Reviews (page 3 of 7)
This album was absolutely not love at first sight for me. When I first listened to it in 2006 (after this album ended in the top of nearly all the end-of-year lists) I put it down after the first two minutes. Too vibrato, too eccentric, and not enough musical power that I was expecting due to some comparisons with Jeff Buckley. But how wrong was I in the end.
Special voice, some beautiful songs! Liked it against expectatipns!
good music, it’s just that there’s too much vibrato on his voice. nonetheless well written, personal, deep, and emotional. cheers x
Always enjoy some Anohni
Anohni turns into Nina Simone before our ears. Such a powerful album.
This was beautiful. I'm just under a 4 I think, but im going 4 to balance out the haters. You people probably want more mediocre shit from the 60's. Give it a rest
Some pretty cool stuff on here. I really liked What Can I Do
This was a very enjoyable and entrancing new discovery for me. I was roped in by the obscurely ethereal first song, Hope There's Someone, and I remained at this level of curiosity and engagement throughout the album.
Very pleasant to listen to. Standout tracks: Hope There's Someone, Fistfull of Love
lush - dreamy, yearning, songs of transition
4- Stars (10/15)
Wow. I really like this. I've seen some people on this website complain about this album. Admittedly, this kind of album isn't for everyone. However, it is absolutely an album for me. Anohni's singing is probably the most divisive aspect of this album. It kind of had to grow on me a bit, but I like it. It feels very genuine, which makes sense given the personal nature of these lyrics. This is probably the trans-est album I've gotten (and probably will get) for the project thus far. Songs like "For Today I Am A Boy" exemplify this quite well. Of course, not every song is about gender identity. Songs like "Hope There's Someone" and "Fistful of Love" are much more relatable to a general audience with themes of fear and love. Either way, I like these songs and their writing. The instrumental sound is nice too. It fits the vibe very well. There's some very interesting features here, including artists I've already discussed like Lou Reed, Rufus Wainwright, and Boy George. These features all work well. Overall, this is an excellently emotional album that really appeals to me. I love it. High 4/5.
There is a poignant, desperate quality to this outstanding album... https://open.substack.com/pub/richcain/p/project-1001-i-am-a-bird-now-by-antony?r=4ztyq&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true
Lunastaa kyllä kantensa tunnelman sataprosenttisesti. Pelkkiä balladeja? Mutta pidän niistä. Anohnin ääni on hieno, vähän kasari mutta tuoreen kuuloinen (miten tää levy onkin ilmestynyt jo 2005).
Anohni has a beautiful and distinctive voice, and the music back her is perfectly matched. I only listened to this album a couple of times before, but “Fistful of Love” was always a favorite song of mine. The entire album is really beautiful and a distinctive mood.
So much emotion poured into this album. Musically beautiful and moving. Quite lovely.
Type of album i came here to find. Beautiful voice. Best track - lady story
Interesting. Gentile
Never heard this album before. The album is a little inconsistent, but the highlights are great. In particular, "For Today I Am a Boy", "Fistful of Love" and "You Are My Sister". Lead singer Anohni has a unique voice that lifts these songs. Glad to have been introduced to this unique artist.
Never heard this before. Interesting, and it grew on me over time. Very unique vocal style. Good for this list.
About as emotionally open as you can get. Some great songs that really reward repeated listens. Fistful of Love is the triumphant centerpiece, but You Are My Sister, My Lady Story, and What Can I Do? are all excellent. The veiled cameos of Boy George, Rufus Wainwright, and Lou Reed give this album the bonafides it deserves, bridging queer icons from three decades into this album that takes the message to the next generation. If everyone could appreciate and empathize with this album, we might not have such a divisive and ignorant world.
Fav song: For Today I Am A Boy I am a bit bias cos I listened to a ton of this band in highschool, but I really do think it’s a great album. A very honest depiction of pain and longing with great instrumentation (for the most part) and a really unique sounding singing voice - not to mention surprising cameos. I was pleasantly surprised when Rufus Wainwright suddenly appeared!
A very beautiful album, a lovely voice, very personal and brave.
I can see how Anohni's voice would be jarring. It was for me upon initial listening. But as I sunk in, it was reminiscent of Jeff Buckley where the voice becomes perhaps the featured instrument. I find her voice to be ethereal and emotional (the lyrics and subject matter couldn't be more personal) and worthy of a re-listen.
Kinda made me feel like I’m In a movie
8/10 - I loved their voice, the backing tracks were sick. The first and last songs were both fantastic. Plus them being the first openly trans performer to be nominated for the academy award is super cool.
ghastly opera vibes. love anohni.
I get why people are turned off by this, but her vocal style is genuinely novel and her range is so impressive that I found this album to be quite good. Also transphobes can kindly stfu :)
Crazy reviews on this one, I found it to be really beautiful throughout. First song especially knocked me off my feet.
Really enjoyed this.
Very interesting
I liked it after 2 listens. It grew on me. Nice voice. Sweet sound.
I have always struggled a bit with Anohni's falsetto, but clearly I just needed to listen to a full album. This is some powerful stuff.
I remember listening to this near the time it first came out, and really not rating it - the voice, the maudlin music, the tone, what have you. Having just listened to it again, I can definitively say that past me was dead wrong. I will be the first to say this won't be everyone's cup of tea - Ahnoni's voice tends towards the warbly, and her songs lean artistic and away from any sense of radio-friendliness. However, for me this was fantastic, and the sheer level of FEELINGS through the whole album was intense and vulnerable in a way I honestly wasn't expecting. I actually had to sit and process a bit afterwards, it affected me that much! Ahnoni's vocals and the stripped-down music to accompany them work brilliantly together, and the guest parts still allow the album to feel very intimate and personal - definitely going to have to listen again in the near future. Faves: Fistful of Love, You Are My Sister
I think calling this pop music is insulting to the level of artistry contained within this album. ANOHNI really shares their story and ropes you in with emotion and tone, leaving nothing imagined. An amazing transformation of a human being
I don't love the vocals. The vibrato is just too much. But... dang it all, this is a really fun album. Fistful of Love is a phenomenal track. Maybe not a 5 star album, but an enjoyable listen for sure.
This album was a hard listen, not that its bad, its beautiful, and haunting. The lead singer, ANOHNI, being a transwoman, clearly wrote this album about her life and her struggles knowing from a young age that she was not the boy everyone wanted her to be. The album is a tragic, sad, but triumphant listen, its not an album that i would listen to again, and thats okay, i dont think that its meant for me, but its hard to deny the beauty of these songs, the album itself feels like concept album from start of life to now, and its perfect like that. I wanna take this time to talk about the final song of the album, Bird Guhl. This song may be a masterpiece from an objective standpoint, it is the magnum opus of this story, using the symbolism of becoming a bird, "growing" my wings, an allegory for finally being able to transition into what truly makes her happy, its beautiful, and in 2005 no less, this song alone is a 10/10 and makes the whole album for me. Fav Song: Bird Guhl 4
This was a fun one it is like Nina Simone and a jazzy techno band had a baby
Buen disco con una voz muy personal.
J'ai trouvé sa voix tellement belle et réconfortante. Vraiment c'est un timbre feutré tellement apaisant. Les paroles sont aussi très poétiques et captivantes. Par contre, une chance que c'est juste 35 min de long car le style très doux devient monotone à la longue. C'est un bon album, mais il faut vraiment être dans un mood tranquille. 7.5/10
Если бы у Тома Йорка и Ланы дель Рей были бы дети, они написали бы этот альбом.
Anohni has such a unique, warbling vocal style. It immediately grabbed me on the opener Hope There's Someone, a very beautiful song. Tough to determine whether it was more hopeful or despairing - part of its beauty I think. Honestly I'd like to know a little more about the album and its songs because it seems like this has a lot to do with her transitioning to a woman (My Lady Story, For Today I Am a Boy, You Are My Sister, Spiralling, Bird Guhl). I think she already identified as a trans woman then, despite not changing her name so her lyrics seem to reflect that. Very deep, and raw. Much respect for how she pens those deep emotions. I would've liked a little more out of the collaborations - Boy George and Lou Reed in particular were so-so. Anohni's voice was still great on those songs. And this was still a good album overall. Another one of those out of nowhere albums. Exactly the kind of thing that should be on this list regardless of how much you like it. But I liked it a fair bit.
found this pretty enthralling. i understand the criticism towards the constant vibrato, but this album had a somber atmosphere with very unique, high-quality production.
This is such a beautiful album. The vibrato is a bit excessive at times but I can overlook that because it's so good. The lyrics are heartbreaking and the minimalist production really drives them home.
I can see how this is a polarizing album. You really need to be okay with her voice or you will not like this. The album definitely grew on me and I found it hauntingly beautiful.
A few weeks ago, Anohni and the Johnsons were on Gent Jazz. I never heard of them and they sold out. Now I understand a little bit better why: this was a very nice soul(?)/pop album.
Exquisite and haunting, lovely and refined, a work of great beauty and some profundity, clearly rooted in personal anguish/pain. The mix of modes is also impressive: some soul/R&B, some Winterreise/chanson vibes, some pure chamber pop, some heartbreak balladry. The guest spots somewhat unbalance proceedings, given that A’s voice is so distinct.. But they suggest the good taste and foresight of the participants. (Re the cameos: Boy George sounds a bit tired, perhaps uncertain, even shaky, but is effective overall, particularly given the fragility of the subject matter. Rufus is best, well suited to the lavish emotionality, and pushing it to the edge. Lou Reed makes much of an almost negligible contribution, characteristically calling attention to himself through a rather studied and wholly contrived casualness [no one seems so uptight about showing off how cool he is]). The transgender developments of more recent years are foreshadowed rather directly – to some extent, it seems the plot of the record. The occasionally excessive vibrato is easily forgiven. This made quite the impact all those years ago and has aged extraordinarily well, which makes the ex-ing by editors a baffling choice.
Molto rilassante... quando hai bisogno di un mood tranquillo, leggermente malinconico e lento, è perfetto.
1001 Albums Day 12 A beautifully written, performed and recorded album of heartfelt acoustic piano ballads. Though a lot of the songs are short, they feel complete, as supposed to, say Dorian Electra's Edgelord. I fun it kind of funny and very impressive that Anohni managed to stay in the closet when she refers to herself as a woman in some way on For Today I Am A Boy, What Can I Do? and Bird Gerhl. Though I find the album beautiful, it is a bit too simple for me, so it'll never be an album that I love, simply one I quite like. Favs: Hope There's Someone, My Lady Story, For Today I Am A Boy, You Are My Sister, What Can I Do?, Birdd Gerhl Least Favs: Fistful Of Love, Free At Last 77/100
At first I thought this was a little too weird and overdone on the vibrato and drama. A little uncomfortable in parts perhaps. But then I looked at it from the angle of all the influences on the album, the emotion, and the production... I feel like it's gotta be a 3.6+ into the 4/5 This is a substantial production.
Incredibly beautiful album that earned lead singer ANOHNI a Mercury Music Prize. It's an incredibly deep and tender album that explores queerness with introspection that I have not seen to such a degree in music.
The very mixed reviews scared me, but I liked this overall. I did skip the first song halfway through, and that was because of my biggest complaint , the vocalist. Just not a great voice. But I do realize that this is an extremely personal album and no one else could have sang it. So I forgive them.
I can understand people hate the voice. It's like an exaggerated version of Billy Holliday. Apparently too much for a lot of people. I like it for the length of the album and probably not much longer. Favorite song: fistful of love
A very haunting opening track, that was nicely, delicately delivered. Need to look up Anohni. Surprised to see she's Trans. Fair play to her - she's pretty talented. Best Tracks - What can I do?
Llegué a Anohni a través de Hercules and Love Affair hace un tiempo. Su voz es tremenda: hay algo en su vibración que vuelve todo muy emocional. Disco lleno de temazos, con aires pop, jazzeros, de cámara.
I thought this was really interesting. Haven't heard a lot of music like this before.
The singer sounds like she's currently in the process of being zapped by an electric fence. I really didn't get this on my first listen, but it clicked hard on the second. Shit's powerful and magical. Hits hard in an empty room at nighttime.
Definitely the saddest album I've heard in a long time. But sad in such a beautiful way.
4.5 stars. "Hope There's Someone" is haunting but touching & beautiful. "Man is the baby" a beautiful thoughtful song. "You are my sister" is a nice heartfelt song. There's an over use of vibrato which gets tiring. "Fistful of Love" is soulful and tragic. "Spiraling" is a gentle but heartbreaking performance / description of spiraling into despair. "Bird Gerhl" is also very heartfelt while being a hopeful. A very sensitive and emotional listening experience.
че-то чето
В жанре грустный британец поет песни под легкое фортепиано для меня пока главный Sampha. Но это было неплохо алкоальбом: красное французское вино
Hope There’s Someone was lifted/covered by Avicii and it’s just as beautiful as it is here. I was so excited to hear the original here opening the album. And it’s consistently as raw and emotional throughout. Lots of great messaging about identity and self-discovery in the singers journey of finding a true self
As beautiful as I remember
Beautiful album. Haunting and sometimes strange, but always a treat to listen to.
A kind of weird mash-up of Radiohead and Louis Armstrong, with a distinctive LGBT twist. Deserved the Mercury Music Prize.
I felt like someone was singing their diary entries and it kind of put me in a sour mood, it does a great job as an entire album. Really powerful and emotional but the vibrato took me out a little. outside that its a masterwork in song writing, its so depressing I dont know if I'd listen to it again.
A very haunting voice with its quiver. I enjoyed this.
Great surprise. Soulful and emotional.
wow really enjoyable
This is a groovy listen on a Saturday morning before anyone else is up. Pretty solid throughout. You can tell there has been a lot time put into writing these tunes. Not something I'll revisit but I'm glad to have heard it.
Beautiful and haunting!
Erinnert am Jeff Buckley
Soothing Vibrato.
This isn’t the type of music I normally gravitate towards, but this is pretty beautiful. She has such a unique voice, and it feels like her entire soul is coming out of her body in her vocals. The instrumental compositions are really nice too.
Great album one of if not the best by them great vocals and good song writing high 7
Nice sound
Honestly I don't know where I would put this album. 5? 4? 3? Not sure. probably a 9/10 but idk if it's a 5 or not. I will choose 4. But I really loved this album a lot, so yeah. Ratings should be this hard man, leave me alone Day 52
Enjoyable
Highly dramatic of course, thoroughly haunting, occassionally otherworldly, and a certainly more than a bit strange (mainly as an extension of its originality, though). Holds up really well. The cameos work. Worthy Mercury Prize winner, for sure, and the big-seeming, outta nowhere breakthrough seems wholly plausible/justifiable two decades on. Definitely should not have been exed.
Beautiful and well-performed. I'll be revisiting. Highlights: My Lady Story, You Are My Sister, What Can I Do?, Fistful Of Love, Spiralling
Syktchill til en lørdags formiddag
Wow, what an unique voice and songs. Seems they have been created to last for good.
Not in my edition of the book! 2005. 4 stars. Gorgeous voice and production, and tracks infused with melancholy. The only things missing are more standout tracks.
Björk's album Volta introduced me to Antony (now Ahoni) & have been enamored with Ahoni since. Also, how am I just learning this is Candy Darling on her death bed? WOW. I don't think this style of music & vocals is for everyone, but I think it's gorgeous and intense. Ahoni has the voice of an angel in despair. If you want to listen to a certifiable bop, check out Hecules and Love Affair's track, "Blind." Ahoni also does a mean Beyonce cover, "Crazy In Love."
Very oldschool chamber music with some modern twists and lyrical subject matters of the day. Not quite interesting or good enough to re-visit, but I'll round it up from 3.5 because it's at least something quite different and unexpected.
Strange and moving. Loved the unusual vocals and the orchestration
I was going into I Am a Bird Now expecting to hate it. But it turned out to be rather good and really beautiful at points. The music, the lyrics and the singing all managed to work pretty well together and give the album it's genuinely beautiful vibe. It seemed as if all the songs were gonna be samey but thankfully Fistful Of Love was a nice change. I was expecting to give it a pretty low score but its getting a 3.5 (adjusted to 4, obviously). Best Song: Bird Gerhl Worst Song: For Today I Am A Boy
Not what I was expecting but I liked it
This album was AMAZING I’m so glad it was on the list. I’m adding the first song on my playlist immediately. I loved the instrumental elements. It reminded me of attic monkeys a little bit and I love that
Fabuloso
There is something captivating about Anohni's voice. Mixed with the personal vulnerabilities just grabs you. Fave track: You Are My Sister
Vibrato often rubs me the wrong way, but it largely works here - I didn't find it grating at all. I was gonna comment on "I am a Bird Now" being maybe an unintentional but amusing reference to trans-ness in British English but wikipedia tells me that Anohni was already openly trans when it was released, and what utterly shocked me - she's English!? 😆 Fave tracks - "Hope There's Someone" is a fantastic opener. "Fistful of Love" is the headliner, though.
Rentoa ja sielullista. Vähän taiteellista baritooni laululla. Parhaat: Hope Theres Someone, Spiralling, Bird Guhl
Jaren geleden een keer live gezien als onderdeel van een muziektheaterproductie over / van Marina Abramović. https://www.theaterkrant.nl/recensie/the-life-and-death-of-marina-abramovic/robert-wilson-marina-abramovic-antony-willem-dafoe/ Die stem vergeet je niet; heel bijzonder. Dit album: paar mooie arrangementen en ook weer prachtig gezongen. Maar je moet er maar net van houden. Het is niet helemaal waar ik zelf naar op zoek ben. Ik heb de plaat wel helemaal geluisterd en vond het mooi maar ook wel pittig, op de 1 of andere manier. Zal ‘m niet snel op repeat zetten.
Previous Familiarity: Low. Have heard the 2023 album from ANOHNI, but never heard anything from them before that. "I Am a Bird Now" was a journey for me. Upon my first listen, I didn't find much to latch on to. The music is very sparse and melodramatic, which ultimately lends itself to letting the lyrics and the vocalist shine. And in that first listen, I must admit, I wasn't paying as much attention to the lyrics as I should have. ANOHNI's classical chamber style vocals presented too much of a distraction for me to focus on the message. Strikingly beautiful singing is certainly not something that I'm used to in popular music, and it was overwhelming. With a second listen, I was able to put the pieces together. The symphonic swells and the operatic warble are suitable vessels for conveying the of the weight of importance that the lyrics are presenting. ANOHNI's life has been filled with situations and experiences that I haven't shared, but the way that they are able to describe them are so affecting that it's impossible to not sympathize. Heartbreaking throughout, with only occasional moments of joy through personal acceptance of others as well as themselves. The guest appearances are perfect. Boy George, Devandra Benhart, and Lou Reed work well with the oddness that is inherent in the aesthetic, but Rufus Wainwright outshines them all. Wainwright's syrupy voice is a welcome repreve from the brink-of-tears warble of ANOHNI that permeates the entirety of the record. In fact that is unfortunately the standout element of detraction for this album. The overuse of the exaggerated vocal style robs the big emotional moments of their effectiveness. If the mundane verses are sung with the same dramatic flair as the important ones, then how is the listener to determine what is really important. If they picked their spots better, this album would be devastating.
Not something I’d have picked out for myself but really enjoyed the whole album.
I feel conflicted with this album. Their voice sometimes was not great but I enjoyed the lyrics and background music. There was one song where the lead singer (different singer) sounded just like The Strokes which made me want to give this album a 10/10. Too bad that singer only sang one song because it was overall a 7/10.
Some needs to stop shaking this man so he can sing. Music to get depressed to the album. I can’t decide if I like his voice or if it bothers me. The songs are nice, slow, and emotional but a bit repetitive and kind of overstay their welcome. There are parts that I really really liked but then there were parts that I could have gone without.
A soothing listen on an overnight flight
I liked this album! Felt very emotional and vulnerable. Maybe a few misses for me (Bird Guhl) among them. I had not heard of this artist before, I liked her performance although maybe a little too much focus on vibrato for my taste. Hope There's Someone and Fistful of Love were favourite songs.
Love the singer's tone. Edith Piaf vibrato took some acclimation. Lots of ooh's. 1. Surprising piano wildness in 2nd half. 2. My Lady's Tory. 3. For Today I am a Boy 4. Beautiful string arrangement. 5. You Are My Sister. Great duet with Boy George. 6. What Can I Do? Beautiful 7/8 piano ballad with Rufus Wainwright. Too short for my money. 7. Lou Reed! Axis of awesome chords. Overdriven guitar low in the mix echoes the intense, but controlled emotional tenor of the track. That's all I managed.
At first I thought it was strange, sad and mopey. Indicative of boring mid-2000’s music. As the album continued however I was taken aback by the talent and craftsmanship of Anohni and the Johnsons and quickly changed my mind. Though I probably won’t be running back quickly to listen to this album, it does show me that there are people out there determined to make great music whatever the results.
Interesting album. The first song really grabbed me, it was really good. And what a voice he has, wow! I think it became a bit too much of the same thing by the end though, that was the biggest drawback. I still think this deserves a 4; it still felt fresh and new even though it is from 2005. He must've been quite ahead of his time!
This was quite an experience. I'd only heard the opening track before which is a great track. The whole album feels very personal in a way that makes you experience it more than just nice music. I really enjoyed "For today I Am A Boy" also. It reminds me in its honestness to Daniel Jonhston's "True love Will Find you in the End" but with more production. It's hard to put a number to this album as it really depends on your mood but for today, when I felt like this type of music, it gets a weak 4.
I thought this was fantastic and it really burrowed its way into my head. Great, rainy day music.
Still a beautiful album
Good music, just not my style.
Fav songs - My lady story - You are my sister - What can I do? - Fistful of Love - Spiralling -
Svo óskaplega falleg plata. Elska hana <3
ok
Als muzikaal behang beluisterd, dus wilde dit eigenlijk keihard neersabelen, maar las jullie reacties en moet schoorvoetend op mijn eerdere oordeel terugkomen; het is inderdaad prachtig!
Prachtig album. Kippenvel!
Mooi mooi mooi mooi! Wel 3x geluisterd
Ik begrijp heel goed dat mensen hier zenuwachtig van worden. Ik vind het daarentegen prachtig!
Gorgeous voice and pretty melodies
Another one I haven’t heard of. 2005 album described as alternative - artist is a “California misfit who relocated to NYC to become the drag queen of her dreams”. First song has relaxed, if a little somber, vibes. Her voice is satisfying - Apple Music describing the “androgyny” coming through and can see what that means. I think I’m gonna go with 4/5 on this - maybe on the lower end but I like the vibe and the vocals are satisfying. Still quite somber but not a reason to discount.
Very emotional and solid album. Fistful of love is fuckin rad.
Haunting, personal, beautiful, depressing. This is a great artful album especially after listening to four days of Britpop. I totally understand why this is on the list. It's impactful and is different from anything else I've listened to before.
I really liked this album except for one weird track so I deducted one star, best American chamber pop musical collective album I’ve listened to this year.
El vibrato era un poco molesto al comienzo, pero la música termina por convencerme. Creo que seguiré escuchando este disco.
Beautiful album. I'm not wild about Anohni's vibrato, and I even find it distracting at times. But the melodies are lovely here, and lyrically, it is powerful in the truths it lays bare. Although she was known by the name Antony at the time this album released, I was surprised at how transparent she was on this album regarding her identity and the ways it was being stifled. I'm glad she can be herself now, but am also glad to learn she's been speaking her truth for decades now.
Really cool to hear an album by a trans artist. Overall, the genre isn’t my favorite but the lyrics and emotion were quite strong. 7/10
Beautiful and unique. And sad.
I'm not keen on vibrato voices but otherwise I really enjoyed the album, particularly You are my Sister and Fistful of Love. Great emotion and beautiful music, especially those horns!
Familiarity bias here. So I feel like the melodies are catchy and simple and effective, but I've listened to this album loads in the past so 🤷 the vibrato should annoy me, I don't know why it doesn't. But I think that still makes it a 4 rather than 5.
Beautiful bunches of ballads. ANOHNI has such a unique voice that it immediately sets them apart from other artists, which is a big asset. The production and instrumentation is perfect and the arrangements and lyrics are wonderfully original. There’s a good amount of range on this thing too, which is impressive because I’ve not listened to much of their music before so their ability to set each song apart is truly admirable. I only wish there was some more exciting tracks to remember off this, although, I enjoyed every minute of it. 4/5
Enjoyable
I really love chamber pop. This album is gorgeous from start to finish. Musically, there isn’t much going on that’s groundbreaking, but in terms of sheer lyricism and vulnerability, this album takes the cake. It’s commentary on gender and the evolution of a person is not only well done, but tenderly done. Anohni’s voice oscillates from low and high almost to signal the transformation that she was realizing lyrically. Overall, just a phenomenal album.
I didn't get into ANOHNI the first time around and it might be my mood that this album slots so neatly into, but I really liked this and the 35 minutes floated by.
This was an interesting listen. I started off a little put off by the vocal delivery and was bracing for a long listen. Somewhere in the middle though it picked up for me and there were several songs I really liked like Fistful of Love. Kind of a 3.5 but rounding up to 4.
Complétement sous le charme de ce festival du vibrato, organisé en toute intimité par l'excellent Antony et sa troup de Johnsons. On en redemande.
I just... wow. This is heartbreakingly beautiful, with elegant, minimalist arrangements and striking vocals. The lyrics are some of the most vulnerable and honest that I can ever recall hearing. Fave Songs: Fistful of Love, Bird Gerhl, My Lady Story, Spiralling, You Are My Sister, For Today I Am a Boy
This album is made up of different parts that individually I don't normally care for and yet somehow they come together to create something that I found hauntingly beautiful front to back. I really liked this
This may not be for everyone, but the earnestness of this album rings powerfully. It is personal in ways most of the albums simply aren't.
Música de cámara.
I did a Google after listening to this album, as I noticed a lot of lyrics relating to gender identity. I found that the band have since changed their name to Anohni and the Johnsons as the singer came out as trans, so that’s how I’ll be referring to her for this review. Songs I already knew: none Favourites: For Today I Am A Boy, Bird Guhl I went quite up and down with my opinion on this album. The music is lovely, sedate yet interesting, and the lyrics are profound throughout. My only gripe was Anohni’s voice - the vibrato was more extreme than any singer I’ve heard before. She often sounded like she was sat on a washing machine while singing. However, I did find as the album went on that her singing did grow on me and seemed to become less of an issue. This grew on me the more I listened, and by the end of the album I quite liked her voice. I recommend this, but am very aware that the singing is a little odd.
HL: "You Are My Sister", "Fistful of Love", "Hope There's Someone", "Spiralling" Took a couple songs to get accustomed to Anohni's voice, but it's a pretty strong set of piano ballads with an emotional core nonetheless. Also led me on a Wiki rabbit hole about the woman on the cover. I should really focus on my assignment June 8, 2023
I came to this fully expecting to dislike it, but after a couple of tracks I settled down and really enjoyed it. At the heart is some very solid songwriting, and his voice is pretty amazing. If I have a quibble, not one I thought I would, is that the Johnsons are time are a bit predictable and limited in their arrangements. But a very solid 3.5. One of the more surprising listens so far. Going to invest in a 4 on the basis I'll listen again.
As one music critic wrote, within a second or two of the album starting, you're grabbed by Antony's voice. Strong and emotive. This is very good.
Surprisingly good! 8 out of 10
what an excellent album, a beautiful expression of gender identity from an album in the mid 2000s is a very big shock to see, and to have it executed so well was even surprising to me even more. the themes portrayed so well and straight from the heart to the beautiful instrumentals that back them all was just so pleasant to hear all come together and make for a very great listen.
This album is absolutely BEAUTIFULLY done, but it's also unremittingly sorrowful. Just devastating. I have so much respect for the talent and power here, but it's not one I'm going to return to often because it is so painful to get through. And I love depressing music! But this is extra. Although it's definitely a work of art, I'm giving it a 4/5 because the listenability is not there.
I've never heard of Antony and the Johnsons before, but this was a really beautiful album. The vocals and instrumentation went together beautifully, and the lyrics were incredibly deep and poignant. This isn't the sort of thing that I'd seek out again, but I still think that it was beautiful music.
whenever there's an album by an artist completely unknown to me, i do get nervous! i shouldn't have worried. anohni created a rather emotional album. it's honest and from the heart. the listener is taken on a journey to understand anohni's inner thoughts. like others, her vibrato sometimes bothered me, but the lyrics could be so beautiful that i didn't mind. the album has such purpose and anohni had such focus creating an impactful piece of art. some of this album contains rather famous musicians guesting. it almost seems weird that lou reed, a punk pioneer, would make an appearance, or some of the other musicians, but their presence fits well. and i always enjoy musicians stepping outside their comfort zones. lou reed's baritone voice opening "fistful of love" is perfect. i was reminded a lot of evanescence as i listened to i am a bird now. they are obviously more rock, but i was reminded of them in regards to the emotional level. sometimes, i was reminded of fifties pop. but mostly, antony and the johnsons created a unique sound found in i am a bird now.
Surprisingly strong music in a very similar vein to Rufus Wainwright (yes I know he is included), but it is missing something that grabs me all the way.
This was beautiful. How can you people hate on this but keep upvoting that Waits dude lol I really liked it. The music is excellent and the interpretation soulful af.
Listened before: no Added to library: yes (4/10) Really gorgeous, really heavy.
Where the hell was I when this was originally released?
This is music as therapy that explores the big themes (identity, dignity, love) poignantly. The instrumentation is excellent throughout - it's simple but rich, creating the perfect canvas for Antony, whose voice I found unique and haunting, to croon and then explode over. Lyrically it's simple on the surface, although that disguises how big some of the examined themes are. The features come in at the right times and add extra colour, keeping things varied. It's a very rich canvas we get as a result. A really interesting and deep album that gets a very strong four from me. I'll be checking out their other stuff. 4.5
Beautiful melodies Overarching theme of melancholy Lullaby feel at times very easy listening
Rating: 8/10 Best songs: Hope there’s someone, Man is the baby, Fistful of love
Hieno ääni ja tosi otteessaan pitävä tunnelma! Hyvä!
My Lady Story ja Fistful of Love on ihan tajuttoman kovia biisejä. Tosi rauhoittava ja hieno levy muutenkin.
Olipa kaunis levy! Solistilla upea ääni ja sovitukset onnistuu tavoittamaan jonkin paikan syvällä sisimmässä. Helppo 4/5.
Fair fucking play, Antony & the Johnsons really bringing home the bacon. I was expecting mediocrity after the first, then as if by magic, I was immersed. Initially I struggled to tell if this was a man or a woman singing and it turns out I was kinda right with whatever answer I chose. Given this new found knowledge about the band members the lyrics become all the more poignant. Shout out to Gianna Infantino for the brilliant song writing on song three. Up the Johnsons.
Veel emotie in muziek en tekst
Beautiful voice. Passionate.
Got the feels.
Really lovely album, there is a melancholy to her singing that evokes feelings of heartbreak but also hopefulness. Spiraling and Bird Girl are standouts.
Occasionally dull but always original, this album at its peak is beautiful and haunting
Apparemment cet album n'est plus dans les dernières éditions du livre, et c'est bien dommage
merci et merci pour the dull flame of desire 💝
Beautiful album when listened to on a cold dark night. Had it been on a sunny beach it may have lost a point.
This album pretty beautiful. Very well composed.
Wow. Definitely a captivating voice and the first half of Hope There's Someone is breathtaking. Though the album is a bit more hit and miss from there, the passion and story making this a engaging and enjoyable album.
A heartbreakingly beautiful album that I'm rounding down to a 4 because it is literally SO. INSANELY. DEPRESSING. Not in the fun way either. I'm pretty goth and all, but this is too much. 110% deserving of being on the 1001, but I can probably go another 10 to 15 years before I'll feel like listening to it again. Peace and love to the trans comrades, stay strong.
First impressions: modern Tiny Tim. Layered vocals are very powerful. I'm not really sure how to rate this yet. I can recognize the genius, but I don't know if I like it yet.
beautiful but not for me
This reminds me very much of being 20, at uni in Brighton with Callum and listening to Antony and the Jonhsons and loving how different it was, and how the style is almost a bit unsettling but beautiful. Antony is now Anonhi and I think in this album wonderfully sung about gender identity, not something you come across that often. I massively recommend watching the live versions of some of these songs, spine tingles
I didn't know this at all before. It did take a while to warm on me but I really liked it. Fistful of Love was EXCELLENT. A great find.
Ekki endilega plata sem ég myndi hlusta á á hverjum degi eða oft í röð, en margt mjög fallegt og vel gert hér.
The way he can manipulate the octaves of his voice are insane. Beautiful album. Want to like sit by a river and listen to it in headphones.
reminded of Roy Orbison or Elvis. Overall, a pleasant surprise.
What a voice!
I couldn't help but read the album title in a Scouse accent. Yeh, is right la! I quite enjoyed this album. I appreciate that Anohni's vocals can be an acquired taste, still I find them hauntingly beautiful, somewhat anguished and honest.
Una veu, una manera de cantar i unes composicions tremendament personals. D'una cruesa i una sensibilitat gairebé extremes. Temes com 'Today I'm a Boy', 'You Are My Sister' o 'Hope There's Someone' són d'una preciositat que fa posar els péls de punta. Va ser la seva cúspide artística i un dels discos a reivindicar dels 00's
Iskreno mi se ni ovo nije slušalo, ne znam šta mi je u posljednje vrijeme. Međutim, natjerao sam se i mogu reći da ima dosta dobrih stvari na albumu, lijepih trenutaka, instrumentala obojano posebnim vokalom sa dobrim konceptom osobe koja želi izać iz muškog tijela.
mooi, traantjes
Wow. oke zwaar onderwerp en prachtige muziek. Ik ben fan
moody and dark
Almost unspeakingly beautiful and haunting.
Not sure why this didn’t come across my radar before.
Открывающий трек, You Are My Sister, What Can I Do? и Fistful of Love - однозначно шедевры. Близко к тому, что хочется слышать в идеальном альбоме из палаты мер и весов этого жанра. 8 из 10.
Love her voice. I've been a fan for a long time and this aughts-era indie will always have a soft spot in my heart.
Great rainy day album. Beautiful singing voice - reminds me a lot of benjamin copeland
Amazing voice and powerful lyrics speaking to issues and perspectives that aren't common in popular music.
Lovely tunes, I think his singing and voice work well.
Really enjoyed this, not listened to their work before and it was a good starting point.
Good stuff. Lush, acoustic instruments; unusual vibrato vocals and well written songs.
What a wild ride. Crazy voice! She's got some killer vibrato. Worth a listen.
I liked this, for all its over the top operatic presentation, it had a unique sound and the lyrics mostly managed to be dramatic without falling over into mawkish melodrama.
Was not expecting the voice… strange, unique, and hauntingly beautiful.
Strange and unique
Vraiment beau j'adore la voix du gars
Je m'attendais pas à cette voix, impressionné (4/5 mais 5/5 pour la cover et Lou Reed) Prefs: Hope There's Someone, You Are My Sister, FISTFUL OF LOVE, Spiralling Moins pref: Free At Last
keep flying dude
Had high expectations when this album was released, but usually only listen to the three or four stand-out tracks - rest of the songs = three star. I would say 4* is the appropriate rating.
Strangely intoxicating, I’m not a fan of the vibrato but I have a morbid curiosity to keep returning to this one
I have very a very complicated opinion on this one. I've never heard it or even heard of it before today, and instantly the first thing I noticed were the instrumenal arrangements. It's like Black Country, New Road meets Godspeed You! Black Emperor, which are 2 of my favourite bands ever in terms of their instrumentals. So it's no surprise that I was so taken in my the very long and instrental heavy parts. However, in a way this almost feels *too* indulgent. Like it's been perfectly designed to have the perfect sound to appeal to fans of popular post-rock. That won't stop me enjoying it, but it does take the authenticity of it away a little bit for me. And the vocals too, I got mostly used to them but the end but at first I found the vocals to be pretty weird and annoying. I do feel I should revisit this as there's so much going on that just one day isn't enough time to spend with this album to really fully grasp everything that's going on.
low 3.5. Chato.
Really enjoyed, veRrRrRrRry unique voice
Not really anything that grabbed me but not bad. Not the biggest fan of his voice. 5/10
3, a bit boring
Okay.
Ok
Personal enjoyment: 3/5 Relevance to this list: 4/5
It's 3.5
Interesting album. Unexpected. I feel like it does belong on this list even if I might not think it’s the best album ever
Anohni has such a beautiful voice. She needs to let it rip more.
No me gustó pero por lo menos en lo vocal es bastante mas interesante de lo común Nota: 2.9
7.50/10 Me gustó, canciones muy tranquilas rozando lo triste. Sería fenomenal entender la letra, ahi esta el punto de inflexión capaz, pero bien la verdad
Not of the fan of the super processed voice but the music and songs are good
The heavy vibrato on Hope There‘s Someone made me consider not listening to this album at first. Thankfully, as the album went on, Anohni either toned it down or i got used to it. What revealed itself to me was an album full of brutal honesty and vulnerability about the experience of Ahnoni‘s life as a trans-woman, accompanied by beautiful piano melodies. The album can be a bit monotonous in musically, but definitely left it‘s marks on me.
I'm not a fan of her voice. I remember seeing them perform "You Are My Sister" on a late-night show years ago, and wondered what the big deal was. That being said, there are some really good songs on here. "Fistful of Love" is a true banger. I liked it more than I imagined I would, but it's still just a 3* album.
5.5/10
Pretty powerful and the trans themes obviously resonated
Not really my jam, but some very pretty songs with technically accomplished but occasionally grating vocals.
It's haunting and mellow. I don't think I will listen to it again, but I feel the pain of the singer in the music
Pretty good vocals and songs - I like it.
Pretty fun with the super dramatic singing and subject matter.
This feels like a devastating breakup during a different era when technology and urgency didn't overtake our world. When we sat with our feelings. It's a reflection of time, understanding, and focus. The longing, confusion, and sadness. Or at least, that's what it sounds like to me.
I thought this was a spin off from “ The Gabriel’s “ then looked up the album, so was surprised, very different feel to this one, powerful vocals, I liked it
Can appreciate this but I have always found their voice hard to listen to.
I respect Anohni far more than I particularly love her music (the voice can grate sometimes, I'm afraid), but when she hits, she hits hard. This is probably her and her band's most cohesive work. Some truly lovely tracks here, but would love to see them change up the tempo a little more (more tracks like Fistful of Love, please). Anywho, go look up her cover of Candy Says, it's great!
I bought this when it came out as it was a Mercury Prize winner but never really got on with it to be honest. Listening again all these years later and I may have been a tad harsh! It’s actually pretty good. She does a fabulous version of Knockin on Heavens Door which is worth searching out.
While it's clearly personal and prying deep in there, the instrumentation could've been a bit more... latching in the first half, I think. Track 6 and onwards gets more creative and exciting with the playing, and the singing seems polarizing for most but I'm just fine with her voice. Certainly a surprising addition but one of the more thought-provoking ones.
I can totally see this as being inspiration for bands that I'm more familiar with, and that are more recent. I don't love it, don't hate it, but do enjoy the smooth jazzy rock feel.
3 for the unabashed boldness.
#340/1001. Antony, you sure are a bird, with a voice that is both beautiful and awkward, gaining haters and lovers all around the globe. The music is something I call sounds good on Sundays, but other days are quite ok as well. Still I feel I am either too old or too young to fully respect this so that this album would become a staple in my playlist.
Not completely objectionable, but ... not gonna listen again either.
Quite heavy stuff for something titled "I Am a Bird Now" -- but Anohni and her band kept the music afloat with sincere vocals and lyrics.
It's kinda tough to rate so I'll give it a 3 Will I listen to again: 2%
Not very memorable. 6/10
Unique and affecting artist and singer. But for me at least, an album full of it is a few songs too many.
moving but also hard to listen fully ?
Ble aldri helt solgt på Antony and the Johnsons. Mye er fint, men synes også vokalen blir vel mye til tider. Solo-plata til Anohni er bra.
Fint! Men blir aldri helt grepet med
Ektefølt, men ensformig. Åpningslåta er det store høydepunktet. Blir litt slapt mot slutten.
Gostei do álbum. É bem melancólico e muito bem feito. Truthear Zero: Red.
Nice ballads, really emotional. But also nothing extraordinary. 6/10
Une entrée en matière difficile et forcée. La voix est souvent difficile, si tremblante si violemment fragile et dans une épaisseur glaireuse. Évidement les textes sont aussi poignants. L’orchestration et la voix sont parfois outrancièrement dramatiques. Un coup au cœur pour What can I do. Autrement Man is the Baby, Bird Guhl, Fistful of love.
Stylistically and vocally, this makes me think of Josh Garrels. Enjoyable.
6/10 There's a good album somewhere here, but it is buried under a comical amount of vocal vibrato and outbreaks of violent piano thumping. An abject lesson in how you cannot force emotion.
Didn’t care for the wavering style of a lot of the vocals, but the track ‘Fistful of Love’ was really good. Interesting mix of a lot of sounds - pickled up on Roxy Music, Van Morrison, and I don’t even know what else.
It was atmospheric and pretty, but not very engaging.
Quite an intimate album. The music is exactly up my alley.. which makes it even more weird that I don't like this album too much. I want to like it more, but.. the singer's voice is just offputting. It's just vibrato for the entire album, and it takes a way a lot of the beauty. The music's great, but I didn't like it more than I wanted to. 7 / 10
Ehhhhh. Vocally the vibrato drove me nuts. Musically fine enough. 3
Soft, quite relaxing music. Very unusual voice, not particularly soothing but not jarring, somewhere in-between
C’est joli mais trop calme, voire déprimant
Liked this. Broad and interesting
Besides this album, I've listened to ANOHNI's albums before, but I still don't like her voice or singing style.
First impressions can heavily influence my view on an album. Let me tell you, the first track "Hope There's Someone" really threw me off guard with the vocals. Yes it does sound haunting but in the context of the song, it works. From then on, the vocals are fine and fit the emotional depth of the album. The piano play is immaculate and the string instruments add a nice layer too. With the lyrics written in raw vulnverability expressed in a sorrowful manner. I only give 4's to albums that I would revist again. It's a masterpiece in its own way but not something I'd place in my daily rotation. And for that reason, it's a 3, but a high 3. I would have to be in a very specific mood to listen to this again. Other than that, great album.
Best Song: Fistful Of Love. A gently triumphant song. Worst Song: Spiralling. The intense amount of vibrato was really starting to wear on me by this point. Overall: Kinda of sounds like Rufus Wainwright, but a voice that's even more tremulous. Nicely melancholy arrangements, and some lyrically interesting sections, but I really wish there was less vibrato than there was.
OK, but it doesn't really move me.
I appreciated how different this album was from a lot of the rest of the stuff on here. The vibrato was a bit annoying, but only at a few moments. Favorite Songs: Fistful of Love
I enjoyed the piano, but I didn't love the vocals and it's hard to get past them. 2.8
In my head, I was expecting this to be more indie (maybe like The Zutons!?) so this was way different! Not in a bad way, I kinda vibed with it but wasn't totally sure about the vocals. Reasonable curveball though
like the composition and instruments, but didnt like the singing. Overall good, but not much replay ability for me.
Geez y'all gave this a 1?
Interesting. But not quite my thing for repeat listens. I remember them getting a lot of buzz in the music biz 20ish years ago.
It was alright. A solid three. I didn’t not like it.
I can't relate to the lyrics about being transgender, but that's fine. Art is all about gaining a perspective different from yours. I just wish the music itself was more my thing. But bravo to Anohni for living her truth.
When the album started I was excited to listen to something different. But, slowly it became more clear that while this is different from the rest of the list it's very same-y throughout. The vibrato did get annoying too... I thought I could outlast it but it did start to grind.
This is quite a dramatic sounding record, almost jarringly so. Very mournful sounding. Something about the voice and feeling I get is haunting. I’m torn on my feelings towards the vocals – there’s something in the tone that works well but the shaky sort of vibrato feels a bit overused for me. Interesting reading up that Antony is now ANOHNI as they are transgender – it makes the lyrics for Today I Am A Boy very telling and sad too, you can feel some pain from what can’t have been an easy thing to deal with. The album appears to be a sort of documentation of this journey? There are some nice melodies such as “Spiralling” being a standout. Each song sort of does the same thing though and I find it hard to keep engaged. It’s kind of beautiful in it’s own way I will say – super melancholy, almost gospel sounding at times. Overall, it’s not completely to my taste but there’s nothing wrong with that – for better or worse this challenge is bringing up things I’d never have listened to before and I never know what to expect. The voice is hard to stick with for the whole thing. However there are some beautifully written pieces also, and it feels personal and real.
interesting folk vibe 3/5
Pretty nice - but never been a favourite
I think this one fell a bit pray to one of the problems with this format in that you only have one day to listen to each album, and therefore can be heavily dependent on the day's headspace. I just don't think I was in the right headspace yesterday to give this album maybe the attention or time it really needs. I listened to the whole thing but I don't remember much Standouts - 3/5
7/10
Tää oli ihan letkeää musaa.
Nice melancholy melodic tunes
5/10 Best songs: Fistful of Love For some reason I always thought this band was much older (from the 80s, which I've never really had an interest in), so I never gave them a listen. The album is much slower/down tempo than I'd expected - for some reason I was thinking it was dance? The constant vibratto in every single song gets a bit old. The lyrics are very, very queer: a desperate yearning for another body, for another self. I don't know if Anohni was aware of her gender at this time, but the lyrics are basically the experience of an "egg," which would be really interesting to study more closely.
Dramatic, different, unique, astonishing...but not entirely enjoyable. I listen to the CD every couple of years, and realise the power of "Hype".
Decent listen
Hope There's Someone 2.7 My Lady Story 2.8 For Today I Am a Boy 2.8 Man Is the Baby 3 You Are My Sister 3 What Can I Do? 3.1 Fistful of Love 3.4 Spiralling 3 Free at Last 2.5 Bird Gerhl 3 Score: 2.93
Beautiful album, but it felt like it didn't really go anywhere. I would definitely listen to this again in the background at home with a fire going.
I don't have much to say for this album. It was fine I guess.
Feels kinda pretentious and self indulgent but in a good way.
hi shit?
less my thing musically but the lyrics were so honest and vulnerable. felt like listening to someone's diary
A lot of socially challenging and complex songs here. Very enjoyable despite the weird vibrato (IMO) Fistful Of Love stands out on its own. Great tune. The rest fit the general sad vibe much more (good in their own right, but not very fun). Ill need another listen to the full album to make the right choice, but for now…
This is such an interesting album, I'm not sure how to rate it. It's ok, and obviously deeply personal, but I'm not really sure it belongs on this list.
I was nervous going into this one, then I immediately recognized I had heard the voice before. So I looked it up and sure enough it was Anohni, who I had listened to a solo project of before. Similar to that solo project, I didn’t love this album, but it was an overall decent listen.
This is such a personal album. Fave song: fistful of love
Pleasant singing voice. Not terribly interesting. Meh. Pitchfork: 8.6 Rolling Stone: n/a
Perfectly fine album
Don't like it much
Slow piano-soul-y type stuff, sounds good if not that overall interesting, sometimes does a little extra No strong opinion
Reminds me of all the things I dislike about Rufus Wainwright and Nick Cave, but for some reason this works for me. Intimate and operatic, emotionally raw but meticulously composed. Slow burning and intense. I think what's so powerful and unnerving about the vocals is the combination of the vibrato's wavering uncertainty and the forceful assuredness of the performance.
I need the most vibrato singing you have. No, that's too vibrato. It's certainly...musically flawed, but you can absolutely tell Anohni is putting all of her emotion into every line. It's raw and a bit odd but I can't say it's lacking in heart.
Their voice takes a little getting used to. But it was beautiful.
Great sound and vibe.
Vulnerable, plaintive, fragile, intimate, hopeful.
Best Track - "Fistful Of Love"
I suppose it is ok if in the right mood. Just not my style, but not bad
Haunting, thoughtful, brave
I enjoyed it more than when it was first released
Very unsure about this. Gut feeling is the performance (deeply personal and heartfelt and moving) compensates for a series of fairly mediocre songs. Occasionally enjoyable. And possibly the only album I know where the cover is such an integral and powerful part of the story. 3*
Huh
I rather liked this album. At the first word sung I was intrigued. So much so I did a deep dive on ANOHINI. While I was not totally enamored with her voice, the music and lyrics were enough to draw me in.
kinda mid, not bad just didn't like it