Another World - Antony & The Johnsons

Advantages: Haunting lyrics and soulful singing
Disadvantages: Only 35 minutes long :(

...of Sorrow - This is the most hauntingly beautiful song on the album. Haunting melody, voice and lyrics. Powerful yet thoughtful and very satisfiying. 6. Rapture -- This is another song like The Atrocities. Amazing in every way yet not quite as powerful as some of his other songs. 7. Deeper than Love - Lovely cello in this song and a tight rhythm that encompasses you straight into the song. 8. Divine - Another chance for Antony to flex his vocal talent. His voice is the main instrument in this song, and more powerful than many instruments that other modern bands are playing! 9. Blue Angel - The last song on the album brings together all that is good about Antony and the Johnsons, great music, great voice, great lyrics. A brilliant way to end a brilliant debut. Many people don't believe that Antony Heggarty can possibly sound like... Read review

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Advantages: Antony Hegarty's voice
Disadvantages: Antony Hegarty's voice

...'I Am a Bird Now' was the second full-length album by Antony and the Johnsons. It received critical acclaim upon release and won the Mercury Prize for the best album of 2005. This caused some controversy over the fact that Antony, although born in the UK, had lived most his life in the USA. In many ways Antony and the Johnsons are a New York based band. This album was on my list to buy for some time after I'd heard the opening track - 'Hope There's Someone' - on a compilation CD received free with a national newspaper. This was one song that I never tired of hearing; a completely original composition with a dramatic soaring vocal. But apart form the haunting opening track, 'I Am a Bird Now' didn't quite flutter my feathers as I'd imagined it would. The album clearly has its merits and there is clearly some original inspired work here... Read review

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Advantages: A return to the earlier sound
Disadvantages: sometimes feels a little forced

...Competition for the Worst Time' is a good introduction to the album, fast-paced, loud guitars, just what everybody wanted. 'Everything (As It Moves)' follows in a similar vein, both tracks are good, though don't feel quite as natural as the early albums, in a way which suggests the band possibly were trying a little too hard to write another 'Roseability' or 'You Held the World In Your Arms'. Despite this, there's no major fault in either track. The lyrics are typical of Idlewild, slightly abstract and poetic. The third track, and first proper single, is 'No Emotion'. This, again is a similar type of song to the first two in that it's based around a simple but effective guitar hook and a good, relatively high tempo - but strays from the path a little with the addition of some almost-disco-like keyboard hooks, and a chorus which is... Read review

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