Florence + the Machine, “Ceremonials“(Universal Republic)
2011 is the year of Paul Epworth. You may not recognize his name, but you know his work.
He’s the producer and co-writer behind Adele’s drum-filled “Rolling in the Deep.” He also worked on two other tracks on the best-selling singer’s “21” album. And he’s also the mastermind behind Florence + the Machine’s sophomore effort, “Ceremonials.”
Epworth has created exceptional songs that sound mysterious, big and arena-ready, and it all complements that powerful voice of the group’s frontwoman, Florence Welch.
They’re epic on album opener “Only if for a Night,” and they keep that momentum. “Shake It Out,” which Welch calls “the hangover tune,” is one of the year’s best tracks. is followed by “What the Water Gave Me,” a dramatic tune about drowning. Welch’s vocals are impeccable throughout, soft and lovely on “Never Let Me Go” and bossy on “No Light, No Light.”
Epworth was responsible for some of the magic on the debut by Florence + the Machine, 2009’s “Lungs.” But there were other magicians, too: Eg White — another Adele collaborator — produced the song “Hurricane Drunk”; the album also featured James Ford, who produced the hit “Dog Days Are Over.” They still work as songwriters on “Ceremonials,” but Epworth’s in full charge, and amazingly good at it. Mesfin Fekadu, The Associated Press
Deer Tick, “Divine Providence”(Partisan)
And now for something completely different: Deer Tick’s new album.
“Divine Providence” is a party wagon with the wheels coming off, a rollicking burst of high jinks that should come complete with grainy black-and-white footage of double-time drunken antics.
The lusty leer of opener “The Bump” foreshadows an album that mimics the Rhode Island quartet’s rollicking live show. By the time we get to the Ramones-like bop of “Let’s All Go to the Bar,” we’re in the car cruising right along with John McCauley and Co.
McCauley and his delightfully raspy voice were the centerpiece of Deer Tick’s last album, “The Black Dirt Sessions.” He’s at it again here, pushing the party forward on “Something to Brag About” and “Miss K.,” and supplying a few stunning weepers like the slowly unfurling “Electric” and “Chevy Express.”
This time, though, bandmates contribute songs and lead vocals and the ideas never seem to stop because of it.
And although McCauley gets all the ink, let’s give drummer Dennis Ryan a little love and single out his contribution “Clownin’ Around.” It’s full of great images — “the devil is livin’ in my basement” and “I keep my secrets with a knife” — and his mournful lead vocal spirals right into the flames. Chris Talbott, The Associated Press
