If you know me, you know my favorite band is Florence and the Machine. I remember hearing “Dog Days” for the first time in a video of a baby dancing to the music. I think it was in 2011, I was thirteen and ready to journey out into the world of music on my own, moving away from K-Love and the Christian music of my childhood. I had listened to other music that wasn’t just Christian music; U2, Talking Heads, The Cranberries, They Might Be Giants; all bands my parents liked and introduced me to. But Florence and the Machine was the first band that felt like mine, something I liked that no one else had influenced me into liking.
I listened to Florence all through my days in community college, driving my cheap little car to and from campus, the songs drifting through the open windows. I watched the music videos religiously, especially the ones for the 2015 album How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful, which, when watched together, made a sort of movie. The album High as Hope came out in 2018, and I remember sitting in my dorm room when the song “Sky Full of Song” was released. It was beautiful and haunting and whenever I hear that song now, it takes me back to that first semester living in a dorm, to the days of shared bathrooms, late nights, making study guides and studying for tests.
High as Hope was my soundtrack for college. I played it driving back and forth to campus, the sun in my eyes. It talked about nostalgia, of seeing childhood places change, of love, of hope in darkness. It’s a strong contender for my favorite of Florence’s albums.
I didn’t love the album that came out in 2022, Dance Fever. Maybe I need to listen to it again with fresh ears, but something about it didn’t hit me as hard as the previous albums. I was 24 at the time, a year away from graduating with my master’s degree, and feeling stuck. There were a couple songs I liked, “Free” and “Morning Elvis”, but most of the album fell flat for me. I hadn’t thought that Florence would release another album after the one from 2022; and if that was her last one, I would happily enjoy her previous work and ignore Dance Fever‘s existence.
But then October 2025 came around. I was moving to Kansas City, taking a job at a community college, taking a big step toward change in my life. And Florence announced a new album coming out on October 31, 2025. The first single she released shared its title with the album; “Everybody Scream”. I didn’t like the song all that much, and I prepared myself for a repeat of Dance Fever; one or two songs I liked and then ignoring the rest of the album. I didn’t want to dislike all the new stuff from my favorite band, but that’s the direction I felt like it was heading.
And living in Kansas City was a lot harder than I thought it would be. The new job was stressful. The commute was intense. I was living with family, and I feared that I would overstay my welcome, but also never find my own apartment, my salary rather meager. And I was going to a nice church, but connections and friendships were hard to come by when you only saw people once or twice a week for an hour at a time. I remember feeling nauseous and emotional almost all the time, and I remember wondering what have I done?
And then the full album Everybody Scream came out and it was so good. I especially loved the song “Sympathy Magic”, a song about changing, about living and appreciating life, about finding strength to stand up in the midst of hard times. I blasted the album in my car as I drove around the city on those cold fall and winter days, trying to see the city in a new, more appreciative way. I found a less traffic heavy way home, winding through an industrial area outside of downtown. I went to the River Market, treating myself to cannoli and a San Pellegrino from the cooler by the cash register in the Italian deli. I discovered a delicious hole in the wall Indian restaurant. I began making friends. I lived with family who loved me.
Just like High As Hope, Everybody Scream came at a time of big change in my life. I think whenever I listen to it now, I go back to Kansas City in my mind. I remember those hard times, but it wasn’t all bad. As a Christian, I wonder if I put too much faith in this album getting me through a hard time instead of in God and His faithfulness. But I suppose even in my forgetting, He helped me out of Kansas City and made a way for me to come to a much better place. Florence puts such deep feelings to words; feelings about growth, relationships, love, sorrow, anger, fear. But her lyrics pale in comparison to the redemption the world has in Christ, where all things are being made new and someday we won’t struggle with sadness, pain, frustration, regret, wondering if we made a wrong choice in life. And until the day when all is made new, you’ll still catch me listening to Florence’s music.
I’ve been feeling nostalgic and poetic since it’s been a year since my Big Life Change and moving away from home. I got a late night spark of inspiration, and I hope you all enjoy my ramblings about my favorite band! And if you feel so inclined, check out “Sympathy Magic” or “Sky Full of Song” (or both) and let me know what you think!
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