Lungs

by Florence + The Machine

It's a tricky position to be in (we would imagine), when you find yourself a relatively unknown quantity in the world of pop, yet praised to high heavens by industry know-it-alls as the 'next big thing'. Suddenly all eyes are on you, and more often than not you haven't even released anything of substance into the world yet. Such a situation unfolded for Florence Welch at the start of the year, but as Lungs attests, you just can't get an idea of an artist from a small handful of singles, you need the full-blown record to really get a comprehensive picture. As one of the most highly anticipated debuts of 2009, Lungs certainly faces a formidable task to justify the recent hype.

Out of the blocks, Florence throws up a contradiction. The imagery throughout Lungs is very dark and gothic, while the instrumentation is expansive and intricate, encompassing harps and xylophones alongside the more traditional pianos and drums. The melodies are deftly layered, and in a number of choruses ('Drumming Song', the opening 'Dog Days Are Over') the level of songwriting is far more assured than a debut album has any right to offer. On occasion, though, these promising traits are stuffed into more simplistic pop structures, full of big-hitting drums, dancefloor grooves and shiny production, and it's this constriction that lets the record down. Where Florence is willing to experiment ('Girl With One Eye', the Dire Straits-esque 'My Boy Builds Coffins'), she really starts to fulfill her promise.

Lungs is an accomplished first time out for Florence and her band, and is surely a shoe-in for a Mercury nomination later this year. Married to some impressive live performances, there's certainly enough here to keep listeners coming back for more, be it through the quality of the hooks or the intricate, deep instrumentation. Lungs is a solid start, but if Florence dares to really push her ideas to the maximum, the future could hold even more for her.