistic anthems. I only wish my own life were so exciting.