Antony and the Johnsons: I Am a Bird

Antony and the Johnsons: I Am a Bird




An often criticism of the great Ella Fitzgerald was that even though her singing technique was probably second to none, she did not know how to sing with emotion. When Billie Holiday made her last record, Lady in Satin, her voice had deteriorated so badly that critics described it as though it was a piece of cloth shredded to pieces due to too many washes in the machine. However, Lady in Satin was hailed by most as one of Billie Holiday’s greatest piece of work, because it was like she put all her emotions into the music, singing about death, depression and desolation.

Music is a medium of communication, and as all of us are emotional beings, it makes sense that to define good music as something that can convey real emotions over to the audience. For Antony and the Johnson’s I am a bird, the moment it starts spinning on your disc drive and the music comes out of the speakers, one feels as though Antony is not singing to you, but communicating with you emotionally. The opening line of the first song, Hope There’s Someone, immediately sets the stage for this emotional confession that is found throughout the whole album: Hope there’s someone who’ll take care of me when I die, when I go.

However, take nothing away from the song writing of Antony and the arrangement of the music in this album. Things are kept simple here, and nothing is overdone, so as to emphasis on the one quality that really stands out in this album: Antony’s voice, which reminds one of those cabaret and opera singers. The selection of the guests vocalists in this album, including Lou Reed, Devandra Banhart, Boy George and Rufus Wainwright are also excellent, such that each guest’s distinctive vocal quality is specifically selected such that it fits the songs.

Hardly have I been touched by an album so raw on emotions. This album easily ranks as my top album of 2005 as of now.