Florence and the Machine Hunger for New Music

Modern Rock

By Kristi Kates | June 23, 2018

The much-anticipated fourth studio album from Florence and the Machine, High as Hope, is out this week on Republic Records, with lead single “Hunger” available alongside its own music video. The album is the first time lead singer Florence Welch has co-produced one of the band’s albums and, in fact, she recorded much of the set on her own, collaborating minimally with her bandmates and inviting in Jamie xx, Kamasi Washington, and a few others for guest appearances. Welch called the album a collection of songs full of loneliness but said it’s an expression of where she currently is as an artist. Along with her band, she’ll trek through a shortlist of both festival and headlining appearances this summer to promote the new tunes …

The Voice will bring back pop artist Kelly Clarkson and R&B singer Jennifer Hudson (who was a coach on season 13) as a coach for the upcoming season 15 of the NBC-TV singing competition show. The two divas will join Maroon 5 lead singer Adam Levine and country star Blake Shelton on the show, which features blind auditions (the judges can’t see the contestants singing during their first audition round) and segments in which the contestants actually get to sing with their celebrity coaches. Wanna compete on the show? Open-call tryouts are set for June 9–June 14 in Dallas, Salt Lake City, Atlanta, and nearby Chicago …

A Tribe Called Quest’s Ali Shaheed Muhammad has been working with composer Adrian Younge on a new project called The Midnight Hour, an album that showcases a mix of musical styles ranging from hip-hop to jazz, bossa nova, and orchestral elements. The project’s first single, the soulful track “Questions,” features Cee Lo Green on vocals and is out this week, as is the new outfit’s self-titled debut album. The pair previously collaborated on the score for Netflix and Marvel’s Luke Cage series …

Singer-songwriter Matthew Sweet is back with his 13th album, on which he continues along his usual track of doomed relationship stories. The new set, titled Tomorrow’s Daughter, includes tracks “Out of My Misery,” “Lady Frankenstein,” and “I Belong to You.” Sweet will also dip back into his own ’90s collection of music this summer by releasing new deluxe double-LP vinyl editions of his Girlfriend, 100% Fun, and Altered Beast/Son of Altered Beast albums complete with special liner notes. You can look for him on the road; he’s planning a full slate of summer live show dates to be announced soon …

LINK OF THE WEEK
Speaking of Florence and the Machine, check out the brand new video for their single “Hunger” now on YouTube at https://tinyurl.com/florence-hunger …

THE BUZZ
Panic! at the Disco is already on the road for its current tour, which will lead the band back and forth across the U.S., including a stop at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit on July 14…
G-Eazy and Lil Uzi Vert are touring as well, and will crank out the jams at the DTE Energy Music Theater in Clarkston, Mich. on Aug. 16 …
Production company Paxahau has updated the massive billboard outside the Russell Industrial Center on I-75 with a quirky take on Michigan’s blue and white license plate design as an advertisement for Detroit as “Techno City” …
Albion, Michigan, buzz artists The War and Treaty is prepping to release its new album, Healing Tide, which will feature guest vocals by none other than Emmylou Harris … and that’s the buzz for this week’s Modern Rock.

Comments, questions, rants, raves, suggestions on this column? Send ’em to Kristi at modernrocker@gmail.com.