Ceremonials
by Florence + the Machine
  • Record Label: Island
  • Release Date: Nov 1, 2011
User Score
8.9

Universal acclaim- based on 585 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 541 out of 585
  2. Mixed: 13 out of 585
  3. Negative: 31 out of 585
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  1. JamesKeely
    Nov 26, 2011
    3
    After finally managing to force myself to listen to Ceremonials for a third time, I can safely say my initial verdict was the correct one - Just about every song misses the mark on what it tries to achieve and they all suffer from the same problem of being over-produced and under delivered. In the end, a grand, sweeping sound throughout can't mask the half-baked lyrics and bad arrangement.After finally managing to force myself to listen to Ceremonials for a third time, I can safely say my initial verdict was the correct one - Just about every song misses the mark on what it tries to achieve and they all suffer from the same problem of being over-produced and under delivered. In the end, a grand, sweeping sound throughout can't mask the half-baked lyrics and bad arrangement. Lungs was a masterpiece. This is utter crap.… Expand

Awards & Rankings

12
#12 Most Discussed Album of 2011
12
#12 Most Shared Album of 2011

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
75

Generally favorable reviews - based on 36 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 22 out of 36
  2. Mixed: 14 out of 36
  3. Negative: 0 out of 36
  1. Austin Chronicle
    Oct 9, 2012
    67
    Ceremonials is gorgeous head-to-toe, making grand statements with heavy syntax, but paradoxically, it's light as air.
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  2. Delusions of Adequacy
    Mar 22, 2012
    60
    It's this robust fervor and subject matter that fire up and lift up many of the songs on Ceremonials, but the constant exhortation comes at a price. Listener fatigue sets in as the relentless, up-tempo pace and sharply exclamatory vocal tone overwhelms over the course of the album.
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  3. Mojo
    Jan 10, 2012
    60
    For all the florid curlicues and crescendos, Welch's second album is light on true beauty, real idiosyncrasy. [Dec. 2011, p.94]
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