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Let us in the role of Antony & The Johnsons and that is the worst situation in which a group can be. I did a first disc noticed only a very small niche, followed in 2005 by a second disc "I'm a bird now" on which no one would bet 50 cents and instead became a best seller. The rest is history: "Mercury Prize" for best album of the year, a tour that lasted for 4 years and always sold out, as a vocalist or author Antony required by virtually anyone.
And now comes the bad. What to do?
Who knows the previous album (and especially the endless production of new and live) will not be disappointed by their third cd of Antony & The Johnsons: "The Crying Light", out in late January. At first listen the elements that have made the sound of the band are all there. Then slowly, after repeated plays, you notice significant differences. In
disc track list are in fact only three unpublished songs ("The Crying Light", "Epilepsy is dancing" and "Aeon"). The others were present in previous EP o già eseguite dal vivo. Ad esempio ben tre tracce (“One Dove”, “Kiss my name” e “Daylight and the sun”) erano state cantata al concerto di Roma del 1 Novembre 2006.
Ma in queste nuove versioni ne guadagnano tutte. Gli arrangiamenti (a volte anche un po’ barocchi), sono a mio avviso, l’elemento distintivo e di novità di questo disco. Infondo alla voce d’angelo di quest’uomo non si poteva chiedere di più, se non di regalarcela in più occasioni possibili. E se nei precedenti lavori la sua voce era accompagnata da delicati interventi dei Johnsons, in questo disco l’aspetto musicale è più ricco, più sfaccettato, più epico.
Se a from the first work plan had a weight bearing for almost all the pieces, now is not in the foreground, but stresses and accompanied by a myriad of instruments arranged with a harmony and delicacy from the "genius" Nico Mulhy.
And compared to previous work this album is decidedly more mixed, there are many (decided) changes of pace and atmosphere. Antony's voice goes from solemn tones and intimate to the most lively and energetic "Aeon."
Describe in words the disc is a difficult task. This collection of songs are a little manual how to write the perfect song indie folk, simplified and made the mind of an innocent child and sung with the pain and disappointment of an adult who can not grow. The other times I wrote on my blog that I love Antony's music just because you find everything.

But here's my track by track guide.

"Her Eyes Are Underneath the Ground" has the difficult task of opening this long-awaited disc. So it seems that Antony aware of the expectations of fans want to please them. So give us a piece that may be present on "I'ma bird now" in style and atmosphere. But it also wants to give
two innovations: while the use of voice distress and may lead to sharp peaks and that we had never heard (and honestly live in the few dates granted in late 2008, not always able to manage better). And then the final instrumental dark, almost suspended from opera.
"Epilepsy Is Dancing" call it a bittersweet piece and seems to be the second single from the album. The piece starts with the melody for me never felt more pop in a disc of Antony and perhaps serve to attract a wider audience. In the final part of the piece Antony gives us all his vocal prowess in a crescendo of pathos.
The updated version, and perhaps final "One Dove" is the masterpiece of the disc. It 's a soul touching song, filled with a sublime melody with a text by no means trivial, as the title might instead cause concern. Those two piano chords that are alternated to sing the first verse, read those brushes that caress the plates, strings and woodwinds those who are flying high in the chorus this dove. Everything is perfect. Everything is held, the voice of Antony is run and is never gone further. It 's really the soundtrack to a moment when the world stops and the nose up watching the flight of this dove.
"Kiss my name" is wonderful in its orchestral version early last September in Milan. Here are the pace and the battery to be protagonists. You can see why this piece in the track list follows "One Dove", because this is the flight of the dove, is the freedom of flight, the joy of movement. In fact, even during the live interpretation of this piece Antony and free up his arms as if they were wings.
In "The Crying Light" the vocals of Antony is, in my view, closer to his first productions. A sublime singing and listening to every alien who gets under your skin like a poison. Although the arrangement is more meager, just as in the first album: the piano harder, strings, guitar and the stroke of a finger.
"Another World" is the piece that in October and brought forward the album that I find brilliant. As I written elsewhere, I was afraid that Antony, after overexposure of the world and the commercial success of his duets with Bjork ee cameo for Hercules & Love Affair, it would have been tempted to make his music more accessible to the public who has managed large and heterogeneous to conquer. Instead, returns with a piece tiratissimo, probably the whole lot less immediate. Everything turns up repeatedly and stubbornly few chords and sang the same tone is maintained without seeking special effects easy to hold. Repetitive, monotonous deliberately, apocalyptic (as the text points out), pure urban paranoia. In short, for my aesthetic: the wonder of wonders!
"Daylight and the Sun" the contrary is a baroque waltz to the tune of what you imagine a couple dancing the beautiful style of the beast. With a plan to peg away nervous that some notes before launching into an up and down with bows and dizzying sounds rough, almost beaten wood. All this will turn off by subtraction in one of the most sweet and dreamy end of the entire disc.
"Aeon" you care. Start with a melancholy piano, the strings suspended. But as it comes Antony's voice is transformed into a memorable piece. It 's like the spirit of Elvis had taken possession of the body of Antony and wanted to see what it's like singing "his song" with that voice. Accompanied by an electric guitar Antony processes and distorts the concept of rhythm and blues and gives us a personal interpretation of the genre, modern concept.
"Dust & Water" is a piece a capella, accompanied by a background in choral lament, prolonged, and cavernous primitive than ours. And it is almost a lullaby, a mantra to listen to before going to sleep to remind us that in this world we are passing and we are nothing but dust and water.
"Everglade" is the state of grace of the disc and the best way to keep us on tenterhooks awaiting the next dates in Italy in March and get us through the next few months to looking for b-sides and unreleased live performances. A majestic piece that charms at first hearing.

Rating: 4 ½ stars (out of five)