If you follow me on Twitter, you will discover two things about me: I love beer pong and Florence + the Machine. The release of their sophomore album, Ceremonials, has been on my wish list for over a year. The album took five weeks to record and was produced by Paul Epworth at Abbey Road Studios. Be prepared to see Ceremonials listed as one of the best albums of 2011.  Here is the my track by track breakdown -

Only If For A Night: Faint keyboards begin one’s journey thru the mind of Florence Welch in one of the most beautiful songs on the album. With vividly eerie lyrics, Florence allows listeners to enter a part of her life that she rarely talks about. “Only If For A Night” is about Florence’s late grandmother who visited her in a dream while on tour in Germany. 

Shake It Out: The second single released from the album. Florence states that the song was written after a mean hangover. Some of her best work is written hungover (“Cosmic Love”).  It is obvious why this was picked as one of the preview singles off Ceremonials. If Florence + the Machine want to seduce the hard-to-satisfy American audience, “Shake It Out” is catchy enough to do so. It may have one of the best set of lyrics on the album: ‘And I am done with my graceless heart/ so tonight I’m gonna cut it out and then restart’. The acoustic version on the Deluxe album is just as amazing.

What The Water Gave Me: WTWGM was performed during her summer tour in the US, which was way before Ceremonials had a release date. It is absolutely amazing live.  Album wise, Florence + the Machine never disappoints. Florence makes references to Frida Kahlo, where she got the title to the song from, as well as Virginia Woolf. WTWGM is slow and sexy, and consistently teases the listener. You are waiting for it to speed up and explode, and at the 3:30 minute mark, your wait ends! The Deluxe album includes the demo verison of the song.

Never Let Me Go: The story is moving and gracefully told. Florence lets out, ‘And it’s over/And I’m going under/ But I’m not giving up/ I’m just giving in’.  I was fortunate enough to be one of the first fans to see Florence + the Machine perform this live at The Creators Project in Brooklyn. 

Breaking Down: Ceremonials picks up speed with “Breaking Down”. Florence says it is a sad song with a happy tune.  After my first listen, it was not one of my favorites, but eventually I fell in love. The keyboard is catchy and gives the song that upbeat tone. The acoustic version closes Ceremonials (Deluxe Version) and is one of the better acoustic songs FATM has released. I would love to see this version performed live, especially if it means their keyboardist, Isabella, is added to their smaller acoustic shows.

Lover to Lover: The album takes a nice twist with “Lover to Lover”. Florence’s voice gives the song some soul flavor!  If you ever had doubts that she can hit those high notes, this song will solidify the answer for you. 

No Light, No Light: Florence often says in interviews that it is easier to put her feelings into songs to reflect her true emotions. In “No Light, No Light”, the next single to be released off the album, she says ‘It’s so easy/ To sing it to a crowd/ But it’s so hard, my love/ To say it to you, alone’. The song starts off soft and mysterious, and the listener is not sure where it is going. After about a minute, the song speeds up and ends up being one of the strongest off the album. 

Seven Devils: The name alone caught my attention! “Seven Devils” refers to a quote from the novel by Chester Himes, If He Hollers Let Him Go. I was hoping for a darker sophomore album from Florence + the Machine, and this song alone is enough to satisfy that want. ‘And now all your lies will be exorcised/ And we will find your sayings to be paradox/ And it’s an even sum/ It’s a melody/ It’s a final cry/ It’s a symphony’ - wow.

Heartlines: Drums, drums, and more drums. This is exactly why I love Florence + the Machine. The integration of each instrument is apparent in her songs. Whether it is the harp, keyboard, or the drums, they always find an addicting way to present them. “Heartlines” is one of my favorites. The song is a long journey where Florence tells us to ‘just keep following the heart lines on your hand’. You will love the acoustic version just as much as the original. Here is the performance at The Creators Project.

Spectrum: During my first round of listening, “Spectrum” stuck out like whoa. It might be the echoes and eerie utters of ‘Say my name’ or when the song changes tone at the 51-second mark. Tom stands out and proves even harpist can rock the fuck out. Watch FATM perform “Spectrum”, which was one of the first song recorded for Ceremonials.

All This And Heaven Too: In a recent interview, Florence said this song is about her ‘expression of what love is’. “All This And Heaven Too” is one of the more emotional tracks on the album. The lyrics are simply amazing. I recommend reading them as you listen. If Florence has yet to prove that she is a virtuoso lyricist, then “All This And Heaven Too” validates that.

Leave My Body: ‘I don’t want no future/ I don’t want no past/ One bright moment is all I ask’. Florence said this song is to remind her to live in the moment and not worry about the future or the past. Ceremonials added more background vocals, which is very apparent in ‘Leave My Body’. It is a great addition to their live shows as well as the album.

Remain Nameless: Beginning with Florence’s ghostly voice, ‘Remain Nameless’ continues to satisfy that dark sound. The words, ‘Call me when you need me/ Darling believe me’ repeats several times to finally end the album.

Along with several acoustic versions of the songs above, there were three additional tracks added to the album.

Strangeness and Charm: This track was performed live several times and is no stranger to dedicated Florence + the Machine fans. Simply, it is about the electricity between two people. This is the first studio version released to fans.

Bedroom Hymns: Yet another song that was only performed live for fans during Florence + the Machine’s summer tour. It is nice to hear studio versions of both songs.

Landscape: This song alone is reason to buy the Deluxe version. Beat wise? The drums and ‘oh oh’ keep the track catchy. Lyrically? Florence stays mysterious, yet vivid enough to create a story in your head.