Another Stunner
Following his Mercury Award winning Mercury second album, it seems that all the world are now excited about Antony and the Johnsons’ latest release, ‘The Crying Light’. It’s a slightly more understated affair than the breakthrough album with a glossy mellowness and far less of the tension that pervaded, ‘I Am a Bird Now’. It’s as if the recognition that Antony has received, even playing with Lou Reed on his recent ‘Berlin’ dates, has made Antony more confident, which shows in the elegance and beauty of the tunes.
‘Her Eyes Are Underneath The Ground’ picks up in familiar territory with soft, rippling piano and agonising vocals that slowly blossom into the positive affirmation, “No one can stop you now”. It’s a delicate song full of subtle flourishes that are executed in a heartbreaking manner. ‘Epilepsy Is Dancing’ has the most delicious vocal harmonies that are warm, comforting and full of retro charm, while the lyrics are spellbinding, “Epilepsy is dancing, she’s the Christ now departing, as I’m finding my rhythm as I twist in the snow”.
‘Kiss My Name’ is a little bluesier with a hint of diva in Antony’s whimsical vocals and the whimsical lyrics, while strings slowly trill in the background. ‘Aeon’ takes the blues touch a little further, surprisingly even introducing guitars for a more rocky and passionate tune. Stoical songs like, ‘Another World’ which ruminate on the state of the world over a simple piano backing bring out Antony’s rich, reverberating voice the best and are probably the kind of tune that his gentle, fluttering voice is best remembered for. At almost 6 and a half minutes, ‘Daylight and the Sun’ is the moment where Hegarty is accused of pompous self-indulgence, but it’s a glorious baroque-tinged affair that swells full of glory, and hell, if you can write and perform music that emotive, then why not make it epic?
All in all, ‘The Crying Light’ is a beautiful, elegant album full of little orchestral twists and heart-wrenching vocals. It’s pretty much what you’d have expected, but a little more restrained that its predecessor, which means it’s more of a slow-grower and has less of an immediate impact on the first listen. It’s worth a few more listens though, although whether the media hype this time around will ruin the uniqueness of Antony and the Johnsons’ work remains to be seen.