Has Florence's Machine Stalled?

Let's not mince words: Florence Welch could sing the phone book and I would actually pay money to listen eagerly and intently. As Florence + The Machine, her voice is a guiding force of nature that fleshes out the band's music into something truly original and unmistakably their own.

Their first album, "Lungs" (2009), delicately strung together a variety of genres into a soulful, at times sultry exploration of the fine lines between pop, rock, and classical influences. Sophomore album "Ceremonials" (2011) pushed that journey further by weaving an intricate tapestry of layered, ethereal soundscapes to produce what can only be described as modern chamber music. I gush like this to show my overwhelming surprise that their latest offering, "How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful," is drastically more earthy and raw. It still has power, but since music like theirs is in the ear of the beholder, that power can be wielded for good or evil.

From the get-go, we should know that something's going to be different with this album. The colors and surreal images from their previous cover art are replaced here with a stark, black-and-white photo of Welch staring right at us. For an album with the words "blue" and "beautiful" in the title, it seems counterproductive to be so lifeless at the outset. (Is it bad that I do kind of like the font?) It's almost as though she's going out of her way to tell us that past flourishes -- the lush orchestration of "Cosmic Love," the epic, swelling chorus of "Shake It Out," and even the chilling string section that undulates in B-side favorite "Heavy In Your Arms" -- are no more... at least for now.

They do peek out around the edges, though, so fans needn't worry that she's completely turned her back on their signature sound. For the record, Welch can still sing anything, and the band will follow suit. However, the album raises an important question: "Should she?" To be clear, I'm all in favor of artist experimentation and trying out new sounds or directions. In this case, despite her vocal prowess and stunning range, these songs are rather lackluster from a strictly musical standpoint. Strike one: many of the songs sound like they could have easily been done by other artists or bands. Strike two is even worse: when you don't realize, due to their similarities, that one song has ended and another has started.

Fortunately, the album isn't enough of a miss to warrant third-strike status. But when it's compared to the caliber of "Lungs," an unusually assured debut that feels more fully realized and carries more verve, "How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful" does falter. Clearly, this doesn't indicate a lack of talent -- their ability to consistently sell out venues in mere minutes would support this assessment -- but rather a reach bigger than their grasp. The band is trying too hard to demonstrate their savvy and their versatility when, by all accounts, they have nothing left to prove!

Highlights like "Queen Of Peace" and "Various Storms And Saints" are thankfully on hand to redeem the album from being totally homogenized. In fact, the sheer strength of her voice and the insightful, thought-provoking lyrics are all that distinguish this as an F+TM album. The way Welch vocally wraps her entire being around such telling statements as "My love is no good against the fortress that it made of you" from the aforementioned "Queen" is moving and hauntingly poetic. "How Big..." is still worth a few thorough listens, particularly to allow the better songs more time to grow on you. Meanwhile, I'd much rather spend the wait for their next album hoping for a return to form.