1. martinmiggs

   10

   Right, so Ceremonials... The first three songs are just insanely good. Instantly accessible Flo at it's best. BUT. If you actually give this album the chance it deserves then you may find that the rest is about as far from filler as it's possible to be. In particular No Light, No Light, Leave My Body, and Heartlines are unsung heroes here. This is very easily my album of 2011, and unbelievably better than Lungs. See her live if you haven't already.… Expand

   • Helpful? 1 of 1 users said Yes.
2. Mangaeyes

   8

   Flo seems to think she has catchy choruses sussed - just bellow out the same line over and over. To be fair though this only really becomes irritating in the last 5 or 6 tracks, with the first half of the album almost reaching the brilliance of 'Lungs'. That's the main problem here - 'Ceremonials' was probably never going to live up to the high-standards set by 'Lungs' and the lack of diversity of 'Ceremonials', in comparison, may seem monotonous. Despite this, looking solely at 'Ceremonials', as we should, we have a very solid, well thought out album with some consistent production (or should that be over-production?) from the ever-amazing Paul Epworth. Highlights are "Breaking Down" (one of the two tracks Flo wrote on her own, truly highlighting her immense talent), "Shake It Out" and "Only If For A Night". Ultimately, you won't regret buying this album.… Expand

   • Helpful? 3 of 3 users said Yes.
3. Zane

   7

   Ceremonials never deviates from Florence's fierce belting, which, while being one of her biggest assets, also tires quickly. There's nothing quite like Cosmic Love or Kiss with a Fist here, but rather twelve variations of Drumming Song and Dog Days Are Over. This is not to say that the songs sound the same or are bad (in fact, the first half of the album is phenomenal), but there certainly isn't much range.… Expand

   • Helpful? 3 of 4 users said Yes.
4. marktron

   4

   Instead of a nuanced, eclectic collection of songs similar to Lungs, Florence has decided that every second of Ceremonials must sound exactly like biggest moments of Dog Days are Over and Cosmic Love. What happens is that all of the songs start to blur together in their big drum, harp, and choir sameness. Highlights include Only If For A Night, Breaking Down and What the Water Gave Me. The rest of the songs are essentially re-writes of those tracks except the failed Adele-esque adult contemporary of Lover To Lover or the embarrassing kid's Halloween movie level of spookiness of Seven Devil's.… Expand

   • Helpful? 5 of 10 users said Yes.

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