It's hard to dance with a devil on your back

The campaign for Florence and the Machine's second album kicks off in earnest with the video for Shake It Out (sadly not a cover of the Metro Station "classic").

The single's chanted chorus makes it more immediate than teaser track What The Water Gave Me, which came out over the summer. But Florence is sticking to the safe ground. The tribal drums, doom-laden chords and banshee yelps are her unique sonic fingerprint... Although you might hear something similar right before they sacrifice you to the volcano gods.

Lyrically, it's goth cliché o'clock - all "the darkness before the dawn" and "the devil in me" and "burying a horse in the ground". But, let's face it, none of this would work if Florence was bellowing the usual "my heart belongs to you" platitudes. Unless she was presenting her lover with an eviscerated pig's heart in a symbolic ritual of blood sacrifice. Which would undoubtedly result in lower playlist rotation at Radio 2.

With brilliant marketing flair / irony, Island Records is putting this single out on Hallowe'en. Until then, here's the spooktastic video.

Florence and the Machine - Shake It Out


There is also a rumbletronic remix courtesy of The Weeknd, which recalls the breakout mix of You Got The Love that Jamie xx put together a couple of years ago. The remix is available this week.

Florence and the Machine ft The Weeknd - Shake It Out remix)

Tweet