Andrew Paschal: This gorgeous standout from last year’s Potential finally gets a video treatment. Every piece falls perfectly into place: the summery, yearning vocal sample, the dense bass, and the sparkling, Caribbean inflections strewn throughout all cohere into a startling euphoria. Artists of all stripes have spent decades telling and retelling the myth of the “youthful summer night”, and James Hinton’s work here is a reminder of why we continue to do so, even after the idea has been trodden out so many times before. A delicate constellation of physicality and memory, aching and joyfulness, “Florida” retells the story perfectly with barely a word. [10/10]
Brian Duricy: The first time I watched this video, I was subtly annoyed at this little cursor that wouldn’t go away from my full-screen YouTube viewing experience as it usually does. I came to realize that I’m supposed to click actively, drag, and experience every angle of the central viewpoint I can as the Range’s beautiful composition for “Florida” soundtracks the experience. “Florida” be worth replaying multiple times if only to explore the various dances going on and the way in which the participants interact and remain alone. It’s just an added benefit that one of 2016’s best electronic albums’ strongest tracks is playing throughout. [8/10]
Mike Schiller: It takes a deft hand to combine steel drums, Ariana Grande samples, and a beat not too far removed from the days when “electronica” was a word said with a straight face into something fresh and pleasant, but that’s what the Range manages here. The 360-degree, VR-ready video gives you just enough to look at without ever becoming overwhelming, just as the song gives you just enough to hear without turning the mix to mud, and both the video and the song reward repeated listens. Nothing about this is a revelation, really, but everything about it is a success. [7/10]
Adriane Pontecorvo: The Sunshine State has never sounded so fresh and cool. Steel drum sounds add a breezy island touch to this open-air tune. The echoing beats are soul-healing to listen to, and while this style of melodic electronica may be a few years old now, “Florida” has an uplifting newness to it that makes it refreshing to listen to, an idealism that elevates it above its contemporaries. Originality is fine, but a beautiful song is a thing to embrace, and that’s just what the Range has created with “Florida”. [9/10]
Chris Ingalls: The jittery, high-speed percussion and the big blasts of synth chords give the song a lot of power, but it’s great to hear all the different dynamics at play, like steel drums and hook-laden vocals. Simple, straightforward, but oddly exhilarating. [8/10]
Chris Pittaway: A colorful and refreshing dance beat, busy with changing textures and a washed-out female vocal that weaves in and out of the spotlight. The track occasionally explodes into bombastic chorus mode, which, while not particularly original is exhilarating and fun anyway. I could honestly have done with another minute of The Range’s exploration here, it all seems to be over too quickly. [8/10]
SCORE: 8.33