Antony and the Johnsons: Swanlights

Antony & The Johnsons
Swanlights
Rating: Grrrr

Antony's second album I Am A Bird Now, was an instant classic.  Each song flowed effortlessly into one another, not a note out of place, no song overstaying or understaying its welcome, a beautiful song cycle about internal transformations.  The follow up, The Crying Light, continued his streak of brilliant albums, broadening his palette to sing largely about man's connection with nature.   And now Antony has blessed us with the follow-up, Swanlights.  It took me many listens to get a handle on it, and even now, I still can't say it matches the first two albums in terms of their arguable perfection, but there is still such amazing beauty in the 11 songs that it cannot be dismissed as "minor" or as even a "misstep."   I think Antony is trying to branch out his sound and themes without straying too far from what makes him so special in the first place. 

On the surface, Swanlights appears to be a more upbeat Antony, one that could even be in love.  Of course, the song titles give many overt hints to that: "I Am In Love," and "Thank You For Your Love."  But, this being Antony, there is always a darkside, even to these specific proclamations.  "Thank You For Your Love," with its Motown meets Stax sound, ends with Antony crying "Thank You!" over and over in what could be an orgiastic fury or perhaps even out of desperation. 



"I Am In Love," with its jaunty gait and hypnotic organs and strings, has Antony being overwhelmed with the feelings of love, intimating that "It's too much, it's too much!."



But there are continuations of previous themes, particularly with his preoccupation with man's relationship with nature and also with death.  The gorgeous "The Great White Ocean" flows quietly with minimal strings and lightly plucked acoustic guitar, singing to his family about hoping to remain a family even on the other side:

"Swim with me my brother when I dive I don't ever want to say good bye
If you do go first or if it's me
Oh my darling brother swim with me"



Which all leads to the centerpiece, the exquisitely experimental title track, "Swanlights."  In an approximation of Radiohead's "Like Spinning Plates," the song unfolds with reverse piano, strings, and vocals, righting itself and progressing into a forceful meditation on the mysteries of nature and life itself.



After such a striking song, I thought the album might derail a bit, but it is followed with one of Antony's best songs, the quiet and meditative "The Spirit Was Gone," which is almost heartbreakingly sad and tender.  It is definitely my favorite track on the album.



Even the duet with Bjork, "Fletta," which sort of sticks out like a sore thumb on the record, moreso that Antony takes a back seat to Bjork's lead (and the odd choice to sing the song in Icelandic) than any substandard quality in the material, eventually unfolds and shows its loveliness over time.



And like the gorgeous "Everglade" on The Crying Light, Swanlights ends with another relevatory track, "Christina's Farm."  Echoing the lines from the first track, and encompassing all his favorite themes of nature, mankind, and death

"I awoke to find a whiteness inside
Everything did shine, slyly, from each body
Halos from within, diamonds the year in
As we crossed to where the Virgin Mary
Moves over the fields
Here and there, she kneels
Sighing sweet relief upon the prairie

Everything was new
Every sock and shoe
My face and your face tenderly renewed"

it closes the album with a hint of haunted resignation.



Swanlights is a difficult album to embrace at the offset.  Musically and thematically it can appear to be all over the map, but I liked the fact that it was constantly keeping me on my toes.  I don't think it matches the overall tone and brilliance of his first two albums, however, I applaud him trying to subtly change his focus without alienating his fans.  I do recommend that first time listeners to Antony & The Johnsons start with I Am A Bird and lead chronologically to Swanlights, otherwise it might be a little confusing.


Rating Guide

Chilfos: masterpiece; coolest thing I've heard in ages.

Woof Daddy: excellent; just a hair away from being a masterpiece.

Grrrr: very good; will definitely be considered for my top albums of the year.

Yeah Daddy Make Me Want It: good; definitely invites further listens and peaks one's interest for more material.

Meh: not horrible, but certainly not good; could have either been trimmed or polished.

Jeez Lady: what the hell happened? Just plain bad. They should hang their heads in shame and be forced to listen to Lady Gaga ad nauseam as penance.

Tragicistani: so bad, armed villagers with pitchforks and torches should run the artist out of the country for inflicting this abomination on the human race.