Released on Oct. 31—aka, Halloween—of 2025, “Everybody Scream” is the most recent album of the enigmatic artist Florence + The Machine. With her iconic witchy aesthetic and stunning vocal range, Florence Welch has blown audiences away since her debut album “Lungs” in 2009, which featured the popular song, “Dog Days Are Over.”
As a long-time listener of Florence + The Machine, I was ecstatic that she was finally releasing another album, especially considering her last album, “Dance Fever”, was released back in 2022.
“Everybody Scream”
Rating: 10/10
Favorite Line: “But look at me run myself ragged, blood on the stage/But how can I leave you when you’re screaming my name”
This song is by far my favorite on the album, and maybe even my favorite out of her entire discography. Her singing is poignant and powerful, and the song skips from highs to lows and back again with incredible skill. She effortlessly evinces the feeling of being famous and commanding a crowd through her provocative, poetic lyricism.
“One of the Greats”
Rating: 9/10
Favorite Line: “Did I get it right?/Do I win the prize?/Do you regret bringing me back to life?”
While this song doesn’t have the same energy and passion as “Everybody Scream”, it shares its hard-hitting lyricism and complex melodic structure. Welch’s signature voice carries the song’s storyline, producing an incredible amount of empathy as her emotions shine through. The background harmonies feel especially impactful.
“Witch Dance”
Rating: 6/10
Favorite Line: “The woman said we have been waiting/Waiting to meet you”
This song is arguably the most upbeat on the album, but what it overperforms in vigor, it underperforms in rhythm and flow. It just doesn’t navigate the pace changes with the same grace that many of her other songs do, which leaves it feeling a little bit unfinished.
“Sympathy Magic”
Rating: 8/10
Favorite Line: “I no longer try to be good/It didn’t keep me safe, like you told me that it would”
The mood and vocals of this song are entirely ethereal, and they make it easy to see where the song gets its name. The harmonies of the chorus, delicate chords of the instruments and the reflective lyrics all work together to amplify this feeling of magic and reinvention.
“Perfume and Milk”
Rating: 8/10
Favorite Line: “And all shall be well, all shall be well/Miracles are often inconvenient…”
Saturated in hope despite its melancholy, “Perfume and Milk”, represents healing and believing in the good brought by life. Welch vehemently uses intense natural imagery and metaphors to express these ideas in a way that is potent and vulnerable. I truly have nothing against this song, but I can’t justify putting its rating any closer to “Everybody Scream”.
“Buckle”
Rating: 5/10
Favorite Line: “I’m not better than this, show me what I’m worth”
This one also feels stagnant compared to the rest of the album, mostly because its overall mood is much different than the previous songs. Its lyrical tone is further from ethereal and magical, and closer to that of a breakup song, which definitely jarred me when I listened to the full album for the first time. The instrumental aspects of the song also seem lacking when up against its siblings.
“Kraken”
Rating: 6/10
Favorite Line: “All of my peers they had such potential/But the swamp it took them down”
In my mind, this song is the companion to “Buckle” because it uses similar instruments in the background, though the lyricism of “Kraken” saves it from being rated the same as its predecessor. Still, it has a strange beat to it that feels disruptive to the flow of Welch’s vocals, so I can’t find a reason to rate it any higher.
“The Old Religion”
Rating: 9/10
Favorite Line: “But you can’t outrun/Yourself you see/And I’m powerless/Oh don’t remind me”
This one is definitely one of the most powerful on the album, with its slow start and subtle crescendo, paired with its insightful and vivid lyrics. It also includes Welch’s signature harmonies in its chorus, which really ties the whole song together.
“Drink Deep”
Rating: 9/10
Favorite Line: “What I thought was a night, was a thousand years/What I thought was a sip, was a thousand tears”
“Drink Deep” is by far the most unique song in the collection. Its use of windchimes and ghostly background vocals are reminiscent of nature just before a storm, making the song feel just as palpable and ominous. Welch’s singing mirrors that of Gregorian chanting, driving home this compelling feeling, as well as the central message of what must be sacrificed for greatness.
“Music by Men”
Rating: 5/10
Favorite Line: “Always thought I was nice, I thought I was kind/’Til I tried to do something that was almost real life”
This song contrasts greatly to the two before it, as its instrumentals are closer to a slow country song and it is clearly much less experimental. As always, Welch’s voice is beautiful and dynamic, but I think my problem with this song is its lack of novelty and vicissitude. To put it bluntly, it’s rudimentary. The lyrics are alright, but not even close to what Welch is capable of, and the same goes for most of the other elements of the song.
“You Can Have It All”
Rating: 9/10
Favorite Line: “Try and control what I can/And feel the world slip through my hands”
Relating closely to “One of the Greats”, this song tackles the insatiable, human need to always have more and how that impacts a person’s life. Similarly to “The Old Religion”, it also has a slow, meaningful build to a passionate, gripping chorus. The lyrics carry her signature poeticism, evoking contemplation and a little bit of fury in the listener. My only critique is that I think it would’ve been better presented as the very last song of the album.
“And Love”
Rating: 6/10
Favorite Line: “And love was not what I thought it was”
A slower, contemplative song, “And Love” was an interesting way for Welch to end the album. Its hopeful lyrics mirror that of “Perfume and Milk”, while also seeming to close the storyline of a volatile romantic relationship that was referenced in other songs. Still, it’s because of this relation to “Perfume and Milk” that makes it feel slightly uninspired, and in all honesty, less impactful than it should be as the album’s conclusion.
