Florence + The Machine: Lungs

Florence Welch has a penchant for dramatics. But what would be a dubious distinction for most twentysomethings becomes an advantage when paired with Welch’s otherworldly vocals and a trio of top-tier British producers who elevate her Mercury Prize-nominated debut album, Lungs, to something that manages to be grandiose, relatable, and incessantly catchy all at the same time. On “Drumming Song,” for example, Welch’s chest-thumping delivery manages to match the relentless, driving percussion in terms of both intensity and catharsis, while “Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)” utilizes a choir, bells, and lion/lamb imagery in service of the pop-song equivalent of twirling joyfully in a sunny field.