Florence and the Machine is back with another catchy tune! Their latest single, “Moderation”, was released on Thursday, Jan. 24, along with “Haunted House”. This was released only seven months after their recent full-length album “High as Hope”. Florence Welch, lead singer of Florence and the Machine, revealed that this song didn’t fit in with the album, so they released it separately.
Like several other Florence and the Machine songs, “Moderation” has a cinematic feel to it, but with a different sound.
For starters, this song is rather upbeat. You can even call it aggressive because of the heavy percussion. “Moderation” has a simple, yet strong instrumental, the kind that gets stuck in your head.
The heavy piano chords, thumping drums and gospel claps in the background make up the instrumental. Welch’s powerful vocals tie the track together, which are enhanced by background vocals in the chorus.
Like the title implies, “Moderation” talks about restraining the emotions you express towards someone; so instead of loving someone in an “all-or-nothing” way, you should try to find a middle ground.
In a BBC interview, Welch said the song is about “reaching outwards and being cross that someone can’t give you what you want.” She also mentions that “Moderation” can be considered an anti-love song, since the lyrics talk about not wanting love if you understood it – “You think you need it, you think you want love/ You wouldn’t want it if you knew what it was.”
In the song, Welch is singing to a person who basically asked her to tone her feelings down – “Want me to love you in moderation/ Do I look moderate to you?/ Well, who do you think you’re talking to?” The kind of love Welch is singing about doesn’t have to refer to romantic love, although it can be taken that way.
Overall, it’s a catchy song with relatable lyrics. Here’s another one for the playlist!
