Lungs - artillery (2009)

Lungs — the debut studio album by the British indie rock band Florence and the Machine, released on July 3, 2009 by Island Records. The album became a breakthrough for frontwoman Florence Welch and her collective, combining elements of indie rock, baroque pop, art rock, and soul. The record received critical acclaim and commercial success, peaking at number two on the UK Albums Chart and winning the Brit Award for Best British Album in 2010.

General Information

• Artist: Florence and the Machine
• Album Title: Lungs
• Release Date: July 3, 2009 (United Kingdom)
• Label: Island Records
• Producers: James Ford, Paul Epworth, Stephen Mackey, Eg White, Charlie Hugall, Isabella Summers
• Duration: 46:13 (standard edition)

Track Listing

• «Dog Days Are Over»
• «Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)»
• «I'm Not Calling You a Liar»
• «Howl»
• «Kiss with a Fist»
• «Girl with One Eye»
• «Drumming Song»
• «Between Two Lungs»
• «Cosmic Love»
• «My Boy Builds Coffins»
• «Hurricane Drunk»
• «Blinding»
• «You've Got the Love» (cover of the Candi Staton song)

Singles

• «Kiss with a Fist» (June 9, 2008)
• «Dog Days Are Over» (December 1, 2008)
• «Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)» (June 22, 2009)
• «Drumming Song» (September 13, 2009)
• «You've Got the Love» (November 16, 2009)
• «Cosmic Love» (July 5, 2010)

Themes and Sound

The album is distinguished by Florence Welch's dramatic vocals, lush arrangements featuring harp, strings, percussion, and piano. The lyrics touch on themes of love, death, violence, mythology, and inner struggle. The sound balances between energetic indie rock anthems («Dog Days Are Over», «Kiss with a Fist») and melancholic ballads («Cosmic Love», «Blinding»).

Commercial Success and Awards

• No. 2 on the UK Albums Chart
• No. 14 on the US Billboard 200
• Brit Award for Best British Album (2010)
• Nomination for the Mercury Prize (2009)
• Over 3 million copies sold worldwide

Franchise Chronology

Although «Lungs» is not part of a series, it launched the discography of Florence and the Machine. Here are the band's main releases in chronological order:

• Lungs (2009) — debut album that brought worldwide fame.
• Ceremonials (2011) — second studio album, more grandiose and orchestral, with hits «Shake It Out» and «No Light, No Light».
• How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful (2015) — third album, adding more rock sound and personal lyrics.
• High as Hope (2018) — fourth album, more intimate and restrained.
• Dance Fever (2022) — fifth album, inspired by dance music and folklore.

Where to Listen

The album is available on all major streaming platforms:

• Spotify
• Apple Music
• YouTube Music
• Deezer

Physical copies (CD, vinyl) can be purchased on Amazon and in music stores.