Halloween saw the release of esteemed English band Florence + The Machine’s sixth studio album, Everybody Scream. The themes, lyrics and vocal performances from lead singer-songwriter Florence Welch are equally haunting and emotionally raw.
In the run-up to the record, Welch opened up to The Guardian about her near-death experience on her Dance Fever tour in August 2023, where she suffered a miscarriage that caused huge internal bleeding through the rupture of her fallopian tube, which then had to be removed in a surgery that saved her life.
“The closest I came to making life was the closest I came to death,And I felt like I had stepped through this door, and it was just full of women, screaming.”
These ideas of death and rebirth, resurrection of the body itself, spiritual magic and womanhood are in every crevice of the record. The Halloween release date compliments these elements, staying true to the image that the band have cultivated over many years.
The opening and titular track, ‘Everybody Scream’, opens with an ethereal chorus of female voices that descend into screams as the beat drops. The chorus of the song commands her audience “Everybody dance / Everybody sing / Everybody move / Everybody scream,” as if casting a spell on them from the stage. Performance is crucial to a song that suggests she is transcending human form on stage. It will be a sight to behold on tour – which comes to Sheffield’s Utilita Arena on Valentine’s Day.
‘One of the Greats’ is a powerhouse of a song – an authentic portrayal of female rage and exhaustion of the double standards in the music industry. Welch questions if her ‘resurrection’ was enough to make her one of the musical greats: “Did I get it right? Do I win the prize? Do you regret bringing me back to life?”
She illustrates the things that women can go through in their lives and careers, but still never reach the same status and respect as certain male artists, who “make boring music just because [they] can.” Coming in at almost seven minutes long, this may be one of the best songs in their discography.
Lyrically, Everybody Scream is deeply personal. ‘Witch Dance’, my personal favourite of the record, slows down with a beautiful melodic bridge painted behind melancholy lyrics.“I came to a clearing full of wailing and keening / A well of tears that never run dry / The women said ‘We’ve been waiting, waiting to meet you, it’s only a matter of time.’” Here, she adapts an idea often seen in literature – women are united by the suffering that we are born into.
‘Buckle’ is a gorgeous ballad co-written by American-Japanese singer-songwriter Mitski, who is known for her devastating lyrics. ‘Music by Men’ abandons imagery in favour of direct lyrics, which still manage to puncture the heart.
The production is equally interesting, ranging from theatrical to stripped back. ‘The Old Religion’ is classic Florence + The Machine, starting with piano and ending with dramatic drums and layered vocals. Aaron Dessner gets his hands on this track, a producer best known for his work on Taylor Swift’s beloved sister albums folklore and evermore – a superstar who collaborated with Florence on her eleventh studio album The Tortured Poet’s Department in 2024.
‘You Can Have It All’ is an explosive track which delivers each element of the record – intense, spooky instrumentals under distinctive, passionate vocal performance and lyrics rife with metaphor and provocative imagery.
Ultimately, this is a very strong record from Florence + The Machine, and their most personal to date. There is something primal about it, an unforgiving feminine rage. For me, the first half is stronger – the occasional middle track is skippable, but overall, a magical listen. It feels equally like a warm hug and a punch in the gut. This is a record, as Welch says, for the ladies – one where she has cemented her status as one of the greats.
8.5/10
