ANTONY AND THE JOHNSONS
Self-titled (World Serpent Distribution)
Reviewed by Holly Day

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This album is just brilliant, and beautiful, and pretty much faultless, so far as I'm concerned. Lead singer Antony has one of the richest, near-operatic voices I've heard for a while, and the gorgeous accompaniment of strings, piano, flute, clarinet, percussion, and harp evoke classical standards and chamber pop all at once. Even the lyrics are fabulous, dark and vicious and full of hurt: "I am very, very happy/so please hit me" punctuates the chorus of "Starfish," while in "Deeper Than Love," "My heart is broken/here in the cup of my hands/from between cracked fingers/old blood spills" is about as close to true poetry as lyrics ever get. Like I said, I can't find any fault with this album, and only hope that what's to come as is good as what can be found here.

[Pick up this CD at www.worldserpent.com.]

© 2002 - Holly Day