Helen Brown of '' The Daily Telegraph '' praised the album as " thunderous " and stated that Welch " has turned her turmoil into a powerful record , adding a new spiritual depth and mature awareness to the thrill of the wild emotions she has always been able to pump so fearlessly out of her mighty heart and lungs . " Douglas Wolk of '' Pitchfork '' described the album as " a huge , sturdy record , built for arenas ... and it 's richly and carefully enough constructed to endure the extensive exposure Welch 's heartache is going to get over the course of this summer . " Will Hermes of '' Rolling Stone '' opined that " Welch is n't the most rhythmic singer ; she 's more about powerful held notes and dramatic articulation , and her rock moves have sometimes felt fussy in the past . But here , she punches like a prizefighter . " James Christopher Monger of AllMusic expressed that Welch 's " Brit-pop soul treacle is still miles better than some of her contemporaries ' top-tier offerings , and when the album connects it moves right in and starts to redecorate , but when it falters , it 's akin to a chatty party guest failing to realize that everyone else has gone home . " In a less enthusiastic review , Andrew Unterberger of '' Spin '' dubbed the album " an exceedingly coherent listen , both in terms of consistent production and lyrical themes ... But it 's not a great album , and that 's because the production and dynamics are so compressed to soupy church-soul consistency that once you get into the thick of the LP , it 's virtually impossible to keep your attention rapt throughout . " Alexis Petridis of '' The Guardian '' felt that the album is " too overblown and daft for the songs to have the desired emotional impact : it 's never really intimate enough for the feelings Welch expresses to connect . " '' How Big , How Blue , How Beautiful '' was shortlisted for the 2015 Mercury Prize . It also received five nominations at the 2016 Grammy Awards , including Best Pop Vocal Album and Best Recording Package for the album , Best Rock Song and Best Rock Performance for " What Kind of Man " , and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for " Ship to Wreck " . '' The Odyssey '' was nominated for Breakthrough Long Form Video at the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards
2016 MTV Video Music Awards
2016 MTV Video Music Awards
How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful