When we recently learned Antony and the Johnson's new full-length, The Crying Light, finally had a release date of January 20, 2009, we were ecstatic (well, at least this hopeless fan was). It's been nearly four years since front man Antony Hegarty and his backup band unveiled their breakthrough second record, I Am a Bird Now, a haunting, otherworldly collection of torch songs that included cameos from Rufus Wainwright, Lou Reed, and -- in an unexpected but delightfully shocking turn -- a more subdued, soulful Boy George.
I Am a Bird Now won the UK's coveted Mercury Prize in 2005 and recently clocked in at No. 10 on our list of the Greatest, Gayest Albums of All Time, becoming the most recent album to make the top 20. (Confession: When he first discovered it, this music editor believed it was the album he'd waited his whole life to hear, and thus chose it as his No. 1 pick.)
The outfit's Another World EP -- the cover, seen above, is a strange black-and-white 1984 photograph of gender-twisting Japanese Butoh performer Kazuo Ohno -- came out in October, stocked with a tight set of pensive gems, like the title track, a stripped-down, feedback-laced affair that finds a torn Antony longing to leave his crumbling surroundings for a more secure space while admitting the void he'd feel if he actually made the move.
If you haven't snagged the EP yet, we have good news: Now you can download the song "Another World" for free right here. Then come back to Popnog and Out.com for more news on The Crying Light.
-- JASON LAMPHIER
This EP is exceptionally beautiful. His performance at Disney Hall in LA recently was extraordinary. Thanks for posting this. I'm still surprised at how many people, gay and straight, don't know about Antony and the Johnsons.
G.
Posted by: Gera | November 14, 2008 at 10:12 AM