FEW bands have the opportunity, nevermind the nous, to pull off a landmark live recording. Not just an album of greatest hits with intermittent crowd noises in between but a genuine attempt at adding to an artiste’s ouvre. The MC5 did it with its incendiary debut, Kick Out The Jams, and Portishead elevated its trip-noir sound onto an epic scale on Roseland, NYC, Live. The list is sparse but to that it can now be added Florence + the Machine’s Symphony of Lungs - BBC At The Proms Live At The Royal Albert Hall.
With the aid of Jules Buckley’s Orchestra, Florence Welch and cohorts bring Lungs, to vivid Technicolor life, stunning the audience with an astounding performance at the prestigious venue on Sept 14.
Orchestral maneuvers in the dark
The orchestra is not just there as a gimmick but actually add emotional depth to the proceedings. Welch had said that the debut record was all about “feeling” and that Buckley’s deft touches do accentuate each song with just the gentlest of flourishes. It is never bombastic, even when a full string section, violins and choir are in attendance, as Welch’s huge vocal range holds sway, even if by her own admission it has diminished in the ensuing years. It is still big and emotional enough to fill the Royal Albert Hall with its gentle phrasing and vibratos that quiver when the song demands it. It is quite spectacular and a live setting is quite simply the best stage for her vocal talents to shine and soar.
All the songs on Lungs are given a fresh lease of life as Buckley’s orchestra squeezes even more emotional gravitas with cleverly placed interludes. For instance, the violin solo at the beginning of Kiss With A Fist bring a gypsy-like flavour to the chaos of the song about a dysfunctional relationship.
The Drumming Song ascends a new summit of sound with a full orchestra behind it and Howl benefits from having not one, but two, harps propel it along. Throughout the 80-minute performance, Welch’s vocals does not disapponit even once. This is not a warts-and-all live recording but one that has been practiced to perfection, as befitting a world class orchestra and a singer who is almost diva-like in her vocal stylings.
Broadcaster faves
Florence + the Machine has long been championed by the BBC, helping it achieve greater prominence via its BBC Music Introducing series. It is thus apt that the broadcaster invited the band to perform Lungs at the Royal Albert Hall to celebrate the album’s 15th anniversary.
This is the band’s statement record. It just works, even the out takes and bonus material that did not make the original cut of the album. This is quite possibly the record that secures the band’s position as a modern national treasure, much like Massive Attack’s Mezzanine and The Verve’s Urban Hymns. It is that good. But what sets it apart is the live setting and what the orchestra brings, elevating a great album into something grander and even more epic.
The performance was captured on film and audio. Both were released on Oct 25 digitally and can be enjoyed on major streaming platforms. The vinyl edition is expected to drop on Mar 14, 2025.
