After her year-long break from music, the lead vocalist, Florence Welch, returned to configure the album, recording material that dealt with personal conflicts and struggles.

In comparison to the band's two previous studio albums, it is much more refined and stripped-down instrumentally, and incorporates a mixture of musical influences such as folk, blues and gospel.

How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful was met with positive reviews from music critics, who commended the album for its cohesion, production and Welch's vocal delivery.

"[5] During her break, Welch made a guest appearance on Calvin Harris's album 18 Months, providing vocals on the track "Sweet Nothing", which topped the UK chart.

"[10][11] Welch also told Lowe that Dravs was instrumental in exploring her lyrical versatility, as he forebade her to write any more songs about water, a main theme in her past compositions.

[12] There was an emphasised effort to avoid heavily orchestrating the instrumental arrangements, or as Welch described it, "make Ceremonials Part Two", as she believed the predecessor had reached its creative peak.

The complete 47-minute short film premiered via the band's website on 25 April 2016, consisting of all previously released videos, as well as new connecting scenes and a new final chapter, set to "Third Eye".

[43] The song, along with its demo version, was released as a limited-edition 12-inch vinyl for Record Store Day on 16 April 2016, including a cover of Neil Young's "Only Love Can Break Your Heart" as its B-side.

Considered to be a continuation of the video for "What Kind of Man", it was also directed by Haycock and choreographed by Heffington and sees Florence Welch "traveling through their version of the Divine Comedy.

[48] Kyle Anderson of Entertainment Weekly viewed How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful as "Florence + the Machine's most raw and stripped-down album to date", adding that "Welch may have gone slightly smaller with her sound, but her emotional depth and capacity for wonder remain gigantic.

"[52] Michael Madden of Consequence of Sound hailed it as "the strongest Florence album to date" due to Welch having "reached a new level of eloquence in her writing, making her a more complete artist than ever", concluding that "it's apparent she's among her generation's most deserving superstars, maintaining a stunning balance of technical mastery and sensitive lyricism.

"[59] Leonie Cooper of NME wrote, "Overflowing with stately songwriting and lyrical craftsmanship, How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful makes for a restrained but joyful return, and a collection that will last long after Welch's broken bones are mended.

"[54] Carl Wilson of Billboard commented, "No matter the mood and tempo, though, the Florence & The Machine heard on How Big How Blue How Beautiful is a newly self-aware one.

[56] In a four out of five star review, the New York Daily News observed that "[t]he songs have a canny way of avoiding genre cliches" and artistically, Welch "draws more from the new wave of Siouxsie and the Banshees or the pan-pop breadth of Annie Lennox's solo career".

[60] 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.

"[51] 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.

"[55] Will Hermes of Rolling Stone opined that "Welch isn'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.

"[57] 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.

"[58] 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.