There is plenty to like about Ceremonials, the second album by Florence and the Machine, one of the most successful acts to emerge in recent years, but sadly there is also much to hate. Welch did not change the winning formula (and why should she?): dramatic vocals, massive drums, harps, strings, etc. are again present. Itâ

I Love Every Single Song I Dont Understand Why This Album Has A Lower Score Than Lungs..
I LOVE Lungs But I Really Love This Album!
The Best Album Of 2011 (Next To Lady Gaga's Born This Way)
Her Vocals Are Amazing..
Take Hear Adele...

She got it again! With astonishing lyrics, and a calmer voice, Welch brings up again the power of Kate Bush in the 80s, and manages to do with brilliant musics. With the hit of this year, 'Shake It Out', and the tracks 'Never Let me Go', 'Heartlines' and 'Spectrum', we get from her a new person, a new concept, a new beatiful album!

Just as dark and haunting as it's predecessor - though it doesn't always live up to the standard of lungs, It still remains one of the greatest albums of the year, and far better than anything Adele has done.

This Album Is Just The Best Damn Thing I've Ever Heard!

Before buying 'Lungs', i bought 'Ceremonials.' When I first heard this album. I thought it was phenomenal. But after listening to 'Lungs', 'Ceremonials' became overshadowed by Flo's debut. The album is great, it really is. But, there is something missing that was constantly in Florence + The Machine's 'Lungs.' The album is more soulful. And it contains as much gloom as its predecessor. The first track, Only If For A Night, is the best track in the album. The lyrics are nothing we hadn't already seen on 'Lungs.' Shake It Out is an anthemic masterpiece. And Breaking Down has Florence's most pop-sounding production ever. The worst tracks on the album are the spooky Tim Burton film-esque Seven Devils, the boring and charmless Leave My Body and the tribal Heartlines. But, most of the album is great. The album incorporates new genres not explored in 'Lungs.' The disco-ish Spectrum is a prime example. Another one is Lover to Lover which sounds very jazz adult contemporary and not exactly indie pop or art rock, like most of Flo's work. But overall, the album is not quite the masterpiece of 'Lungs', but it is pretty darn close. It may be the most soulful approach we may ever hear from Florence + The Machine.… Expand

Perfect In Every Way..

The term 'samey' hasn't been trundled out since the last four Oasis albums, but it perfectly fits here. Don't get me wrong, I like FATM, they sound good. This album however just feels like the cuts from the first album that weren't good enough. Download "Shake It Out", forget the rest. Definitely over-rated.

It's not easy as my scores get the highest, but flatly "Ceremonials" deserves a majestic acclamation. It's not just a mixture of different styles, but all these are just one body. No doubt folk influences forge a straight, clean and welcoming path. Miss Florence does not miss any details. There is no empty space in this album. Very continuous, filler and captivating. "Ceremonials" graduates with honours.… Expand

One of the best albums of 2.011. Great vocals, great production, great lyrics, Florence Welch is one of best vocalist from the UK. The best song on the album is Breaking Down eve thouhg I think All This And Heaven Too is such a masterpiece. This kind of albums makes me realize that not everything is lost when it comes to creatition of music and being successful with a different album.

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

Once again, Florence + the Machine dishes out a rock-solid album. This one really shines with intensity, with almost every song being emotional and intense. "Heartlines", "What the Water Gave Me", and "No Light, No Light" really hit me hard, and they lift Florence + the Machine to new heights of artistry. If there is one thing that bugs me, is that they didn't deviate too far from what they're comfortable with. While the songs are superb, it seems like there could've been more - like they could've made this album even better. I also noticed that Florence's voice wasn't so heavily focused on as it was in "Lungs", which is a minor, but unfortunate, observation.… Expand

It's dark and grandiose, two things "Lungs" wasn't. It's a great improvement on the unstructured album that was "Lungs." Where "Lungs" found greatness in its imperfections, "Ceremonials" chooses to strive for perfection. It's a lofty goal, and "Ceremonials" is not perfect, but it is as close as possible. There is no moment as bright as 'Dog Days Are Over,' but "Ceremonials" makes up for this in the beauty of the anthem, 'Shake It Out.' Though heavy and sometimes overbearingly dark, it is an artistic and beautiful album, and possibly the best album of 2011.… Expand

Ceremonials is really baroque and haunting and one of the best album released in 2011. Thanks to songs like What The Water Gave Me (a masterpiece!), Shake it Out, Leave My Body, Never Let Me Go and Spectrum this album won't leave your head & while listening to it you'll have the feeling of participating in some kind of old ceremony or ritual to get rid of the devil inside of you (or whatever, it doesn't really matter at all).… Expand

While Lungs was more eclectic (and appropriately body focused), Ceremonials dives into exploring the sometimes more elusive sacred aspects of experience, and ends up settling into a more cohesive sounding album. Listening to this album feels as serious and mysterious as the best of ceremonies, yet never as boring thanks to the percussive and epic anthems that call for us to sing aloud. "Thin Space" is a Celtic phrase used to describe places where the two worlds of spiritual and natural meet. Ceremonials is a thin space for me. Highlights are all the first 7 tracks together, and the last 2.… Expand

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. "Ceremonials" is a magical and unique journey. Florence Welche takes us through her ups and down with soothing, angel-like vocal, accompanied by the perfect instrumentation.… Expand

Florence has gone much heavier on Cermonials. Her lyrics are darker, her tunes are moodier, and her beats are more powerful and deep - any previous fans of Lungs will not be disappointed.

This may not be the absolute best album of 2011 but it definitely deserves to be a contender for that title. After such a strong debut album it looked like Florence Welch and her band wouldn't be able to beat it, but with Ceremonials they did. It is more consistent sounding then Lungs and even more outrageously beautiful and well orchestrated. This album is darker than Lungs for sure, but also more artistic and beautifully expressive. 10 out of 10!… Expand

This is one of the best albums of the year. I do not deny that Florence's big, glamorous chorus lines get a little repetitive, but I don't even care. "Ceremonials" is a sonic joyride and an emotional release. It's big, it's loud, and it's awesome.

Ceremonials represents a musical evolution from the previously released album "Lungs". It has more a dark sound to it (if you think of tracks like "Seven Devils" and "Only If For A Night"). The lyrics, as always are mystical and astonishing, indeed pure poetry. Many themes are spoken about in this album as spirituality, life and love. Florence has an unique voice that makes her stand out from the choir, you can hear in her singing influences by Stevie Nicks. She adds up a lot of drama to her singing which is, in my opinion, a great quality, since it intensifies the meaning of her lyrics. We definitely need more artists like Florence and the Machine.… Expand

A brilliant album!!!! I would say that the song "Never let me go" is one of the best song I've heard in a long time!!! I love Florence!!!The rest of the songs are great too:-)

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

Florence the Machine have done it again! Ceremonials is a great album, songs like "Shake It Out "Spectrum," and "Lover to Lover" are great examples. Although this album isn't as fun as Lungs, it still is wonderful, exactly what you would expect from Florence.

Florence has always been one of those beautiful acts that are always there on your iPod should you need something powerful to play in your ears, for me. This album, however, has made her so much more.

It's powerful, a power that exceeds even the near flawless 'Lungs'. It carries with it the haunting edge 'Lungs' also held, but plays on it in far more straight-forward ways, a hurricane in musical production and voice, though she equally explores softer melodies, wind instruments and sweeter singing, reminiscent to my 'Lungs' highlight, 'Blinding'.

This is not to mention the fact that Florence Welch is one of the best songwriters in recent memory, let alone singers. She's truly crafted herself a niche in music and still manages to feel like a breath of empowering, fresh air on every listen. It's thus far, for me, the quintessential album of 2011.… Expand

I'm obsessed with this cd. SO many great songs on here. I can't give it a 10 because there are two that I don't care for. Breaking Down and All this and Heaven Too just don't do it for me. Bedroom Hymns, Seven Devils and Only if for a Night...I'm in love!!!

amazing album!!! made me buy her other album and fall in love with this band from the beginning. shake it out is pure genius. that song speaks volumes.

Yeah, Ceremonials is more 'cohesive' than Lungs, but it also lacks the electrifying spark that came with it. Does that ruin the entire album? No, but it's definitely not her best.

In an era of pop music full of insipid one hit wonders and autotuned abortions it's really refreshing to hear an album like Ceremonials. For anyone who's heard Lungs, it shouldn't be a surprise that this delivers in areas where other pop albums simply can't. Ceremonials, like Lungs before it, provides an interesting juxtaposition of glossy synths, natural instrumentation and organic drum patterns topped off by Florence's brilliant vocal delivery. However, the mood of Ceremonials is what sets it apart from its predecessor. Whilst Lungs was springlike and frequently jubilant, Ceremonials is more like its slightly more subdued autumnal counterpart. That's not to suggest that Ceremonials is at all joyless, far from it, but there are moments of frosty atmospherics in between Florence's blustery vocals.… Expand