If medieval, fantasy-and-legends-driven music were made today with the instruments and technologies now available, it would sound exactly like ‘King’, the newest single from ‘Florence and the Machine’.

‘King’ is quite special in the ways it presents itself, not necessarily belonging in any particular label. Truth is, Florence and the Machine have always been hard to pinpoint, but their newest single is quite particular. There’s a folky side of the instrumentation, the way Florence so elegantly sings through each chord changes, filled with dynamics and intrigue, and the roomy drums led by a consistent rumbling bass. As the song keeps moving, it loses any sense of solidified structure, and feels more like storytelling, which is great for the feel of the song. The harmonies that get introduced about half-way through are huge, yet minimalistic. That’s when the song feels extremely progressive, introducing new ideas akin to 70s rock groups, and sounding just as huge. The song has a fake-out ending, only to explode in a gorgeous choir section. Many orchestral instruments are brought forth, bringing the song to the last verse that ends the song. But that climax, just before the fadeout, is absolutely chill-inducing. There’s a cinematic feeling, bearing so much weight to the storytelling aspect of this song. There are even various nuances that Florence sings which insinuates different characters singing, putting a bow on the prog-rock nature of the track.

‘King’ is an experience more than anything else, but beyond that it’s an incredible song. The way it breaks expectations, stereotypes, or expectancy while still sounding amazing is a feat of itself. The musicians all work in tandem to bring life to sounds in ways that are very rarely heard. The groove that persists, leading to one of the greatest musical climaxes of 2022, is jaw-droppingly fun. Florence and the Machine continue to amaze and impress, with no signs of stopping anytime soon.

Author: Nicholas Gaudet

Music producer and writer from Dieppe, Canada.