Track of the Day: “Dog Days Are Over”

Yes, Florence + the Machine played “Dog Days Are Over” at the MTV Video Music Awards last weekend and doomed the song to hipster write-off.

But the track is lovely, punchy, and gets better with every turn. It starts off like springtime with a harp and Flo’s surreal voice; picks up pace with some sassy clapping and banjo-plucking, then slams into high gear with a snare drum thudding beneath her low wail: “The dog days are over…” The lyrics are just the right combination of poetic and unsettling without trying too hard. And they’re perfect for this time of year.