I cannot begin to tell you how much I love this record! My boyfriend bought it last week after we watched Antony perform live at the Mercury music awards - which he won!!! From the very second that I heard him start singing I knew that I had fallen in love, and I had to have this record. Even though it was my boyfriend that bought I have hijacked it since it arrived at our house.

The album has a beautiful mix of tracks (which I'll go into more detail on in a second). Antony himself is the key vocalist, although there are a few (fairly famous...) guest singers on various tracks. Antony also plays the piano on each track, and vocalist and piano form the basis of all of the songs on the album. However there is also an almost orchestral feel to the album, with strings and woodwind featuring in the background of the songs; this is not an easy listening album though, with lyrics that range from loss, to dependence and almost maschistic tendencies at times, this isn't the kind of album I'd be allowed to play on the shop floor in my bookshop! This strange mix of themes however is what really attracts me to this album. Watching the Mercury Prize I heard Jo Whiley say that Antony's voice is similar to Nina Simone - and actually it really is, and there are even elements of jazz and blues within the album - but if you to go on looks and lyrics, we're somewhere between The Cure and Nick Cave!!! A bizarre combination I know...

Having said all that the album really is beyond comparison. It is original and clearly heartfelt, and you can't listen to it without being moved in some way. On Friday we turned off all the lights and just lay there listening to it. It is spooky and atmospheric, but I find it almost comforting rather than disturbing, although I am sure it should be the latter! I know this may seem full of contradictions, but listen to the album and I'm sure you will see what I mean...

THE BAND

Antony and the Jonhson's are:

Antony, Julia Kent, Todd Cohen, Jeff Langston, Joan Wasser, Maxim Moston, Rob Moose.

They are from New York, and have had a previous album, called Anotony and the Johnsons, and an ep called The Lake containing The Lake, Fistful of Love, The Horror Has Gone. They won the Mercury Music Prize 2005.

So to the songs...

HOPE THERE'S SOMEONE

This is the song that started it all for me, and the first track on the album. This is the song they sang at the Mercury Awards. It is a beautifully written, haunting track, Anthony and a piano, and a very clever overlay of a second track of him singing the same lyrics, at the same time, but at a slightly different speed. It starts fairly quiet, but builds to a crescendo of sound before closing, with the most haunting of sounds I have even heard produced by human voice! It is beautiful.

MY LADY'S STORY

In contrast this feels like a classic love ballad - I don't mean Boyzone, by this!!!! It makes me think of knights and chivalry and good old fashioned romance, winning a ladies hand through hard fought duels at King Arthur's Court - it gives me chills!!!! It is about beauty, and the things that you will put yourself through to win it. This would win me any day - if someone played this, and told me it was for me, I would melt.

FOR TODAY I AM A BOY

Another lyrical song, with almost church choir like qualities (although certainly not words), voices joining together in amazing but subtle harmnonies, and a piano track that grows and swells with the voices. Uplifting but a little bit sad - more contradictions I know, but this is a song about them.

MAN IS THE BABY

This is a much quieter track, and my boyfriend's favourite at the moment. This is a beautiful song, with Antony and the piano in the foreground, but with wonderful orchestra instruments, mainly strings, in the background, taking the fore when Antony stops singing for a whlie halfway through the track.

YOU ARE MY SISTER

Again there are some beautiful harmonies from the start of this, and some strong guest vocals from Boy George no less! This is a wonderful song, a tribute to Antony's real sister, or just someone very close to him? I don't know, but just like My Lady's Story, if someone wrote this for you I think you would find it hard not to cry...

WHAT CAN I DO

This is a very short, but wonderful song. Vocals are by Rufus Wainwright, he actually sings the song, with Antony in the background. Piano and drums are the only accompianment, and it really works.

FISTFUL OF LOVE

A rather painful song about destrructive love, yet somehow beautifully performed. If you are yet to be impressed, the gueat vocals, and guitar on this track are provided by Lou Reed, which should give you an idea of just how highly regarded this guy is! There is also a great sax and drum line, and this is bluesy-jazz-like in feel.

SPIRALLING

Again a quiter softer sounding, but rather haunting song, with soft drums and piano perfectly complementing Antony's voice.

FREE AT LAST

Sung by Julia Yasuda, this is again a rather short, and very odd track, that I had to listen to a couple of times to get the hang of! Although I like this whole album, I think that it is Antony's voice that I really love, and so prefer the tracks with him, than this one.

BIRD GUHL

The last track on the album, Antony's voice and piano, but again with haunting strings and great drum track in the background. Again shorter than other tracks but ends the album with the same lyrical and haunting quailty with which it begun.

THE CD AND PACKAGING

The cd insert is a a piece of card that folds out like a flat pack box (can't think of a better way to describe it, sorry!). On the inside you find the album and photo credits, and thank yous as well as a couple of photos - 1 of Antony. No track lyrics or real band information, but they do have a website with bios, and upcoming events, which I took a look at and was very good!

PRICE AND AVAILABILITY

RRP £12.99

We got our copy from Play.com at £9.99, free P&P. They also have the first album but not the ep.

Amazon.co.uk, have 2 versions, both seemingly identical but under 2 different labels (Rough Trade, the one we have; and Secretly Canadian). I think the 2nd edition is an older one as it is only listed to buy from their second hand site from £6.39, whilst the Rough Trade version they are selling directly at £8.97 (cheaper than Play but don't forget P&P). They are also selling the vinyl edition, the first album, the ep, the single of Hope There's Someone, and, with limited availabilty, their US cd single I Fell In Love With A Dead Boy.

Both sites list a 1-2 day dispatch time at the mo.

Anyway, to sum up, I LOVE this album. I have listened to it through again whilst writing this review (and am now late for work!!!) This is my first music review, and to be honest I'm such a book person that it really takes a lot to get me to put on a cd, especially over and over again, so I hope I did it justice. Please give it a try. If you're not sure about how much you'd like it there are enough downloads sites now (all strictly legal!) on which you'll probably be able to find some stuff, check out their website or keep your ears open listening to the radio, as I'm sure their airplay will increase after the Mercury Prize. (Try Radio One, many of the djs already seem to be big fans).

(In how does it compare to artists other releases I have put not applicable, not because they have no other stuff but because I have yet to hear the first album and ep.)