Description
This album is the triumphant sound of a singer reborn…Pain and euphoria collide on album five, as Florence crafts huge choruses to explore her evolving relationship with dance. At a time when dancing was practically non-existent – besides the quarantine kitchen disco – the south London songwriter and musician, like so many of us, craved the physical release of movement.
The fifth album from Welch and her band, ‘Dance Fever’, expands the emotional weight of that once-universal desire into gorgeously expressive songs. This 14-track collection reflects a new sense of resolve, packing an invigorated spirit into powerful, sneakily thrilling pop. If the lyrics share a tight thematic focus, the music is where Welch stretches out into intriguing new shapes. On the track ‘FREE’ with its twitchy percussion arrangements heightening one of the most ecstatic choruses of the band’s career, Welch approaches the subject of overcoming anxiety with sustained wonder that such happiness is even possible. “And for a moment / When I’m dancing / I feel free”, she sings, over a whirl of buzz and shimmer. By repeating that mantra throughout the track’s sumptuous choruses, Welch sounds energised from the thrill of this feeling. Much like the majority of ‘Dance Fever’, it feels like a joyous, slowly unfurling epiphany. It’s a gift to be able to listen in.
