#248: Antony and the Johnsons - I Am a Bird Now (2005)

Emily: From the photo that makes up I Am a Bird Now's album cover, one could assume that they were in for something dark, depressing, and/or weird. The hospital bed, the sad girl with dark lipstick, the name of the file on Wikipedia including the word "deathbed" - it all points to that. In this case, however, you just can't judge an album by its cover art. I Am a Bird Now, while not exactly upbeat, is neither dark nor depressing nor weird. It's a collection of simple songs full of emotion and personal connections. Antony Hegarty, the lead singer, clearly pours his heart into his work. This shows in the lyrics and music, but it comes through most strongly in the way he sings. The result is a beautiful album that will stay with you, just waiting to be listened to again and again.

Favorite Tracks: You Are My Sister; Fistful of Love; My Lady Story

Zack: The first person to tell me about Antony and the Johnsons was my freshman year suitemate. He hyped it to me in the spring of 2010 because he was excited about their fourth album coming out the following fall in light of their third album, which he had fallen in love with the previous year. Considering his other big recommendation for me was G. Love and the Special Sauce, whose debut album I still enjoy years after we first listened to it for blog-related purposes (BRP), I probably should have heeded it back then. I Am a Bird Now, while not one of the two albums he had such a passion or high expectations for, is just very sweet sounding. It sort of reminded me of Nick Drake, not in tone (definitely not in tone, at all), because of their mutual simplicity. While Antony Hegarty was able to form a complete band and bring in a who’s-who of guest musicians – Lou Reed, Rufus Wainwright, Devendra Banhart and (surprisingly) Boy George! – there’s no denying that the driving force of each song is Hegarty’s piano work and his singing. Even when he cedes some control of the song over to one of these legendary or, at the very least, exceptionally talented musicians, it’s still very clear that each and every song is his creation.

Favorite Tracks: Fistful of Love; My Lady Story; You Are My Sister