ANTONY & THE JOHNSONS

Personnel include: Devendra Banhart, Lou Reed (vocals, guitar); Antony (vocals, piano, organ); Rufus Wainwright, Boy George (vocals); Maxim Moston (violin); Joan Wasser (viola); Julia Kent (cello); Keith Bonner (flute); Doug Wieselman (saxophone); Paul Shapiro, Steve Bernstein (trumpet); Jeff Langston (bass guitar); Parker Kindred, Todd Cohen (drums).
Though he probably achieved his greatest mainstream recognition backing up Lou Reed on tour, idiosyncratic songbird Antony is a fully established artiste in his own right. Backed by the Johnsons, as on I AM A BIRD NOW, he crafts delicate ballads that skirt the lines between cabaret, artsong, and pop, with the kind of voice that Stephin Merritt would probably kill for. Antony's unique pipes bring to mind an androgynous Bryan Ferry or a high, quavery summit meeting between Jimmy Scott (another Reed supporter) and Aaron Neville. The stately, graceful, largely piano-driven songs on I AM A BIRD NOW are full of honest, uncluttered emotion, but never go over the top. The communication is direct and immediate, as wisps of melancholy settle around the listener. Guest shots by kindred spirits Rufus Wainwright, Devendra Banhart, and Reed himself vary the tone a bit, but the fragile beauty of this album is a singular, affecting thing.

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