Florence and the Machine: "Shake it Out (The Weeknd Remix)" (original) (raw)

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The original version of Florence and the Machine's new single is characteristically anthemic-- the huge drum hits and Florence Welch's full-bodied voice sound like a cinematic peptalk. But the trademark moody touches from the Weeknd on the remixed version unearth the song's despairing core. The pace is slackened, chorus muddied, and big, echoing caves are carved into the instrumentation. Abel Tesfaye's falsetto is nowhere to be found, but it doesn't matter-- he could've easily written these words himself. "I like to keep my issues strong/ It's always darkest before the dawn," Welch sings. And after a few listens, it begins to sound like she and the tortured, drugged-out Tesfaye have a few things in common.

Carrie Battan began writing for Pitchfork in 2011. Her work has also appeared in The Boston Globe, New York, Slate, and elsewhere. Born and raised in the Philadelphia area, she now lives in New York.

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