Two years since their debut album Lungs in July 2009, English indie pop group Florence and the Machine released their second album, Ceremonials, in Oct. 2011 to a patient and loyal following. And for the most part, it was worth the wait.

Led by singer-songwriter Florence Welch, the group has chosen to dive back into the darkly beautiful moods and instrumentations introduced in Lungs, placing more emphasis on the powerful, driving songs they are capable of. The album opens with “Only If For A Night,” a haunting song about lost love, and switches into the more triumphant melody of “Shake It Out.” This is probably the strongest track on the album, celebrating the ability to face your demons and the death and rebirth that can occur from such a confrontation.

The group plays to their strengths on this album, with many of the tracks packed with emotion and energy despite the dark themes. Among other tracks, the aforementioned “Shake It Out” and “Heartlines” encourage you to dance. The vocals help this feeling, where editing allows Florence’s voice to be repeated and pieced together in a chorus of one person, loud and almost overpowering, but still passionate.

If this collection has its flaws, though, it’s in its lack of variety. The album has a strong beginning and end, but while the middle tracks have different melodies and “Seven Devils” is lovely, the similar percussion beats tend to meld songs together, causing one to lose focus on the music.

A few softer songs, or at least ones with less intense drumbeats, could have helped break up the music and give the listener a chance to rest and prepare for the next big track, and it’s disappointing to not have the same kind of variety as the group presented in Lungs. The album manages to end on a high note, however, with the track “Leave My Body” bringing us back to that dark, rich and emotional feel that Florence is best at.

Ceremonials is ultimately a strong second album and a clear example of a group coming into its own, but the lack of experimentation leaves something to be desired. This isn’t to say it’s not recommended, though, because it is a pleasure to listen to and will leave any old or new fans of Florence wanting more.

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