Florence Welch is praised for expressive vocals, charisma and artistic integrity, but her lyrics don’t often get a lot of attention in reviews. After four acclaimed albums, she gave them all the spotlight in her first book, Useless Magic. The title alludes to prophecies in her songs, which are realized too late to be …useful.

Arranged by the album, the lyrics chronicle Welch’s artistic and personal story. Starting with Lungs and a worrying number of songs about drinking (“Hurricane Drunk”, “Falling”, “Swimming”), they’re getting gradually darker into 2011’s Ceremonials, referencing ghosts and devils (“Only If for a Night”, “Seven Devils”). While Florence is still fighting demons on How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful, she does seem to be more at peace. By 2018’s High as Hope, tormented confessions have been replaced with subtler lyrics.

Yet sadness is a recurring theme in her writing, and a lot of these songs hint at stormy relationships. Always carrying a mystical aura around her, Welch draws heavily from spirituality and religion, namechecking biblical and mythological figures (Jesus, Delilah, Midas, Atlas). Most of her stories are abstract and metaphorical, but on album four she starts placing them in realistic settings (“Woke up in Chicago…”, “…that summer in New York”).

In the foreword, Welch wonders about the difference between a lyric and a poem. Although she concludes that now they “bleed into each other”, one obvious difference is the form. I wish that – for the purpose of this book – the lyrics were edited and freed from the verse-chorus-bridge song structure. They would read much better as standalone texts without repeated lines and choruses. The book could also do with paragraphs about the origin of each song. Otherwise, the only new material here is a rather short chapter of poems.

The book stuns the moment you take the clothbound hardcover in your hands. It’s as much a literary as a visual feast, with photos of Florence (or taken by her), and reproductions of classical artworks (Botticelli, Klimt, Lempicka). But even more attractive are her doodles and notes, scanned from original sources. (She writes and draws on anything she can get her hands on, from hotel notepads to maps, to what appears to be packing paper!) There are some recurring themes, like variations of the Sacred Heart, one of which adorns the cover.

Her scribbles are mostly lyric ideas, sometimes with crossed out words, documenting her creative process. Here and there you’ll find such jewels as a draft of her 2010 Glastonbury set, or a random to-do list. They add a very personal touch to the book. There is also a couple of errors, though, and grammar police will surely cringe at eyesore that is “your the only light”…

Useless Magic was re-issued two years later, adding a few more lyrics and poems, and a whole new chapter of sermons. The additional lyrics are non-album tracks from Lungs and High as Hope eras. Which is great, but I don’t understand why the other two didn’t get the same treatment, especially my favourite Ceremonials. Even more shockingly, the original cover art is replaced with a generic Penguin Books paperback template! Hopefully something to be rectified with future reprints?

As most of Florence and the Machine albums don’t have lyrics in the booklets, Useless Magic is an appealing collectible. Even in a time when texts can be quickly looked up online. If you’re not very familiar with the band, the book will make you want to dig up their catalogue. And if you are a fan, I’m sure it already has a special place in your heart.
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