Dog Days Are Over

About the song

Florence + the Machine first released “Dog Days Are Over” in 2008, before its appearance on Lungs in 2009. Florence Welch’s vocal turns a relatively spare opening into an increasingly expansive ensemble performance.

Sound and arrangement

Plucked instrumental figures, percussion and accumulating voices give the arrangement its distinctive movement. The song changes scale through rhythmic and vocal additions, making the fuller sections feel like the release of pressure built earlier.

Listening closely

Listen for the relationship between the light opening sounds and the force of the later singing. The recording’s energy depends on how those contrasting textures remain connected throughout the build.