Florence + The Machine – Moderation = 6.50
[Video]
[6.50]
Katie Gill: Who’s ready for a start of the decade throwback? Even though the song doesn’t have anything close to her previous wilty flowery indie sound, there are so many elements here that are classic Florence + the Machine. Pulsing piano, those pseudo-gospel backing vocals, Florence’s vocals being the star of the show, they all join together to create something that’s REALLY familiar to me, a person who’s heard every Florence song multiple times because fandom fanmix creators in the early 2010s had no sense of originality. It feels familiar. And maybe that’s why I’m predisposed to liking it so much even if really, it’s not that much to write home about.
[7]
Tobi Tella: “Want me to love you in moderation; well who’d you think you’re talking to?” could essentially serve as a thesis statement for Florence Welch’s entire career, and the song lives up to that promises. The booming drums and the choir vocals turn the song into a full-on production, and Florence keeps that vibe going with her patently dramatic lyrics. After a much-needed stripped down album, it’s a joyous and dramatic return to her niche, and she does it perfectly.
[8]
Vikram Joseph: A bluesy vamp which – as much as “do I look moderate to you?” would make a fabulous social media / dating profile tagline – nonetheless sounds kind of awkward and unwieldy, as if Florence had been asked to write a Bond theme without ever having heard one before.
[5]
Iain Mew: Naming a song after a quality it is emblematically not going to provide is a good gag, and “do I look moderate to you?” an even better one. The relatively large amount of space around the hammering BAM-BAM-BAM means that there’s a journey rather than just a full battering, too. It doesn’t change that I know I’m not a fan, but the appeal is much easier to see in a song with as many fun elements as this.
[6]
Wayne Weizhen Zhang: Surprisingly, Florence + The Machine x The Beatles sounds better in practice than it did in theory.
[6]
Scott Mildenhall: Today is not the day for moderation, but by previous standards Florence employs an amenable amount here. Yet to moderate — is it that through which she loses some of her early sparkle? Can you pin that loss on one verb, or is “stories of disaster” simply rather labouring old stuff now? Regardless, “Moderation” does at least come over with greater assurance than ever — when toned down, this gambit exudes even more conviction.
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