Friday, February 08, 2008

Antony and the Johnsons - I Am A Bird Now

I can't decide whether it's an obvious comparison or not, but the record that I Am A Bird Now most reminds me of is Grace - it's there in the soulful (fiery) upper register tentative-now-certain vocals, in the elegant stutter and flow of the songs, and in the way that chamber/baroque trimmings adorn and inhabit what's essentially a brooding pop album, but more, it's in the record's effect, you know, the kind that you can't put in words but always know. The "What Can I Do?" (Rufus W's mournful croonings sounding the part) / "Fistful of Love" pairing is the part that I most listen to over and over, but all in all it's a record that's exactly right for what it is.