Featuring X: interview

Hailing from Drogheda, Co. Louth, Featuring X have been making waves of late, gigging around the country and performing on national radio. All the more impressive is that the girls are eighteen and nineteen years of age, in their first year of university. I sat down with Featuring X ahead of a gig in DCU to find out about all things rock and roll in their world…

When I first meet Niamh, Dara and Sarah, three of the five members of Featuring X, I’m taken aback by how friendly they seem. Having watched their video for “Wild Love”, featuring the band clad in heavy eyeliner and scowls, I presumed that I was in for a clichéd sulky rock band interview. Afterwards, Sarah notes that “that was actually a really good interview!” and I’m inclined to agree. Affable, chatty and bubbling with energy, there’s an air of excitement around the trio. Excitement that is, of course, warranted. When the band met their manager two years ago, it wasn’t long before they were signed to a label. Fast forward two years, an EP release and a record deal, and the young women have the world to take on, as well as college degrees. “We were on the road all the time [just after their Leaving Certs]” recalls Niamh, fondly. Despite their obvious passion for music, none of the band study it at third level, though college is a place they can share and grow as musicians. They are playing DCU tonight – “just a Halloween thing” that Dara, the band’s guitarist, organised – but later this year will go on tour with The Strypes, another young and hotly tipped Irish rock band, increasing their already large fanbase.

It’s a lot to handle at once. How do they juggle college and being in a band? “it’s easier than it was in sixth year”, they think, as now they’re all based in Dublin with more free time on their hands. “If there’s something on, it’s easier to get to” notes Niamh, especially now that they live in Dublin. “There’s a lot more leeway with college than there was in school”. It’s admirable, all the same, that this group have managed to stay together through the trials and tribulations of the Leaving Cert. and beginning university. 

Aside from their age, the most striking thing about this rock band is that they are all-female. There’s many a rock group with a female vocalist, but only HAIM spring to mind when I consider all female groups. “Does it affect the band?” I ask, pondering if this question was in any way sexist. It seems that it hasn’t been thought about much – there’s a small pause when I ask the question. “In the beginning I think people underestimated the idea of girls playing their own instruments and that kind of thing…They had no expectation for us lasting” Niamh says, and Dara and Sarah agree. “Lads [at gigs] try and help us with our amps and stuff!” But, they think that the tides are turning; Sarah says that younger girls in Drogheda are forming bands now. It’s certainly encouraging: so are their responses when I ask them about breaking the mould. Are Featuring X (whisper it) feminists? “You can call us that if you want, we don’t burn our bras like” shrugs Dara. At this point, I’m beginning to feel deeply uncool…

                                                                                                                      Thankfully, the group hinge just on the right side of scary rock star cool. The typical “influences on the band” question brings giggles. Arctic Monkeys and Alt-J are favourites – but so is Dolly Parton. They listen to her after gigs, Sarah tells me, as a tradition. It’s quirks like this that make Featuring X so likeable, and also reminds us of their youth. After the interview, Sarah says that “it was actually really good” to talk to someone who knows about the band. Local radio stations often think they’re someone else; they’ve been mistaken for soap stars in the past. Hopefully for the vibrant, bubbly students, this won’t be the case for too much longer – if Featuring X keep the trajectory they’re on, world domination can’t be too far off. Check out their Facebook page here and keep an eye out for their Christmas tour with The Strypes, starting in early December. 

Why you should listen to Glass Animals

It’s too easy to get home from college and stick on Ed Sheeran’s latest album for the millionth time.  With streaming sites such as Spotify becoming more readily available, there’s no excuse for not checking out some of the most talented up and coming musicians of the day. I recommend you start with Glass Animals. After 2013’s highly-commended “Leaflings” EP, the group released debut album “Zaba” in June of this year. “Zaba” has received high praise across the board. The album is experimental, catchy and often downright weird, but they deserve every bit of hype coming their way. Written and produced by the band themselves, the album is just a taster of what the band are capable of.

Immense talent is something less bands have than you’d think; often hard graft and earworming will get otherwise untalented musicians some acclaim. Happily, this is not the case for Glass Animals, as “Zaba” showcases. The album is wildly, wonderfully varied; from the richness of lead single “Gooey” to the intoxicatingly groovy “Walla Walla”, there’s a lot to chew on here. Special effects (including what the band have admitted are pets chewing on microphones) and dizzying beats abound on “Zaba”, making it one of the weirdest releases of 2014. Happily, it’s pulled off with ablomb, sounding fresh and well-crafted. Glass Animals’ musicianship is a force to be reckoned with, with pounding drums vying with delicate strings on some tracks. What makes them stand out from a dozen indie bands is their ability to mash genres together; not only are there snatches of Radiohead and Foals in their debut, but many songs wouldn’t sound out of place on a Timbaland album. There’s a smoothness and groovy quality to their music that owes a lot to modern R’nB and hip hop. Strange? Yes. Listenable? Definitely. The band’s wackiness doesn’t end at their musicianship, however. Despite several listens, I’ll admit that I still have no idea what most Glass Animals lyrics are about. A particular standout is Bayley’s crooning about “peanut butter vibes” on “Gooey”. He has said in interviews that lyrically, the album is about tackling “the humanisation of nature and human interference with nature”, so whatever keeps him happy, I suppose…odd lyrics aside, the band’s ability certainly defies their youth.

The youth of Glass Animals shows elsewhere, however. Glass Animals’ set at Electric Picnic in September was sarcastically mentioned as the “gig thousands will lie about attending” and it’s for good reason. The gig – which took place in the middle of the day on a tiny stage – was a blistering one. The four-piece may not have strobe lights or special effects, but what they lack they make up for in energy. Frontman Tom Bayley leapfrogs around the stage; he’s not a talented dancer, he doesn’t let that stop him. Onstage antics aside, the songs sound much bigger in a live setting – “Pools”, in particular, becomes a stomper of stadium proportions that one just can’t help dancing to. It takes talent to produce a decent album; it takes even more to transfer that to the stage with the ferocity and vigour that Glass Animals do. But don’t take my word for it; they play The Academy in March 2015, and tickets are a cool seventeen euro. 

Buffalo Sunn: album review

Ever heard of Buffalo Sunn? Probably not – but after several successful years gigging as Sweet Jane, the band underwent a re-invention late last year. The reemerged Buffalo Sunn, a six-piece “cosmic reverb rock band” had built up a stellar live reputation in their previous outfit. They have appeared on several of RTÉ’s shows as Sweet Jane, so it’s a bold move to go back to square one. One listen to their latest offering tells me that it’s certainly no bad thing. “By the Ocean, By the Sea” is a so-called debut album that showcases not the wobbles of a starting-up band, but their years of experience. It’s a record full of swagger and energy; the band has perfected the scuzzy, sun-drenched sounds of the West Coast. It’s all swinging guitars, catchy choruses and heartfelt lyrics…it’s a shock to the system to discover that the band hail from our very own Dublin.  The six-piece take their music in a new direction, and this direction is a rich myriad of indie-pop, shoegaze and rhythmic, guitar-led rock and roll.

Debut single “Seven Seas” is oddly placed on the album, somewhere in the middle. It’s a sun-kissed guitar anthem, much as I hate to use the term; perfect for lazy summer days, or indeed the memories of them! Many of the songs on the album sound like this ;“Gimme Truth”, in particular, sounds  nostalgic for a time and place that may have never existed. The vocals on this track sound almost Oasis-lite, building to a big chorus and never losing the aforementioned West Coast feel. The album rolls on happily in this vein for some time, without veering into formulaic territory. Many comparisons have been made in this review and in others – The Stone Roses, The Beach Boys and Gary Numan to name but a few – but it is ultimately the sound of Buffalo Sunn, uniquely itself.

The band does switch it up from time to time, though. “Witches” is considerably more rock and roll than its laid-back predecessors, tightly wound and intense. Songs like “Let It Go” are a nice change in pace, too. As rock ballads go, it may not rival Aerosmith or Guns’N’Roses, but it’s sweet and delicate, showcasing that Buffalo Sunn are more than just a crew of riff-slinging, happy-go-lucky scamps. Got your lighters ready? ‘Cos you should have.

Buffalo Sunn’s songwriting skills should be applauded – every song on the ten-track album sounds meticulously crafted, and there are no obvious “duds” or “fillers” here. It’s obvious that the production of this album was a big deal. The band worked with Pat McCarthy, a big-name producer who previously worked with REM and The Waterboys, and it has resulted in a fine album, sounding big but not overblown. Keep an eye out for these guys touring this album over the coming months – it’s not a sound you’ll want to miss. 

Hozier: article

About twelve months ago, a black and white music video went viral. Featuring the heartbreaking story of an LGBT Russian couple, the video was “Take Me To Church”, by the then unknown Hozier. He chatted to Campus.ie last year about the song’s success; since then, his rise and rise is something I don’t remember seeing in quite a long time. Not only has he shot to fame here, but he has appeared on Ellen, Saturday Night Live and just this week hit the number two spot on the Billboard album chart in the states. As one headline I saw earlier put it “Hozier is officially a big deal”.

“A big deal” is putting it lightly. It’s fair to say that Ireland, as a nation, is completely enamoured with Hozier. His debut album, released about a month ago, reached platinum status within a week and I can’t remember the last time ten minutes passed without hearing “Sedated” or “Take Me To Church” on the radio. His sets at Longitude and Electric Picnic this summer will both go down in the histories of the festivals; notably the latter, where he apparently drew a bigger crowd than anyone before or since. The icing on the bluesy cake is perhaps his announcement of an Irish tour last week; five dates sold out in a matter of minutes, with tickets going for up to four hundred euro online. I think it’s fair to say that the nation is united in our obsession – even my granny likes him.

            Today, I found myself wondering what exactly it is about the 24 year old that pushes all our buttons. Is it his easy-going, almost shy demeanour in interviews? His ability to sing about James Joyce (in “Angel of Small Death”, his next single) and not sound pretentious? Or do we just keep home-grown talent close to our heart? Given the furious tweets from many Irish users when U2 released their latest drivel onto our iDevices, we can strike that last one.  It’s impossible to pinpoint why Hozier is so massive; but I can speculate that Hozier’s success is something to put our hopes in.  The island’s feverish radio-play of his singles as a remedy to our dire economic situation. As his success spirals, we are faced with more taxation, more charges – but as long as he’s pumping out songs and appearing on American television, we have something to be proud of. In the face of global economic crisis, we have produced these beautiful songs. It’s just a speculation – but it’s certainly nice to have something to be proud of.

More likely, however, is not the luck of the Irish, or the man himself, or our hideous finances. The reason we’re all so taken with Andrew Hozier-Byrne is simply because he’s one of the most talented artists to come out of anywhere in the last few years. His soulful voice, appreciation for both poppy hooks and bluesy melodies, and well-polished debut album make him a musical force to be reckoned with. For critics, he represents something young, new and interesting; for the rest of us, his songs are catchy as well as a little bit heart-breaking. He’s the musical equivalent of Pixar’s “Up” – critically acclaimed, superbly crafted and loved by everyone, especially your mum. Only time will tell if Hozier capitalises on his successes in 2014, but he should know that he has most of the country behind him every step of the way.

Hozier: album review

Despite his meteoric rise to fame, it’s hard to envy Hozier.  After filling the fields of Longitude and Electric Picnic on the basis of six songs, the excitement around his self-titled debut album reached fever pitch. Appearing on TV every five minutes and performing left, right and centre, it seemed as though his album could never reach the impossibly high expectations set out for it. However, the 24 year old Wicklow native has actually pulled it off – “Hozier” is ambitious, well-crafted and simply gorgeous. The album opens with – what else? – “Take me to Church”, that utterly mesmeric tune that went viral last year. While many have professed to feeling sick of the song, it’s undeniable that it gives the album a confident feeling; this, it seems, is an album one should take seriously.

And take it seriously I do. “Angel of Small Death and the Codeine Scene” is all drums, gospel tinges and James Joyce references. “There’s a feeling of doing whatever you can…to find yourself” according to the man himself, stating that A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man was a major influence on the song. Whether these literary references pass you by or not, this upcoming single deserves to be singled out. Excellent, too, are “Jackie and Wilson”, a cheerful, bluesy ode to love, a topic Hozier seems pre-occupied by on the album. His love songs have an edge, though.  “Someone New” sounds more like an ode to lust more than love– and it’s refreshing to hear a romantic song that isn’t about love eternal. “Someone New” is my standout on the album, showcasing everything that makes Hozier as popular as he is.

If there is one complaint to be had, it’s that the album seems to be strictly divided. The first seems like the “singles section”; the songs are much more upbeat, with obvious pop sensibilities.  The album quickly gets very dark after the first five or six songs and it jars slightly with the listening experience.  Songs like “To Be Alone” and “It Will Come Back” are extremely strong additions to the album, but it all gets a little…heavy after a while. While a purist will no doubt disagree, I think “Hozier” almost sounds better on shuffle, as the end seems to weigh much more heavily than the start.

Minor criticisms aside, based on the strength of this album, the future looks even brighter for Hozier. His influences; from blues to pop right through to traditional Irish music; strengthen his songs. His already distinctive voice and ability to craft numerous melodies to stick in your head for long after the album has ended. 

The Boxer Rebellion: interview

Nathan Nicholson of The Boxer Rebellion is walking to his band’s own studio when he answers my call, and despite the roar of London traffic in the background, he chats comfortably, as though he’s been doing this for years. It comes as no surprise, then, when he mentions that The Boxer Rebellion were founded in 2001 and have been gigging and recording ever since. A tour-de-force live band – described by Absolute Punk as having to be “heard to be appreciated”, The Boxer Rebellion are all heartfelt lyrics, loud guitars and stirring choruses. Nicholson, frontman and guitarist, is lightly accented and speaks in bursts – as though he thinks every sentence through before starting another. Conversation comes in fits and starts – certain topics, it seems, are instantly preferable. Nicholson is keen to praise new guitarist Andrew, who has just joined after the departure of founding member Todd Howe last year. How has this changed things for the band, I wonder?  It seems as though it hasn’t been plain sailing: “the feeling [of the band] has changed” admits Nicholson, but is quick to ensure me that the split was amicable. Does it affect the band live to be playing with a new guitarist? “The sound can be replicated” says Nicholson, casually. It’s the dynamic and the energy that is different. New guitarist, Andrew, is playing “someone else’s chords” and that, of course, is an adjustment. For a band with sterling live reputation, this surely puts some pressure on them, yet Nicholson seems confident that they’re “in the swing of things”.

                In terms of getting into the swing of things, The Boxer Rebellion don’t mess around. After last year’s “Promises”, the band hasn’t stopped touring, with a European leg about to kick off in October.  As well as this,  the band’s live album, “Live at the Forum” drops at the end of the month – as someone who has never “got” the live album, I ask why record one. “We…wrote a lot of [2013’s Promises] while recording it…and learned from it” admits Nathan, who sensed that the music really evolved after it had been recorded. From this evolution sprung the release of “Live at the Forum” – or, as Nathan puts it “now seemed like a good time”.  The live album will hopefully introduce more people to their music, though the band seems keen to keep old fans happy as well. They have two upcoming gigs in London that Nathan describes as “a bit more intimate” – night one focusses on the first two albums, with the second focussing on the latter two. This way, explains Nicholson, the band can “play a bit of everything” even if it does mean re-learning some tracks!

I’m keen to ask more about the band’s fanbase – though not widely known, the band have a loyal following, particularly, as Nathan mentions, in Holland. The band do signings after gigs, and depend on the “strange beast” that is social media to connect to fans. The Boxer Rebellion’s website is a centralised social media hub, with Instagram posts, blogposts and playlists galore. It’s clearly a tool the band use effectively, and Nathan describes it as “massively” important. One of these playlists is the band’s own tour music – so, I ask Nathan, what’s on his playlist at the moment?

The casual question is the first he trips over in the whole interview. “Um…my mind is blank” he stutters, but he is the first person I’ve spoken to who has listened to the new U2 album that magically appeared on all our iDevices. Is he a fan? “I wasn’t blown away”, he says, jokingly. You and me both, Nathan, you and me both…The same cannot be said for me and The Boxer Rebellion, though. After a chat, and a shuffle through Spotify, I’ll see you all at the front of their Academy gig on October fourth. 

Electric Picnic: review

My brief review of Electric Picnic 2014, pending publishing in The University Times’ magazine.

I’d love to be able to write an in-depth review of the madness that was Electric Picnic 2014, but it’s impossible to accurately explain the festival in a few hundred words. The weekend offered not only music, but spoken word, yoga, hot-tubs and a petting zoo. Welcome to Electric Picnic, where the real world fades away to be replaced by bright lights, bubbles and burgers.

On Friday, not too many must-see acts played – but the ones that did were cracking. Blondie, led by seventy year old Debbie Harry, managed to get me dancing for the first time that day. While I haven’t exactly followed the bands career since the 1970’s, can anyone resist songs like Maria, Heart of and Call Me? From what I heard in the campsite, Foals and Pet Shop Boys were fantastic, but for me, Friday night belonged to American madness merchant Tune-Yards. Pounding drums, shrieking-yet-rich vocals and a bouncing crowd, Merill Garbus’ crew lit up the Body and Soul stage. Pet Shop Who, again?

On Saturday, the line-up of fantastic acts is dizzying. Hozier draws the biggest crowd I’ve ever seen. Portishead terrify and entrance me in equal measure with their ethereal, haunting performance. Chic shake off the Portishead blues by playing Bowie and their own groovy back catalogue. Groovy in the literal sense: there’s no way not to dance to this. Paolo Nutini deserves a special mention too, his back catalogue fitting perfectly along with songs like Iron Sky and Scream from his last album, and the whole set is a delight.

On Sunday, I could mention any number of acts again…Kelis, Outkast and Sinéad O’Connor to name but a few. But for me, Sunday – and indeed, the weekend – belonged to St. Vincent. She lit up the Electric Arena with lilac hair, the loudest guitars of the weekend and a set that veered between beauty and insanity. St. Vincent sums up everything I love about the festival – it’s bold, it’s weird and it’s utterly incredible to be part of.  

Review - Amanda Palmer, The Academy and EVERYWHERE

When you attend three concerts in ten days there's a definite period of "burnout", where the idea of standing in a crowded area under the hot sun has absolutely zero appeal. After two massive Phoenix Park gigs last week, I had a touch of the gig blues. And then, of course, I went to see Amanda Palmer, ferocious punk-cabaret artist and Kickstarter pioneer. Amongst other things.

In typical Palmer fashion, the singer began her gig not at 7pm but at 3, outside The Academy, armed with homous, orange juice and a ukelele. The singer's "ninja gig" took place beside The Hags With the Bags on Liffey Street, giving newcomers to her concerts a taste of what was in store. A chirpy beginning from support band Bitter Ruin quickly gave way to the feminist-pop-punk anthem, Map of Tasmania. As the hundred-strong crowd belted out the chorus of "Oh. My. God. Fuck it!" stragglers began to wonder what on earth was going on - Palmer is certainly a spectacle. Standing on the statue armed with only a ukelele, she powered through a quick little setlist that served to pique the interest of newcomers and send die-hards into a spiral of excitement.

Things I am not: a photographer. Pic one of two I took...

Come seven pm, it was time for the support acts - two of which were made up of the Grand Theft Orchestra, Palmer's backing band. Jherek Bishoff and The Simple Pleasure are quirky, classical and discoish all at once - both sets are storming. The real magic occurs when the truly bonkers Palmer takes to the stage, again armed with only her ukelele, and plays a totally unrehearsed, banter-filled set of covers and classics. NWA feature, as do The Beatles and (once again) the infamous Map of Tasmania. Things crank up a notch when her vassist, guitarist and, er, string quartet take to the stage, and Palmer ploughs through a stream of punky, shiny, catchy numbers from her last two albums, "Theatre is Evil" and "Who Killed Amanda Palmer?". Highlights include "Lost", a bouncy song about loss and love, dedicated to a crowd member who recently lost her mother. It's an amazing tune - and even more amazing that Palmer dedicated it to what most artists would look upon as an anonymous fan. Shout out also to Dresden Dolls classic "Missed Me" - sung, in a terrifying, shrieky, cabaret way - while crowdsurfing around the Academy.

Love her or hate her, Palmer is an astonishing live act. I've never seen a set less polished - it seems as though she's letting the crowd dictate what happens. The band chat, and Amanda takes a toilet break halfway through the set. That's not to say the set wasn't electric - just downright bonkers. Songs like "The Killing Type" and "The Bed Song" really benefit from the string quartet, but her rockier songs suffer a little. That goes unnoticed, however, because Palmer is just astonishing live. The raw power of the woman as a performer is enough to take the crowd's breath away, all on her own. Her stories, giggles and intensity totally captivated the crowd, and when she played a new (and remarkably intense) song, you could have heard a pin drop in the Academy.

Palmer is rapidly becoming known for her contreversies, crowdfunding and...well everything but her music. Her set of half covers ("no one can cover Tom Waits!"), covers and stormers from her new album prove that this woman is first and foremost a musician, one that I was privileged to see not once, but twice, in one day.

Music post: Joan Armatrading

So last night I went to the pub with a bunch of old school friends. "Old" being the operative word. Looking around a tiny nightclub and seeing girls you're pretty sure haven't a Junior Cert. between them can be pretty scary, let me tell you. That said, I had a lovely night, drinking cheap mojhitos, talking about blogging and rocking a denim jacket. As David would say: lookin' fresh til death. Or is it "to death"? I'm never sure, so I never say it in case someone calls me out. I'm cool.

This is myself and fellow (more successful) bloggers Megan and Danielle. You should follow both of them. Old friends and excellent bloggers. 

I arrived home from the night out at about half one and found my mam still up. She asked me about a song she heard earlier that day: The Weakness in Me by Joan Armatrading. I'd never heard of her before, but mum urged me to look her up, seeing as she'd been one of my mum's favourite artists back in the day. Wow, I'm glad she did. Go up there and listen to it. Right now.

There's something haunting about this song of love and loss -- it's spellbinding. Mum and I sat and listened to the whole thing through twice. I love singers in the vein of Armatrading, like Kate Bush, Patti Smith and other Lady Wonders -- but Joan is something else. Wow. The emotion in it is incredible. So here it is, for your Sunday night listening pleasure. Tomorrow, I'll (hopefully) be reviewing Django Unchained for you all and trying to get through the Romantic (and totally not racist) poetry by William Blake. The joys of an English degree. 

Just dropped in.

Last night I put a bunch of famous movie music on my iPod - my dad's habit of buying CD's in airports has it's advantages. Amongst the usual suspects - that song from Pulp Fiction that's NOT Pump It by Black Eyed Peas, Lovefool by The Cardigans - there was a song that I recognized from one of my favourite films ever, The Big Lebowski. I'm not going to pretend I'm a film buff (except in my French oral, when "je suis un vraiment cinophile") but when I like a film, I really, really like it. I watch TBL roughly every three months and it never fails to make me giggle. Bits of it are undoubtedly strange, though - not least the usage of "fuckin' Nihilists, man!" every five minutes.

For you poor unfortunates who don't know, The Big Lebowski is a Coen Brothers film starring Jeff Bridges as The Dude, an unemployed, laid-back stoner type who gets into difficulty when the aforementioned nihilists steal his rug. Not a whole lot happens, but it's absolutely hilarious and incredibly quotable - it's like Mean Girls for stoners. Stop reading this damn blog and watch it, right now!

...

Now that you're back, here's the song I've been listening to non-stop since the CD was put on my iPod. No other song has got a look in. It's bizarre beyond belief, as a song. Written as a warning against LSD usage, it's used in, er, a drug scene in The Big Lebowski. It's also sung by Kenny Rodgers, the guy who sings The Gambler. What's not to love, really? Here it is in context (sort of) in the film.

Fuckin' nihilists, man.

Strangeness and Charm - Florence + The Machine, The o2

I think it's testament to the sheer power of a Florence + The Machine show that I've listened to nothing but her last two albums since she set foot on the 02 stage last Friday night. Florence - and her Machine - have played Ireland three times before but I'd never quite managed to catch her, but my god she was worth the wait.

(Aside: I'd arrived at the 02 with two friends at around half six - we had decided not to drink prior to the concert, but maybe buy something there. Innocently making our way to the bar, I whipped out my ID and ordered two mojhitos...only to be told that it was an over-19s bar. What?! How does that work?! I was not pleased at all. What's the use of being eighteen when you can't spend seven euro on a Smirnoff Ice?)

The flame haired mistress of folky pop exploded on stage at 9.30, belting out Ceremonials opener Only if for a Night with slightly terrifying intensity.

Florence isn't particularly big on stage - Danielle described her as "like a feather" - but the huge cape and huger quantities of eyeshadow gave the impression of a giant, bedazzled bird.

I could make crap comparisons about how she looks for hours on end, but like Adele, Amy Winehouse and so many others, we don't care how Florence looks. At the end of the day, my mind was too blown by her voice to notice much else.

Add this to the sirenlike voice and the eye-rolling and the whole experience was a little unnerving. A lot of the Ceremonials material is darker than Lungs', its predecessor, and Only If...is not exception to this. Quite the way to start the night. Yet she didn't let up, blasting through 11 songs, from the sweet as sugar All This and Heaven Too to the definite fan favourite Cosmic Love and finishing up with new single No Light, No Light, a song that makes its album version sound like me playing piano when performed live.

Does anyone else get that convert hysteria where they think their photos are great and they all end up looking like this?

Florence's voice is surprising in it's range - at some points I couldn't hear her over the audience, and at others she drowned the jam-packed room out with her, notably with her shrieking during Strangeness and Charm and THAT long drawn out note in...er, the same song. Which, incidentally, I wasn't too fond of until Friday night. It's now quite possibly one of my favourite son the album, along with Never Let Me Go (those vocals!) and Bedroom Hymns, which I'm holding out to see played live.

If I had to fault Flo's performance, I would have asked for more songs from Lungs, and by that I mean Drumming Song. Seeing as it's the Ceremonials tour I won't begrudge her that. While it was a simple enough show, Florence really doesn't need pyrotechnics and massive backdrops. The woman's voice is enough of a show to blow almost anyone else out of the water. That she, eh, gave us. Ahem.

Levels.

Maybe I'm a sucker for weird versions of songs, or maybe I'm a sucker for this song, but either way, I can't stop listening to this!