Florence and the Machine

"I have been the architect of my creativity and my life in such a specific and obsessive way," Florence Welch tells NPR. Autumn de Wilde hide caption

Kendrick Lamar's Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers tops this week's shortlist for the best albums out on May 13. Renell Medrano/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

Florence the Machine's High as Hope is on our short list of the best albums out on June 29. Vincent Haycock/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

"I used metaphor a lot in earlier work to hide what it was that I was actually trying to say," Florence Welch says. Vincent Haycock/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

Top row, left to right: Cover art for Wilco, Kamasi Washington and Grimes; Middle row, left to right: Sufjan Stevens, Chvrches and Kendrick Lamar; Bottom row, left to right: Father John Misty, Joanna Newsom, Courtney Barnett Courtesy of the artists hide caption

Florence and the Machine's latest album is called How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful. Courtesy of the artist hide caption

Florence Welch of Florence + The Machine, whose new album is titled How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful. Courtesy of the artist hide caption

Leonardo DiCaprio and Carey Mulligan star in Baz Lurhmann's adaptation of The Great Gatsby — but the new film's music is so bold it may as well be a character, too. Courtesy of Warner Bros. Picture hide caption

Scottish producer Calvin Harris presents the fruits of a prolific year and a half on the new album 18 Months. Rukes/Courtesy of the artist hide caption