Description
Florence And The Machine – High As Hope – Vinyl Record
Released on June 29, 2018, High As Hope marked a pivotal moment in Florence + The Machine’s career. Where previous albums thrived on grandiosity, sweeping orchestration, and celestial drama, this record saw Florence Welch embracing restraint and intimacy like never before. Known for her mythic storytelling and ethereal, explosive vocals, Welch takes a more introspective and raw approach here, turning inward to explore themes of love, addiction, family, loneliness, and self-discovery. The result is a deeply personal and poetic album, one that strips back the bombast without sacrificing emotional intensity.
Compared to the lush, baroque instrumentation of Ceremonials (2011) or the stormy, arena-sized power of How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful (2015), High As Hope is a quieter, more delicate work. The album’s production is noticeably sparse, allowing more room for Welch’s voice to take center stage. It feels as if she is singing directly to the listener, rather than to an entire cathedral of ghosts. While there are still moments of grandeur, they are fewer and farther between, making the climaxes feel earned rather than overwhelming. The shift in sound reflects Welch’s personal growth and healing, as she steps away from the chaos of her earlier years and moves toward a quieter, more reflective space.
A Sound That Breathes: Simplicity as Strength
Musically, High As Hope balances between gentle minimalism and the occasional soaring catharsis. The production, handled largely by Welch herself alongside Emile Haynie (known for his work with Lana Del Rey and Kanye West), feels warm and organic. The use of piano, soft percussion, strings, and subtle electronic flourishes creates an atmosphere that is more akin to a confessional poetry reading than a theatrical performance. Welch’s voice remains the focal point—every tremor, whisper, and breath is palpable, making the emotions behind each song feel immediate and deeply personal.
While past albums often buried Welch’s emotions under layers of sound, here, her voice floats over open spaces, unguarded and vulnerable. The quietest moments are often the most powerful, as seen in “Grace”, a stunning piano ballad in which Welch apologizes to her sister for years of reckless behavior, or “The End of Love”, a slow-burning meditation on abandonment, hope, and heartbreak. Even on more upbeat tracks like “Hunger”, the instrumentation remains intentionally restrained, allowing the lyrics to hit with full force.
Lyrical Themes: Pain, Healing, and Self-Reflection
Lyrically, High As Hope is Welch’s most autobiographical album to date, diving deep into her past struggles with self-destruction, addiction, and the search for meaning. Unlike her earlier work, which often shrouded pain in mythological and gothic imagery, here Welch speaks plainly and directly, making the emotion feel even more profound.
The album opens with “June,” setting the tone with its quietly swelling instrumentation and poetic lyricism. Welch sings about finding solace in human connection during moments of darkness, referencing a real-life panic attack she experienced just before performing at a festival. This theme of seeking light within struggle continues throughout the album.
“Hunger” is one of the record’s most striking moments, beginning with the raw confession:
At seventeen, I started to starve myself / I thought that love was a kind of emptiness.”
The song evolves into a triumphant, defiant anthem about longing, loneliness, and the search for fulfillment, proving that even in Welch’s most painful admissions, there is a sense of resilience and beauty.
“South London Forever” is a nostalgic reflection on Welch’s youth, recalling late-night adventures, reckless abandon, and the fleeting nature of innocence. She sings about the blissful yet aimless energy of being young, only to realize how much has changed—how fame and adulthood have taken her further from that carefree existence.
Meanwhile, “Big God” is a slow, haunting track about unfulfilled longing, ghosting, and the absence of closure. Co-written with Jamie xx, its dramatic build-up and crashing instrumentation recall some of Welch’s earlier theatricality, but in a more restrained and brooding manner.
Then there’s “No Choir,” a song that serves as both a closing statement and a quiet epiphany. Welch reflects on the fact that true happiness is often quiet and uneventful, not something that makes for grand, dramatic songs. The song is almost whispered, ending the album with an intimate, bittersweet realization:
It’s hard to write about being happy, ’cause the older I get / I find that happiness is an extremely uneventful subject.
Reception and Legacy: A Bold Departure That Stands the Test of Time
Upon its release, High As Hope was met with critical acclaim, though it divided some fans who had come to expect Florence + The Machine’s signature intensity and bombastic arrangements. Some praised the album for its maturity, emotional honesty, and refined musical approach, while others missed the towering crescendos and chaotic beauty of past albums. However, even among critics who preferred her earlier work, there was a consensus that High As Hope was an important and necessary evolution—a record that showcased Welch’s growth as both a songwriter and a person.
Commercially, the album performed well, debuting at No. 2 on the UK Albums Chart and No. 2 on the US Billboard 200. While its singles didn’t have the same radio dominance as past hits like “Shake It Out” or “Dog Days Are Over,” songs like “Hunger” and “Big God” still found strong followings, especially in live performances, where Welch’s raw, unfiltered energy brought them to life.
Perhaps the most lasting impact of High As Hope is its vulnerability. Unlike many of Welch’s past albums, which thrived on epic storytelling and mystical grandeur, this one feels like a personal letter, a quiet meditation on self-acceptance and the beauty of imperfection. It shows that Florence Welch doesn’t need huge, sweeping orchestrations to make an impact—sometimes, her whisper can be just as powerful as her roar.
Final Thoughts: A Deeply Personal Masterpiece That Rewards Patience
More than any of her previous albums, High As Hope feels like a turning point in Welch’s artistry. It is an album about what happens after the storm has passed—after the highs of youth, after the self-destruction, after the chaos. Instead of offering simple resolutions, Welch sits with the complexities of adulthood, finding both sadness and beauty in stillness.
While it may not have the immediate drama of Ceremonials or the hit-making anthems of Lungs, it stands as one of her most affecting, deeply felt records. It’s an album that requires patience and attention, rewarding listeners with some of Welch’s most powerful songwriting to date. For those willing to take the journey, High As Hope is not just a collection of songs—it’s an intimate, soul-baring experience, one that lingers long after the final notes fade away.
Brand new, never played and still in the factory plastic sealed
Track Listing
June
Hunger
South London Forever
Big God
Sky Full Of Song
Grace
Patricia
100 Years
The End Of Love
No Choir
