Florence and the Machine @ Lincoln Engine Shed

Florence and the Machine made a triumphant, highly-anticipated return to Lincoln’s Engine Shed, proving why 2009 is well and truly theirs.

But first of all, the Temper Trap, who opened proceedings with their distinctive brand of unashamed indie-pop.

The Australian four-piece showed themselves to be a well-oiled, well-rehearsed pop machine, playing a well-received set, including forthcoming single Fader, and hit summer anthem Sweet Disposition, which, with the help of its use in some well-placed advertising campaigns, gets one of the loudest, most positive, reactions of the night.

The crowd might be unfamiliar with Temper Trap at the moment, but they have the songs, and clearly the drive, to make them one of the most talked-about bands of 2010.

It should be noted that the Engine Shed was packed to the rafters. Unfortunately, when an act is accepted so readily into the mainstream as Florence and the Machine have been, there are consequences. Glancing around the room, there was a strange mix of fans, mainly made up of teenage girls unsure of how to dress or act for such an occasion.

Nevertheless, Florence Welch, with her red hair ablaze, led her “machine” through an incendiary set made up of album tracks, B-sides, and her staple cover of Candi Staton’s You’ve Got The Love.

There’s one thing that’s undeniable, to a point where it becomes cliché to say: Welch has one of the most impressive vocal ranges to be heard in pop music for a long time. If it wasn’t for tediously subversive music snobbery, she’d be mentioned in the same breath as Kate Bush or Björk.

One of Welch’s biggest assets is her ability to interchange seamlessly from vigorously combustible tracks, such as Howl and Drumming Song, to more delicate and soulful numbers, such as Blinding and Cosmic Love. As each note flows through her, her body tells a tale of heartbreak, regret and lament.

The “machine”, her backing band, are a tight group of musicians, and serve as a solid base to Welch’s almost cult-like following, but unfortunately, the spotlight doesn’t stray much further than that hair.

It’s been an emphatic year for Florence and the Machine, but as they triumphantly sauntered off stage, it’s clear no one has come close to approaching them.