I had the good fortune to catch Florence + The Machine’s show at the House of Blues in Chicago last night, and while my vantage point in the venue was less than ideal, Florence Welch absolutely delivered live. She was gracious too, clearly moved by the adoration from this side of the pond. If you haven’t yet checked out Florence + The Machine, I’m reposting this from last July as a helpful push.

It’s rarer and rarer these days that a new album grabs me by the ears and refuses to let go. You know, the ridiculously amazing kind of music that you’d selfishly rather keep your own little secret, while still wanting the whole world to hear it, too.

Such is the case with Lungs, the debut from London’s Florence + The Machine, which I’ve been playing non-stop since my import copy arrived a week ago. Once you’ve given Lungs a listen, it’s hard to disagree that there’s ever been a more appropriate title. Born in 1987 in South London, Florence Welch is a powerful singer, though “powerful” doesn’t begin to describe the sound emanating from her: Effortlessly moving from underplayed, quiet, and grounded to unleashed, unbridled, streaking across the sky, reaching to the heavens and the planets beyond.

Welch’s distinctive voice is an unholy trinity of Fiona Apple, Sinead O’Connor, and Björk, a stunning combination of female fire, strength, and quirk. Toni Childs, too, for a left-field reference. A less ethereal Kate Bush. Aretha Franklin, even. You may doubt that you can hear all of these, but your ears, the very same pair you’ve trusted all these years, do not deceive you.

“I want my music to sound like throwing yourself out of a tree, or off a tall building, or as if you’re being sucked down into the ocean and you can’t breathe,” says Welch. “It’s something overwhelming and all-encompassing that fills you up, and you’re either going to explode with it, or you’re just going to disappear.”

Of the album’s 13 tracks, “Cosmic Love” moves me most, largely due to its chorus, “The stars! The moon! They have all been blown out!” Recorded with so much space, Welch’s voice becomes a physical object, a sturdy bridge reaching across a miles-high chasm. Hear here:

Lungs is a pretty brilliant piece of pop, an album that may very well turn out to be this year’s best.I don’t pretend to be the first to sing the praises of Florence + The Machine, but having been burned myself before by blogger hype, this is truly one time you really should believe what you read.

[Update: This morning, Lungs was nominated for the UK’s prestigious Mercury Prize.]

Purchase Florence + The Machine – Lungs via iTunes, Amazon MP3.