'My Love' feels refreshing and new, but begs the question of what Florence + The Machine's latest album will shape up to be.
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There’s something remarkable about the way that Florence + The Machine manage to subvert what you expect from them. Releasing three singles in the span of two weeks: ‘King’, ‘Heaven is Here’, and now ‘My Love’; the new sound of their upcoming album is anything but stable. However, ‘My Love’ provides us with the music that’s unmistakably them, harking back to the Lungs and Ceremonials eras with synthy strings and techno beats that always lent itself to a unique sound of alternative-pop. It’s pacy and beautifully written, and there are so many tidbits that make it unmistakable as well as an instant Florence classic.
Listening to ‘My Love’, all that’s ever recognisable is the progression of sounds on display. Much like ‘Queen of Peace’ from How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful,the beat of the drums and the progression and introduction of instruments happens in a similar way. There’s a layering effect, that admittedly isn’t all that unique, but idiosyncratic to almost all Florence songs is the harmonies and using the voice to layer that lends it a beautiful authenticity. Florence Welch’s voice has always the powerhouse of the group, and that’s because of its versatility, and ‘My Love’ is no different in demonstrating that once again.
Then you have the synths, the tambourines and the ethereal hoots, howls, and hums that place the song amongst the greats of her debut album. Even the song’s lyrical construction has the same poetic sparseness that only Florence + The Machine could get away with, where the singing of “leaves” and “trees” or the “moon” and the “worrying sky” become elaborately construed images to represent love in that same old self-indulgent way. It takes a lot to be able to sing about nothing and somehow make it something; that’s exactly that magic Florence Welch has.
‘My Love’ has been on repeat all day, and I’m sure it’ll be on repeat for a great deal many more days. There’s something exciting about this new track, especially if the group lean into its sounds a bit more for the upcoming album… but as always, we’ll have to wait and see.
‘My Love’ is out now via Polydor / Universal Music. Watch the video below:
