John Doe
CRITIC
I Am A Bird Now
It has been said that beauty of whatever kind, in its supreme development, invariably excites the sensitive soul to tears. And within the first strains of a piano and the quivering introduction of that voice in its opening song, Hope There's Someone, there are hints that such a form of beauty may exist in the work that is I Am A Bird Now. It is not a false hope. For by the end of this supremely moving album, it'd have been proven that Edgar Allen Poe was right. Beauty in its topmost form can, indeed, move sensitive souls to tears. And I Am A Bird Now is such exquisitely beautiful.
I Am A Bird Now is the second album by Antony & The Johnsons. A band that will not sound familiar to most mainstream listeners, but mark my words, should be taken note of. Readers, while I'd love to narrate and share with all of you, the background and journey of the remarkable and unique character that is Antony, I will spare these words to simply cut to the chase. Make no mistake, reading up and knowing about his background will surely enrich the experiencing of this record, no doubt. But if you are a discerning listener, you will not allow such minutiae to distract you from what's the real showstopper. Just listen to Antony's voice and delivery. Everything else can be superfluous.
So much has been said (and praised) about Antony and his vocals that further descriptions or accolades from me are unnecessary. Quivering, stockpiled with oodles of raw intensity and emotion, his is a unique vocal instrument that's male and female both at once. It's Nina Simone and Jimmy Scott rolled into an indescribable and amazing hybrid. Simply put, Antony is one of the most strikingly beautiful voices of our generation.
Having an amazing gift of a voice can only carry one so far. Shorn of a body of great songs and words around which the voice can wrap itself, such an extraordinary talent would still be squandered. It is thankful, hence, that this is not the case in I Am A Bird Now. There is nary a bad song on this album. The only song I couldn't get myself to appreciate was Free At Last, but that is attributable to the simple fact that I am not a fan of spoken word.
As forementioned, the album opens with Hope There's Someone, a song that expresses a morbid fear that "Hope there's someone who'll take care of me when I die", a sincere wish that "Hope there's someone who'll set my heart free. Nice to hold when I'm tired." It has got to be just about the most beautifully heartbreaking way to open an album. Elegiac verses from a heart that is sunk and broken, yet still hopeful. And sung by a voice in such emotive intensity that it is indisputable that the protangonist knows his way through such heartaches.
Hope There's Someone is a fine opening not merely because of its inherent quality, but also for the fact that it provides an inkling of what is to come. A cogent mix of pain, despair, fear, longing, hope and other emotions immersed in disparate tales about physical abuse and amputation, gender identity (or is it confusion?), needy love, freedom (of various kinds) and God. Beauty is a fragile gift.
Even in such redoubtable company, there are shining moments here that are worth highlighting. The ballad duet with Boy George, You Are My Sister, is towering for its performances and touching for its subject matter, sentiments and context. Imagine two grown men singing to each other "You are my sister and I love you. May all of your dreams come true". There is an acknowledgement of love, camaraderie and hope here that is transcendent, whether you agree with its topic or not. Similarly, For Today I Am a Boy holds the hope that "One day I'll grow up, I'll be a beautiful woman. One day I'll grow up, I'll be a beautiful girl. But for today I am a child, for today I am a boy." This is a song that dares the audience to look directly into the hopes and dreams of the man mouthing these words. It is a direct gateway to this man's deepest recesses of his soul and it is poetic.
Fistful of Love, another powerful song has such a gorgeous melody that you have to do a double take at its subject matter. "And I feel your fists and I know it's out of love. And I feel the whip and I know it's out of love. And I feel your burning eyes burning holes straight through my heart." A person who loves his/her lover so much that he/she is unable to tear himself/herself away from the other party no matter the violence and hurt inflicted upon him/her. The average person may not recognise the emotions at work here but for the people who do, this must surely be the song about their lives.
I Am A Bird Now sees various prominent artistes, like Rufus Wainwright, Lou Reed (a long-time fan of Antony), Boy George and Derendra Banhart, all come together to collaborate with the inimitable entity that is Antony, only to see each one of them comprehensively overshadowed by him. Meanwhile, the Johnsons provide able backing and arrangement for the tunes. Sparse, gentle and rarely drawing attention to themselves, it is the perfect complement to Antony's singing. After all, why try to distract from the best thing on this album? And this is, incontrovertibly, one of the best albums of recent times.
8.5/10
John Doe criticised on 4:06 PM.
