It didn’t take too long for Florence and the Machine to achieve superstar status. While the band is comprised of many members, the star of the show is lead singer Florence Welch, who captivated audiences across the world with her soulful and powerful voice. The band’s 2009 debut, Lungs, was an instant hit in the band’s home country of the UK, debuting at Number 2 on the UK Albums Chart and remaining in the Top 40 for sixty-five consecutive weeks. The certified-Gold album also sold well in the US, having sold over 700,000 copies to date. The band recently released their follow up album Ceremonials, which continued their commercial success by debuting at Number 1 in the UK and Number 6 here in the states. The secret to Florence and the Machine’s success is their unique sound”a blend of indie pop, soul and orchestral music”as well as their use of a wider variety of instruments. This makes the band hard to pin down to one genre. OurStage’s own Strobelight is a similarly hard to classify band that share some sonic similarities with Florence and the Machine.

OurStage's Strobelight

Florence and the Machine

Like Florence and the Machine, Strobelight have a penchant for crafting slow building indie pop songs that sound truly epic. For a comparison, take a listen to Strobelight’s song “Safe (Piano Killer)” and Florence and the Machine’s song “Howl”. Both songs begin with softly with just piano and some light drum patterns. As both songs progress, more instruments are added to create new textures, and the songs both have huge endings that feature a number of different instruments. Strobelight’s lead singer Rebecca has a voice that is similar in style to Florence’s, but her lack of a British accent gives her voice a distinct timbre and sound. “So Perfect” is another song that shares some similarities with Florence and the Machine, and it really shows Rebecca’s strength as a vocalist. The song is a ballad that is based around an acoustic guitar melody. This melody is backed by piano chords for harmony, as well as drums played with brushes to create a more delicate sound. The vocals on this song are extremely impressive; high notes are hit with ease and the singing always stays in tune without sounding over produced. While most of the song is soft and subdued, the ending of the song takes a drastic change with an abrupt bass riff that leads into a dramatic, upbeat finish.

However, Strobelight is able to craft their own unique sound by infusing a rock influence”from bands like Broken Social Scene and Bloc Party”into their indie pop sound. You can hear this influence in Strobelight’s song “Cellar Door.” This song features harder guitar riffs and faster tempos than the other Strobelight songs, as well as the introduction of keyboards instead of pianos. However, the focus of the song is still on the larger-than-life vocals, which still retain the same power and energy. “Tomorrow May Never Come” is another upbeat track that features some funky bass lines and powerful riffs. The song is probably the band’s most radio friendly track, and it features a vocal melody in the chorus that is instantly catchy and memorable. Like Florence and the Machine, Strobelight are proving that great music can still appeal to the masses.