91Èȱ¬

(. Is it me or are pop stars getting lazier?)

And you have to admit, there's something rather stirring about this rolling behemoth. It speaks to the part of the brain which governs heroic actions, purity of heart, nobility of thought and firmness of spine - the bravial cortex. At the same time, it's an admission of defeat, a guilty song about being a drag on someone else's life, but being powerless to pull yourself together against the forces of doom.

In the context of the soundtrack to Twilight: Eclipse, that last bit becomes very important. There's a lot of stuff about pained responsibility and eternal loyalty and doomed fate in those films, and these are all emotions which Florence can conjure up rather well, because when they hit, they hit like a mighty mallet from Thor's own toolshed. There's no room for self-depreciation, the cheeky grin or putting on a brave face. Things are very serious, even when they're preposterous.

Luckily, she's also got a marching orchestra and choir at her disposal, to dispense crushing swipes of doom and gloom as they traverse the scorched earth, en route to the hidden caverns of Doofus, on a quest to locate the magical septic grail of Darren, before the last ring-sparrow sings her final song at the next full moon, in order to prevent her from dying, of, of, lurgey.

Probably best appreciated alone, on headphones, watching the rain pelt your bedroom window, while wondering what cruel trick fate has in store for you next, is what I am saying.

Download: 14th November


91Èȱ¬ Music page

(Fraser McAlpine)

"The official video for "Heavy In Your Arms" is every bit as haunting as the track itself."

"There are some artists that just ooze talent and Florence Welch is deffo one of those artists."

"If this is the direction of the next album, I for one cannot wait. I just miss the harp..."