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Jul 2, 2018The easiest and most likely path to continued success for Welch and company would have been to attempt to re-create the spellbinding magic of Ceremonials or the anthemic qualities of Lungs. High as Hope is neither, and that makes it hands down the most forward-thinking album of Florence and the Machine’s care
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Jun 27, 2018Welch's singing throughout is extraordinary, shifting gears effortlessly from melancholic softness to high-powered exultation, even ululation. Every gasp, growl and fluttery trill seems perfectly placed.
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Jul 2, 2018It’s raw, human, stripped of all excess and laid bare--and it’s quite possibly the most beautiful thing the band has ever released. Near perfection.
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Jul 2, 2018A new level of vulnerability from Florence Welch and deft, atmospheric production from Emile Haynie (Lana Del Rey) makes High As Hope another album of cathedral-filling, mountain-moving sound, with Welch’s vocals the main source of power.
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Q MagazineJul 3, 2018It's an album that makes you feel the real Florence Welch is only beginning. [Aug 2018, p.106]
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Jul 2, 2018In this age of bonus tracks and seemingly endless ‘deluxe’ versions, at just 40 minutes and 10 songs long, it never overstays its welcome. If this new, compact, less overblown Machine shows what Florence Welch is capable of, may it run for another 10 years.
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Jun 29, 2018Stripped back and unapologetic, Florence Welch’s fourth record as Florence + the Machine carries a sense of nakedness never seen before--it’s self-aware, remorseless, and raw.
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Jun 29, 2018High As Hope is musically safe likely due to the subdued art pop grandeur heard in previous Florence and the Machine's albums. However, musical flourishes throughout the album add depth and affectation.
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Jun 29, 2018The songs on “High as Hope” don’t have as much youthful urgency of past anthems, but Welch’s thoughtful words and the raw power of her melodies keep the songs compelling. The lush production by Emile Haynie (Lana Del Rey) and Welch herself (her first production credit) bolster each song with sweeping atmosphere.
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Jun 29, 2018What she's come to realise, finally, on new Florence & The Machine album High As Hope, is that her voice is just as, if not more powerful when she holds back.
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Jun 29, 2018High as Hope is an album that takes solace in those closest to her, works to right previous wrongs, and sees her come out the other side a whole lot stronger.
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Jun 28, 2018Vulnerability is presented here as strength, where before it’s been masked in metaphor. It’s not that Welch isn’t scared any more; it’s that she’s made her peace with that, and in turn one of her strongest records to date.
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Jun 28, 2018The most rewarding Florence and the Machine full-length yet.
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Jun 28, 2018High As Hope is a welcome chapter in Florence + the Machine's career. Welch is writing reflectively but with a firm rooting in the present; singing with clarity about life's biggest questions as she and her fans continue to figure it out side-by-side, in both the loud and quiet moments.
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Aug 6, 2018While there may be no obvious "stadium" moments here to compare with "Ship to Wreck" from 2015's How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful or the massive "Shake It Out" from 2011's Ceremonials, aside, perhaps from recent single "Big God," this is a deep well of an album that demands repeated listens--the subtleties and intricacies revealing themselves satisfyingly and sometimes inspiringly as time goes on.
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Jun 29, 2018Musically, High As Hope isn’t too far off from the operatic orchestration of her earlier work, which is the most frustrating thing about it. It does give the music a little more space to breathe, however, and adds a percussive through-line of handclaps, foot stomps, and prominent double bass that builds on the melodramatic vibe fans love.
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UncutJul 19, 2018Sober and joyful. [Sep 2018, p.29]
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Jul 11, 2018By stripping everything back, it often ends up just being a distillation of their sound. The songs are familiar but frustratingly lack any colour or character.
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Jul 5, 2018It is a (relatively speaking) stripped back effort that brings Florence grounded firmly to the earth and perhaps is her greatest achievement to date.
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Jul 2, 2018Straightforward and relatably human, High as Hope may not be the rousing version of Welch from previous albums, but as a document of her personal growth, it's an endearing and heartfelt study of truth and self-reflection.
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Jun 29, 2018It gets a bit samey over the course of the record, but it’s effective, and the space around Welch’s mighty voice gives every nuance room to be heard.
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Jun 29, 2018High as Hope is a marvel when Welch pushes past the boundaries both within herself and in the familiar structure of songs, but falters when stagnating inside those constraints.
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Jul 2, 2018High As Hope still has the odd damp patch, and does not lack for oxygen: references to skyscrapers, and overproduced backing vocals see to that. There are skies full of song.
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Jun 29, 2018Stripped to the bare bones of her soul and the sentiment, her truth shines--and there’s a beauty in that. The only thing holding it back is a lack of risk, but there’s still so much comfort in the familiar.
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Jun 28, 2018Welch widens the song's [Hunger's] scope from a specific personal battle with an eating disorder to a broader emphasis on universal craving for love and acceptance, but trite statements about the destructive nature of fame and drugs are emblematic of the album's overall tendency to retreat into sweeping, generalized sentiments. Welch strikes a more effective balance between the personal and the universal on “Big God.”
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Jun 28, 2018An album that is undoubtedly a progression from her previous work, filled with well-written songs but still frustrating to listen to. It gives the distinct impression that there is a different artist somewhere within Florence Welch, struggling against the desire for grandiosity and the kind of big musical statements that have powered her career. High as Hope suggests she should sweat the small stuff more often.
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MojoJun 27, 2018Big God runs up and down a subtler emotional scale, while the heartfelt Hunger emphasises Welch's admirable desire to connect. Yet High As Hope often feels like The Greatest Showman for people of drinking age, This Is Me for art students--an affirmation, not a challenge. [Aug 2018, p.88]
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Jul 2, 2018Lyrically, High as Hope forsakes Welch’s knack for vibrant imagery and symbolism for more human modifiers and concerns. While it allows her to share more personal information, Welch’s straightforward songwriting means there are no “Howl”’s or “Ship to Wreck”’s present here. ... Despite these critiques, High as Hope surpasses many of them to solidify itself as a decent record.
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Jul 5, 2018Welch sounds content and resigned, recollecting the stormy Saturdays of the past with a Sunday-morning penitent’s shrug and a born-again sigh. How small, how beige, how disappointing.
Awards & Rankings
User score distribution:
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Positive: 432 out of 499
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Mixed: 26 out of 499
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Negative: 41 out of 499
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Jun 29, 2018This review contains spoilers, click full review link to view.
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Jun 29, 2018
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Jun 29, 2018An emotional joyride that leads you to "hope" and "delight"...the most fascinating piece of work by Queen Mother Florence and her beautiful Machine.