Man, Are Florence + The Machine Ever Demonstrative

The Florence end of Florence + The Machine shares with us that she recently had a nervous breakdown, that she wasn't making herself happy. If you listen closely to her new "What Kind of Man" you can tell the woman's been riding the ragged edge for sure. To start with the general mood runs everywhere. At the outset there's this slow, uneasy build that leads to who knows what. Then, out of nowhere, Florence lunges back into the sorts of theatrics which made "Shake It Out" a tour-de-force. As has been true in previous column space I'm not in love with the repetitive chorus being pushed under my nose. After the umpteenth time Florence asks "What kind of man loves like this?" you start caring about everything except gleaning an answer to the question. Florence + The Machine know which buttons to push, which uneasy corners of psyche to zero in on. There does come the realization that there's such a thing as too close to the bone. At the beginning of the song there's dialogue between Florence and a guy I presume is her lover. She discusses with him why he'd think people going through traumatic experiences are more connected than people who are content. This is interconnected with footage of Florence placed in various traumatic situations. The slow burn build musically sounds suspiciously like building tension so as to shock and awe listeners when the "Shake It Out" Florence pops back into view. Florence doesn't let us forget how keyed up she continues to be. Mark Saunders rides in behind on bass, touching the most fragile end of the spectrum. Also showing up to the dance on backup vocals are Isabella Summers, Christopher Lloyd Hayden, and Rusty Bradshaw. Mr. Hayden employs gut punch drums to demonic effect. Over on lead guitar Robert Ackroyd grabs us by the throat refusing to let go. If you fall into the category of people who prefer a brass section there's one bubbling under during Florence's oft asked question. Meanwhile, Florence herself grows ever victimized by mad and maddening crowds as the video shows. You don't lack for voyeuristic entertainment value but knowing Florence tumbled from sanity doesn't make the listening experience any less prickly heat inducing. The guitar and drum combo stand out the most. They represent the propulsion steam engine pushing "What Kind of Man" further and further. Lucky her man with one kiss inspired a 20 year period of devotion. Some lip lock, huh. That's downright Hall of Fame worthy. This dude strikes me as being a sociopath blended in with tease. He lets her dangle at a cruel angle where her feet don't touch the floor. I wonder if the sex goes down as super rough. Anything about Florence impresses me as super rough. Her vocals bite. Her persona forces you to sit up and take notice. Performance art in the key of psychotic split never did whet my whistle. "What Kind of Man" impresses me as some excuse to put Florence's unsteady moods on technicolor display. Perhaps Florence's entire aim was to get us as uncomfortable as possible, like being on an audio Tilt-a-Whirl. To the art house types who like their art as goose pimple inducing as possible, "What Kind of Man" guarantees hairs standing on end on impact. My verdict goes down as follows. "Shake It Out" worked because there was this levitation quality to it. The opposite could and should be said for "What Kind of Man". It sinks under gallons of gloom. That there's the trace of a pulse isn't a small miracle. A huge one would be required to keep you from tiring of Florence's righteous suffering.