I Am a Bird Now

Not my thing

10 modern Eurovision-winning ballads about the transgender experience. The melodies are lovely, the lyrics simple yet moving. But I cannot stand Ahnoni's voice; the constant warbling vibrato makes me uneasy.

I regret reading the reviews on this, because now I can't really hear anything other than the vibrato. Not that I likely wouldn't have zeroed in on it myself, but it kinda feels like my dislike for this album is more suggested than natural. Anyways, yeah the vibrato is distracting, especially since ANOHNI puts vibrato on pretty much everything. I'm not opposed to vibrato (Absolutely love Sleater-Kinney with Corrin Tucker's vibrato), but here it's just too much and too in your face. At times (Like on Fistful of Love) it verges on sounding like Elvis, and it's weird. Combine that with, personally for me, quite boring music (Of what I did listen to, it kinda falls into the Everything But the Girl issue where every song occupies the same kinda vibe and tempo). It's beautifully crafted, intricate, vibrant music, but it's just not doing much for me.

A little too Billie goaty for me but its at least and interesting set of tracks. Its not really my style but it has some passion and intrigue behind it. I dont know if ill ever come back to this one but I was moderately entertained with this

This album was intriguing. Anohni's voice wasn't my favorite because of the quivering tone quality, but I could feel the passion through the performance. I did find the harmonies to be lovely throughout. This album is very personal and haunting. The tone of the many of the songs is similar, but the piano and other instruments are beautiful. I feel like this album is a slow burn and would grow on you with repeated listens and get used to Anohni's voice. I may listen again at some point. Favorite songs: Fistful of Love, Bird Gehrl, You Are My Sister

Cool stuff, not all that amazing but decent enough. 3 stars

Didn’t get to spend as much time listening as I needed to, but Anohni’s writing is the key of this record from my listen and their singing style is noteworthy as well. My fav song is What Can I Do? Still wish there were half star ratings it would get 3.5 if so

A beautifully depressing album. Genuinely makes you think while you're listening to it, and I can see why it was nominated for a mercury award. I believe there is too much vibrato (it does not to be on seemingly every note, as that reduces the impact if you ask me) but other than that, it was something that made you slow down.

Not bad in small doses but man dude is going through some stuff

I like some of AHNONI's stuff, even though I find her voice to be a little annoying. There wasn't so much good here

Love that this has a quality of stumbling into a late night jazz club where a drag queen starts singing about their feelings. 4.5/5

Every time I try to listen to this it just absolutely grates on my nerves.

At times beautiful, at times annoying

I just didn't enjoy any of this. The guy's voice is offensive to listen to. And I have a Lou Reed, a Tom Waits and a Bob Dylan album rated as 5/5 on here so far. Buddy's vocals on this album is just annoying. I don't know who told him that he should maintain the most obnoxious tremolo throughout the entire runtime, but that person should be fired. The only people who actually like it are pretentious vocal coach experts who praise it as "unique" and "tasteful" because they thrive on being contrarian. Elsewhere, the entire album is just aggressively melodramatic. It's the same pace of piano chording and unnecessarily climactic production for the most boring, yawn-inducing music. The final track sealed its 1 star fate, as "Bird Gerhl" or whatever the hell is one of the most annoying things I've heard.

The list of 1001 albums is strange. Albums seem to drop out of the book at various editions (and presumably others come in) - this album isn't in the copy I have, so I don't get to read why it's here! It's always seemed that this is an album I *ought* to like, but really the vocals are a bit too wibbly-wobbly for my taste. Fortunately this album is quite short at 35 minutes, but even then it kind of overstays its welcome.

Strong album. Vocals are shakey but it works here. I could see this being amazing live but largely not for me

chirp chirp

Not my style. Appreciate the difference but not something I want to listen to

Different

It's fine, there are some beautiful parts for sure, but Anohni's voice is overly wobbly. And while I don't have any problem with LGBTQ people, I do have a harder time when their personality or art is basically "hey, just in case you didn't know, I'm LGBTQ". I'm sure this is a very specific message that empowers a lot of people who feel under represented, but not me; it's just too on the nose and lacks any subtlety or nuance.

This is such an interesting project with some lyrics inspired by personal experiences, I believe. The first track is really good.

# Album Name: I Am a Bird Now # Artist: Anthony and the Johnsons # Rating: 3/5 # Comments: Nice voice. Some OK sounding songs. I think you have to be in the right mind and space for this one. # Top Tunes: # Would I listen to it again? hmmm

ovo je od druge SEKUNDE nepodnošljivo. i pjevanje i tekstovi krindž na jednoj novoj razini za koju sve dosad nisam znao da postoji. pjevač nek se ubije, ionako nije prava trandža ako tako ne skonča

Очень красиво, но выбрать что-то не получается. Мне кажется, последний альбом коллектива сильно лучше. Лучшая песня - Hope There's Someone.

🏳️‍⚧️ What can I do When the bird's got to die What can I do When she's too weak to fly What can I do When she's calling my name She's crying Mama, help me to live Mama, help me to live Mama, help me to live To live, to live, to live What can I do What can I do What can I do 🏳️‍🌈

not good

terribly boring

A beautiful, intimate and personal album.

fine

Not my thing

She has a unique voice. I've heard an interview with her. Very pioneering. Not really my thing

Cool but not really my thing

Not for me.

Not really my cup of tea. Great voice though.

Gotta listen to this more often. Such a vibe, especially this time of year. 4.75

Ooh, I don’t care for the vocals at all, but piano music is beautiful.

I.... actually kinda enjoyed that! Coming in I expected to be sour on it based on the description and the less than stellar reviews, but I kinda dug it actually, not as bad as most people on here say. 7/10

This message is important for someone, but not for me. And the delivery leaves something to be desired.

On its face, this doesn’t sound like it’s for me. And then I started listening… It’s a lot. The voice, the melodrama, the threadbare arrangements… However, it is certainly an artistic vision captured as an album. So it’s successful on that front, but it wasn’t a listening experience that I wanted. I understand that this album was removed from subsequent editions of the book, so I’m not feeling too bad about bailing on this record early. Another example of why I am of the opinion that an album should be 10-20 years old before it is added to the list. 2⭐️

I get why this is on the list. It provides really interesting insight into a trans perspective and is classic sad indie music. In my opinion, it's a fine album but not something I'd listen to outside of this project. Best Songs: Hope There's Someone, Fistful Of Love Worst Songs: Man Is The Baby, Bird Guhl

Not really for me. Just couldn't really get in to it, didn't do much for me.

wanted to rate this higher cuz I really appreciate the sustained mellow mood and artistic performance but when all said and done it is not memorable. I love the cover of beyoncé's crazy but that is not on this album. anyway, I guess the critics know something I don't but it's good. not great

Decent sentiment, terrible execution. 1.5/5

”hope there’s someone” is a song i am sure i’ve heard before, i like that one.

Even though this is not their best work - this would be the incredible gut punch of 2023's "My Back Was A Bridge For You To Cross" - this is still music that radiates with beauty. Anohni's voice is not too far from Klaus Nomi's unique high-pitched vibrato, though it does have a more mellow quality, almost like David Sylvian. I'm quite fond of this, musically, and have a huge respect for Anohni, both musically and as a human.

Best Song: Bird Guhl I really didn't like this at all. It just felt boring and melodramatic for no real reason. I am sure there is something to it seeing as it is about the difficulties of being trans, especially in 2005 - even though it isn't really that much better in 2026 when I'm listening to this. But, that message doesn't come through to me as much as vibrato and whining. 1/5.

Great chamber pop and good voice.

boring

Terrible. Hated it

Decent.

Another album by a band or singer I’ve never heard of before. After listening I know why. Yikes.

here i am. sick as a FUCKING dog. it hurts to talk and to swallow and to sit and to be. i do NOT need to be hit in the chest emotionally as well but maybe it wouldn't hit as hard if i weren't able to describe myself as "frail". but yeah the songs are tender and fragile, and the sentiments are rich and complex. wonderful album deserves to be one of the 1001? for its importance to 2000s indie yes

It had some merits, but the singer's voice did not do it for me personally. All I could hear were lisps and vibrato.

A magnificently rich and deep sound that tests your limits.

Too much vibrato

It’s an ok album, not sure why it’s on this overall list, though.

Not my thing, I found it too samey overall. I did like the piano playing here and there though.

Nope. The warbling didn't work for me. This isn't for me.

This album is similar to artists like Hozier, Sam Smith, and John Legend. I appreciate the progressive nature of "I Am a Bird Now". Lou Reed features in one of the songs. My only problem with this album is that it's repetitive to the point that all tracks sound identical. It ends up being boring after a while. 3 stars for "I Am a Bird Now".

I felt like this album was quite weak - nothing exciting happened, it wasn't too fun to listen to, but we managed to get through it. It is fairly new, so I assume that it maybe could've definitely done better.

Sorry - I fell asleep

Excessive vibrato warbling isn't my thing, your mileage may vary...

The voice just doesn't work for me PASS

Trippy, tender, and a little too floaty for me. It’s interesting — not unenjoyable — but for Today, I Am Gonna Pass.

Sorry, but I hated this.

Favorite tracks: Hope There's Someone, Spiraling The reviews made me nervous about this, but I enjoyed it overall. Emotional and interesting, and just the right amount of drama. There's a cynical part of me that felt some songs veered into "awards fodder" territory, but most didn't strike me that way. The vibrato didn't bother me at all; again, I liked it. The guest spots are impressive and work really well with the music.

I too am a bird, but not in a way where I am fluttering around all carefree like. I’m a bird like a big ol ostrich. Runnin’ around. Gettin’ dust all over my feathers. Accosting people on safaris. That is the good life. Or! I am the noble puffin. Just chilling on the rocks of Newfoundland being all cool. See, this album is off to a good start because I am bird now. Hope There’s Someone - The question I will surely be asking myself throughout this, are these vocals the worst thing I’ve ever heard, or actually very interesting. It sounds like a modern radio song, but also completely bat shit insane. I am bewildered and perplexed. My Lady Story - I was looking into the artist during this track. Turns out they are trans and have been essentially open since this album came out. Hell yeah sister. I still can’t decide if this album is any good, but at least she seems cool. For Today I Am a Boy - I mean yeah this is pretty TRANSparent. Thank you everyone. Thank you. I’ll be here all week. Try the chip so hot that even god himself could not eat it. Man is the Baby - Another ballad and this puppy isn’t as insane as I thought. It’s just normal piano ballads with a harsh vibrato. Not the worst thing I’ve heard but meh. You Are My Sister - Ohhh this sounds like off-kilter Adele. Couldn’t put my finger on the modern reference but I think that’s it. What Can I Do? - I don’t know. Is this Thom Yorke? Way to go big guy. Fistful of Love - Hey darlin’. I know that whispering weird, intimate stuff is a trope from songs from the 50’s that ended up in 80’s prom movies, but we’re inexplicably going to include it here. The horns are most unwelcome. I just feel this record works a little better when it’s more understated. Spiralling - I mean I uhh well there’s and you have your uhhh then there’s that thing you know haha oooh boy who and there’s that uhh ho hoo ha Free at Last - What a powerful speech from our 1st prime mister Johnson Bigelow Pontoon. Bird Guhl - It’s ok, I read British. This says “Girl Girl.” Glad I could help. I am an international citizen. I uhh didn’t like this that much, but there is enough here to say that I believe it’s of value. The album seems deeply personal, even at a first glance, and while the ballads started to get same-y for me after a few tracks, there is a clear quality of song craftsmanship here. The vibrato was funny at times, haunting at others, and didn’t overstay its welcome the way I feared it would. I’m torn here. I’m not going to be bumping this one out of the speakers of my sensible compact car (gets great gas kilometrage!), but I can respect what it was trying to do. Go off, Anohni. I might uhh not really want to hear any more of said going off, but it’s clear she has an ear for the emotionally poignant. 2-2.5 HIGHLIGHTS: My Lady Story

Insanely boring, like listing to open mic poetry with a backing track of a recorded shopping mall piano 2/10

"What Can I Do" is a great song. It was my favorite song on the record. I really enjoyed this album. The vocals are cool, and I liked all the instrumentals. I'd never heard of the band before. I really enjoy orchestral "Chamber Pop" type music. Lots of horns and strings are always great for me. 7/10

Eh...again, not a fan of this vocalist. This just too dark. It isn't bad, but just not really my style overall. A little boring to listen to. Liked Songs: "My Lady Story" , "Man Is The Baby" , "What Can I Do?" , "Fistful Of Love"

Not a fan of the vocals 2

Another baroque/chamber pop album that tries way too hard to be different, and ends up sounding like every other airy and shallow album of the genre. Some okay slower songs towards the end, but a lot of faux intensity that feels like it's trying to convince the listener to take it seriously, when it should be focused on just being more serious. Top tracks: Fistful Of Love, Spiraling

Good voice. I want crazy about the music but overall this was fine.

It felt okay but also underproduced.

Although the singing style may be an acquired taste for some people and could probably be better balanced out with additional voices and delivery styles, the passion behind many of the songs is striking and strong. An album like this definitely deserves to be heard as it is not only an artistic statement, it is one about core human identity.

Not my thing

I like the trumpets in one of the songs. But I didn't like the rest. Although I have to admit that I expected to like it even less.

Haunting. A great album but a very difficult listen in places.

This album sucked. I realized I just don't like vibrato. Spiraling was particularly terrible. I liked the music of bird guhl the best but the vibrato is incessant.

Pas mauvais, quelques bonnes tounes, mais pas pour moi.

Slow and soulful, not my thing, but not terrible.

It's a beautiful album. The music is interesting and the vocals are intriguing. I like it, but I'm order to get 4 stars, I need to want to seek it out again, and it's just not for me. High 3.5

An unexpected joy to listen to. Soft, delicate, vulnerable, this album felt personal. You felt the pain and the emotion really strongly.

2 stars - Didn't even realize the album was over because the next song played sounded like it could have been on the album.

Anohni’s voice still sends shivers. What a record

Wow this voice sounds almost like a male falsetto. OK read the history now, the vibrato is gorgeous. What a phenomenal force she is, back catalogue and collaboration list is insane. Its too sunny to be sad but I enjoyed this in the background.

severely underrated by this website to be honest. the vib is literally only annoying for like 1-2 songs, and the rest is just beautiful chamber folk

It's very hard to love the excellent songwriting and musicianship when Anohni's voice is so damn annoying. I hate it so much. I like a couple of these songs only because they are so well written it is liked in spite of the singing. I can't get over the singing

Never heard of this before which is always shocking whenever I look at a post 2000 album. Ugh imagine deadnaming yourself for all time on your own album. Anywho. This album is pretty great! It sounds pretty and touches on topics and perspectives that really don’t get talked about in music, certainly not in 2005. I think I agree with the consensus that sometimes her vocals are a little over the top they distract from the rest of the music. But overall it’s very good.

2.5

Primary singer sounds like a mix of Michael Kiwanuka and James Blake. The constant vibrato singing is a bit irritating after a while and could be done without, but this is their style. The music is very nice, melodic and orchestral at times. I want to give this a 2, but the music is impactful and powerful.

Ik vond het album HOPELESSNESS best aardig van anohni, maar ik kon hier echt niet doorheen komen.

Fuck. No.

Haunting without being morose--a tricky needle to thread. Clear emotional pain ripples through every track, with the Anohni's warbling vocals. Not something I would pick, but I have deep respect for it.

Never heard of this, and got caught off guard by the rich soulful vocals, and rich instrumentals. What Can I Do ?, features Rufus Wainwright and is a favourite. The Lou Reed spoken word intro on fistful of love took me by surprise, and somewhere on this record is a Boy George feature too. Great record, no wonder it won the Mercury. Not sure what the fuck is going on with the singer mind… worth a google. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Heartbreakingly emotional but goddamn the vibrato takes so much away from the listen-ability

interesting and unusual. I like this one

Nah

Más allá de la persona no puede gustarte la música y no disfrutar de "Hope There's Someone". Otra que tenía guardada era "For Today I Am a Boy" y otras igual de interesantes "My Lady Story", "Man Is the Baby", "You Are My Sister" y "Bird Gurhl".

A disappointing album after what I expected looking at the haunting album cover (of Candy Darling dying) and reading that it's chamber pop which I usually like. The voice is really whiny and annoying, the music itself is nothing very special. It's intimate and personal but it lacks in songwriting...

OK, what the hell is this? If I'm not cultured enough to get it, I'm glad for it.

Nah. Not the greatest.

10 seconds in and im reminded of noel fielding's character in IT crowd

so thats where shes from ohhhhh

Very emotive with an unique vocal approach and overall sober in its instrumentation, yet daling at the same time.

The music sounds nice in the gaps between the over the top vibrato. Lyrics are lost to the effect.

I’d first heard Anohni’s voice singing backup on some Lou Reed tracks. I can’t say I loved all of this, but her unique voice certainly has a power to it that I respect.

A lot of vibrato, but the passion throughout the album is compelling. Modern gospel?

Don't like the singing. WAY too much vibrato for my liking. Also, it all seems overly sincere or melodramatic. Not for me. Clearly some talent, but I don't dig it.

Feels like something to listen to privately - so that you can really sit with it. This is art. This is human emotion. This is how music stretches you.

Painful and not for the reasons it was meant to be. The voice and vibrato are a tough listen.

Damn, what a missed opportunity. Anohni’s voice really shines in the slower, more melancholy portions of this album. It’s soulful, sad, and a little eerie like Nina Simone. Unfortunately, she seems more drawn to a high-pitched, quivering warble that comes off as cloying in a way usually reserved for opera singers. The album’s tragic mood feels contrived as a result. Maybe she had the wrong species of bird in mind when she wrote this?

Uwielbiam ten zespół. Kiedyś słuchałam bardzo dużo, ale z czasem zupełnie o nich zapomniałam. Dobrze, że ta lista mi przypomniała. Niestety to jeden z tych tworów, który najlepiej przyjmuje się w małych dawkach. Przy całej płycie vibrato zaczyna męczyć i przytłaczać, a całość topić swoim smutkiem i liryką. Mimo tego 8/10

I thought it was really pretty. I liked it.

This kind of music (singing focused with minimal plain sounding instruments) is probably my least favourite of all

1,1/5

6/10 - I didn't realise the main singer is a lady, what a voice! And I actually have this album... highlight is "Fistful of Love", amazing track

3.5. Les voix sont un peu spéciales mais une belle découverte!

Whenever someone else sang, the album improved.

Well, the voice is really something to get used to, especially in the first song, but the music is awesome and the lyrics quite focused on transsexuality and mental health. Liked to listen to it a lot.

Never heard of this artist. Very interesting. Read up on them, and they are an ensemble. Interesting.

Rock, soft, dünne Stimme, 2005 -> 2

Ok. Only sometimes annoying. Sometimes unique and emotional.

this album sounds like you gave a drunk guy who really loves gospel music and jeff buckley free range with a piano on open mic night

I could listen to the instrumentals all day. The vocals sound like...not good.

interesting album. very sparse at times. the subject matter seems very personal to the singer. i also found the singer's voice interesting, almost like a nina simone type of singer. at the same time, this album really wasn't for me. it tended to be a little more artsy than i like and i can't see myself picking this one up again. however, it was an interesting listen!

Det var ei fin plate. Ikke helt min stil eller smak, men et godt musikkhåndverk.

I’m not sure this qualifies as music. At one point I’m pretty sure I heard him singing about being in love with his sister. Whole album was total garbage.

Pretty much exaggerated vibrato

Awful, I mean it, this was terrible

Lidt genkendelse, der trækker op. Jeg synes, det er et godt album, og jeg har været glad for det i mange år. Kan man abstrahere fra trans-aktivismen anno 2025? Det er godt nok svært, men ikke fair at idiotien skal trække ned.

This would make for good music to fall asleep to. Seriously, in what other scenario would you play this dull and uninteresting music. Fistful of Love has some cool horns though.

Fine listen. Didn’t really get me, but there were so beautiful parts of this album I liked. Other than that, I found it alright.

It's a well executed album, but it just doesn't hold a lot of appeal for me.

At times I felt I was in church listening to a worship song, then in a dark smokey jazz club, then later in someone’s home listening to them express their love to the silence in night. Deep, moving, soft, lyrical, and soothing for my soul.

It’s fine, but at some point during my listens, I want to choke that vibrato

What a lovely voice and brilliant arrangements. This is a keeper. 4.5/5

2.3 I'd actually come across Anhoni before when exploring Bjorks discography the other year, so the voice wasn't such a shock. However, I don't get the hype. The first half of the first track the vocals are quite difficult to enjoy, almost operatic which imo isn't a good thing. The second half of the first track however, yes, that is the kind of build up and reward I'm after. However, after teasing us with what the album could be, she never takes us back there! I get the groundbreakingness of having a trans artist singing about trans perspective, but at the end of the day the primary question should be "is the music any good?" And here the answer is sadly "not really".

I can't fully get into it. I hadn't heard of them before this. Kind of old school bluesy r-and-b style music? Wikipedia calls it Chamber Pop, which sounds borderline like an insult. It's good, I just don't think I'm gonna listen particularly much to it, it's not really my style. Actually, Fistful of Love is pretty catchy. I think that goes on my list.

Listening to the whole thing together it's pretty coherent but let's face it if I were to pull one song out and listen to it I'd be like "what is this shit"

This is one of the albums that makes trudging through all the garbage on this list worth it. A truly new to me album, from an artist I have SOMEHOW never heard of, ever; and it is spectacular. From moment one, as soon as that voice kicked in - it was like getting hit by wrecking ball. Just one of the most beautiful voices I’ve ever heard in my life. So singular, so haunting. And it stayed that way the whole album. Harrowing, lovely, delicate, yearning. I couldn’t even do anything else while I listened to this. I just sat, stared off into the distance, and FELT. Also, how amazing that this album was made in 2005. Imagine putting out not just an explicitly queer album in 2005, but an explicitly TRANS album in 2005. That’s still barely done these days. But to do it in the middle of the Bush era? I’m staggered by their bravery. Literally one of the best things I’ve heard for this project. Glad it’s now in my life. It’s staying downloaded and I’ll listen to it over and over.

The first thing I thought when checking this out was "wow, those vocals are a lot", then I went to eat a piece of cake, which was, I guess, the art digestion buffer I needed, because when I came back I found them much more palatable. Whether or not this entirely mundane series of events actually changed my relationship with this art, I'm glad I was able to adjust to the sound here, because, there is a *lot* of interesting stuff here. Firstly, I would like to mention how glad I am that there is some trans representation on the list. Especially since Anohni (her name chosen after the release of I Am a Bird Now) speaks so frankly about gender, her trans experience and how it has effected her life and her perception of herself. There are some songs here that I feel pretty deeply, a lot of these ideas hit *awfully* close to home, I'll leave it like that. Anyways, the music here feels beautiful and fragile. It didn't take me long to fully acclimate to her voice, and I think that it suits the art here very well. The instrumental arrangements are just as important, the strings and piano are just incredibly beautiful across this whole album. The vocal guests also do a fantastic job here: Boy George, Rufus Wainwright, Lou Reed, Devendra Banhart, and Julia Yasuda all feature and all do amazing work. Honestly, most of these people are really legendary in their own right. If I have to nitpick a little, my biggest problem here is probably that Hope There's Someone, the first song here, is probably the best. I'd have to give this one more time before deciding if it deserves a 5, but I do feel comfortable with a strong 4.

Stunning better than a 5

Liked the vibrato until it got a bit tiring. Favorite track: fistful of love other picks: hope there’s someone, baby guhl

An intimately personal album that can be tender, haunting, and beautiful. Sparse arrangements of piano, drums, bass, and strings make room for Anonhi’s unique vibrato-dominated vocals that exude emotional resonance. It’s all quite well done, but also one that I felt I was listening in on rather than really connecting with. Interesting experience but doubt I’ll go back to it.

Style over substance

I do like Anohni sometimes (Candy Says cover for example), but I honestly wanted to get the fuck out of this album as fast as possible. Did not like a single song

have distinct memories of listening to this record, walking around my college town and NYC. Beautiful, haunting, operatic. I miss when pop music went baroque. Rufus Wainright pairs perfectly.

Muy interesante para ser primera vez que los escucho

5/10

Albums relies on vibrato. Gets better towards the end

"for today i am a boy" made me cry

I tried, but this just wasn't for me. Like all art, it's subjective. I can appreciate something and not like it all at the same time.

Took a while to “get” but it lyrics and meaning were amazing!

not bad. Kinda big band, kinda Elvisy, easy listening. good for background focus music.

This would be very good if they had a lead vocalist who didn’t need to rely on weird vibrato. I guess it fits with this album being all about the lead singer being trans - revolutionary for 2005 - which I guess makes this album significant given its themes (Robert Dimery often gets it wrong, but he gets props for including this one). Problem is, it hurts the album as a whole.

Not something I could get into the groove of at the time I listened to it. Grateful for the experience of something I would not have come across without the random album generator. It was reminiscent of music I did enjoy as a teenager so maybe I’d have a different opinion next time.

Altså med det som jeg kendte om albummet blev jeg ikke skuffet. Der er mange følelser som skal forklares på kun 35 minutter. Vokalen er som ingen andre vi har hørt. (Tætteste på må næsten være Nina Simone?) Det er dragende, lidt creepy, men også bare pisse godt. Det får kun en 4er fordi jeg ikke har lyst til at lytte til den igen.

Smukt arrangerede piano-ballader. Dragende vokal. Dystert og smukt.

Opening son is outstanding - the rest is less than i remember it being

This could’ve worked as a moody soundtrack to a bleak indie film I’m not sure I’d want to watch.

A bit too warbly for me. Prefer the songs in a lower key. I'm assuming some form of trans anthem. Ok, but I prefer James Blake style vocals.

Listened Before? N What an amazing surprise! Beautiful music and voices here, and razor-sharp lyrics. Timeless feeling. I will revisit this. Added to Library? Y Songs added to playlist: Hope There's Someone

I remember watching the Mercury awards the year this album won. I’d not heard any music from Anohni before, so I was really unprepared for when the band played Hope There’s Someone and just how hauntingly beautiful it was. I bought this album immediately and was in love with it from that point on. The features on this album are so perfectly chosen, each one compliments Anohni’s voice beautifully. The album runs through so many emotional peaks and troughs before ending in the triumphant Bird Gerhl, which not only feels like a perfect end to the album, but like a real milestone in Anohni’s life and journey. I genuinely love this album, and it disheartens me to see how poorly it’s been reviewed on by users of this site.

Hope There's Someone You Are My Sister Fistful of Love Bird Gehrl

I don't know what to think of this. Unique is an understatement. It's a lot like gospel music without the gospel and ratchet up the guilt n sadness. There is no denying he has an amazing voice. He leans perhaps a bit too heavily on the vibrato which can be annoying at times. I can see this being good for somebody, but I'm not that someone. I will not be adding any of these gloomy tunes to my playlist.

I hated this from the first moments of the first track and it didn't get any better. I browsed the other reviews and this one is polarizing. A lot of 1-star and 5-star reviews and very little in between. I'm on the 1-star train. It was a very irritating album. The vibrato of the vocals sound forced. The music is very plain and boring. This was one of the worst listens on this list thus far.

This is one of those albums that is so deeply emotional that its brilliance is almost hard to bear, like a flashlight in the pitch black of night. There aren't many of them, and I find them difficult to revisit, but they're undeniable.

A deeply beautiful album about transformation that hits me right in the heart, which is maybe what all good music should do to you most.

Definitely something I respect and appreciate more than I like. The singing is very passionate, and I feel the do a good job of expressing the pain that can result in struggling with one’s gender identity. Favorite track: For Today I Am a Boy

The more I paid attention the less I liked it.

Kinda nice as background music. 2.5

Reminiscent of Tiny Tim tiptoeing through the tulips. Depressing on all fronts. Not my cup of tea. While I can appreciate the pain the singer must feel - it unfortunately made it a painful listen as well.

Singer's voice is very annoying. Sounds like David Bowie's b-sides. Very eclectic and raucous. Not for me

35 minutes of gorgeous music completely ruined my the most obnoxious vibrato vocals I've ever heard.

< The Beatles

He sounds like he’s standing on one of those goofy weight loss things

sorry sis but this was NOT it 😭🙏

easy listening, nothing pushing any boundaries, but the tone of his voice is great and I could have listened to this again

Was surprised but enjoyed this album.

So beautiful and sad and haunting

I appreciate that this is something very different than most of the stuff on the list, but I really didn’t care for it. It’s a little too slow for me, although I did like “Fistful of Love.”

Not so unconvinced by the voice and vibrato, but didn't connect

this is a very pretty album. i'm not a huge fan of the vocals, but the emotion was super impactful. good instrumentals, too. 'fistful of love' was SO pretty. will give a 4!

A surprisingly beautiful album. Unique sounds mix of soul folk and indie. Worth another listen

Coñazo histórico 3/10->2/5

Oh god. What an annoying weeping music. First time in 70 albums I didn't even finish the album, as this melodramatic crying voice was too aggravating.

No quiero herir sensibilidades, pero...no es lo mío.

OK, just too much hipster UK music press selections now. Much praise when this was released and it just bored me senseless. Why? Why this?

She is a bird now. And I am bored.

Unfortunately they chose to make the singer the centerpiece of the album, which really only works if you are a remarkable singer, which this singer is not.

This was weird. And beautiful. And depressing. 3.75

Nice voice, there's a beauty to the whole thing. After 2 listens I would say, which it has quality, it is slightly unremarkable

Okay

Poignant and emotional performances more in line with art than typical pop production. Respect the artist for the work even though the music doesn’t resonate with me. Vibrato can be distracting but thats just who they are, maybe that’s the point?. To each their own.

What the fuck am I listening to? Vocally he/she/it is getting right on my fucking tits. It's just warbling, and not very good warbling. Musically there's nothing offensive, but also nothing outstanding or that marks it as any different from thousands of other artists/albums. Track 4 was my breaking point, I had to turn it off. 1 star only.

It's not super interesting, nor does it really do anything particularly new?

I feel bad about this. So ... this is the last album in a backlog that started building up about five months ago. I'unno, I just missed a couple of days, and next thing I know I've gotta find a lot of extra time to play catch-up. And given how long ago this started ... I suppose any more would be worse, but five months is still pretty bad. And on a conscious decision, I decided a while ago that this would be the last one, and for a very simple reason: I wanted the room to take its subject matter seriously. I didn't want to be an asshole. Right? To the best of my abilities, given my AuDHD brain, I wanted to be able to understand this album and be empathetic towards it. This album is basically a diary of trans experiences. I'm debating with my own identity. And I'unno, I ended up just crawling into my own head worrying about if I would end up saying "the wrong thing" or not. Not to sound like a conversative reaction moaning about how "You can't say anything without offending people," but if I was worrying that if I didn't like this album it might come off like I had some kind of problem with the subject matter. And to be completely clear, I don't have any problem with it. This might be the only album out of over 1,000 to tackle such topics, and on that level I'm glad it's here, just to spread some of this experience. "But what if I don't express that correctly?" That's my concern. Probably an unfound one, given I only got it because I got in my own head, but still. Well, I suppose it's lucky for me, then, that I don't have much to say about the lyrics and the subject, besides what I already mentioned. Because I felt like I could barely focus on it next to all of the damn **VIBRATO**. Y'know, earlier today I wrote a review of another that's long been on my backlog, Joan Armatrading's eponymous debut. In there, while talking about her voice, I mentioned there were one or two parts where the "tremolo" (meant vibrato) reminded me of Buffy Sainte-Marie's cover of "The Circle Game". It's a song I discovered from 'Once Upon A Time In Hollywood' that I like to listen to at double speed sometimes, because of how it ends up exaggerating the vibrato in her voice. It ends up sounding like she's trying to hold a note while driving over a **very** bumpy road, or sitting on a washing machine, and it's pretty funny to me. ANOHINI has that kind of vibrato at regular speed. And, y'know, I've seen a lot of reviews harp on it, and I've made it the central complaint of my review, but let's be real for a second here. It's not **all** vibrato. I don't think it pops up as often as these reviews make it out. There are plenty of parts where she sings more normally, and, yeah, it's a little melodramatic, but it's not the worst thing in the world. And I have no room to complain about melodramatics, anyway; I like emo. Hell, the album my group got today was Nick Cave's 'The Boatman's Call', and in my review of that I actively **defended** Cave's dramatics. It's what made it good! But the vibrato, when it pops up ... it gives me the mental image of ANOHINI scrunching up her face because what she's singing is **so important** and and that everything's **so dramatic** and that she's singing it all **so well and soulfully**. It's a little overwrought. It's a little silly. And, unfortunately, it takes away so much of my ability to take this album seriously. Which is a shame! I'm not the uppest on lyrics about the trans experience, but ANOHINI's seem pretty good, all things considered. And I really don't mind the backing instrumentation, either. Heck, I kind of like it! Some people have a problem with it being thread, but I think it's nice. Maybe kind of beautiful, even — if only ANOHINI wasn't vibrating all over the place. It sounds like you're physically shaking your head up and down to get that effect! And in the end, like I said, I feel bad about this. She makes an album about a personal experience of hers, written so strongly into the text that it's hard to ignore ... and I can't take it seriously because she sings it in a way I find goofy. Like, if I could get past it, I absolutely would. And I probably still wouldn't think it's the **greatest** album I'd ever heard, but jeez, at least I'd be able to focus on the **other elements**. ANOHINI, you're a bird girl now, as you've always been — and I couldn't be happier for you. But as far as this part of your music is concerned ... I'unno. I am a-wishin' I could've liked it more. Sorry. At least I'm done with my backlog. Goodness, if I ever let this happen again, someone slap me, honestly...

Lovely tunes in this one. (plus Trans Rights.) 4.5 bumped up to 5.

I’m at a 5. I am so glad this is on the list. I suppose it’s only just now hitting me how much of this list so far has been mostly cisgender men. It’s just not something I’ve actively thought about, but… damn, this one really proves that point, huh? This is a beautiful album documenting the transition of our lead singer, ANOHNI. Her voice is great, regardless of the vibrato that sort of sours the earliest tracks on this album, when the instrumentation isn’t as potent. When the instrumentation does get going, this album truly begins to soar in a harmonic way. The quality of the music itself matches up with the messaging of the lyricism & how brilliantly her pain & frustration is expressed, meeting the moment in a way that’s evocative of the soul singers of the 1950s & 60s that this is so obviously inspired by. It’s a perfectly structured album, and I think “Bird Gerhl” is a gorgeous closing track. The entire 35 minutes, no matter how slowly they may start from a purely musical standpoint, all flow together in a harmony. It’s a beautiful album, and one where words currently fail me. What a piece of art. It’s a 5, and I am fully & utterly stunned. I’m also pissed off that public opinion towards the right for transgender people to simply exist has flipped as harshly as it has throughout the 20 years since this album came out, and the ongoing nightmare that has been the second Trump administration. It is incredibly easy to demonize that which you have never truly met or known, and I feel as blessed as I have to have met so many people that have transitioned or are actively transitioning. This album is a reminder that it truly is gender *affirming* care. It is an affirmation of identity, of happiness, and of one’s true self. To demonize that affirmation speaks more to the sad, sad insecurities of those who will never be able to find happiness in the same way. I can only hope that whenever the pendulum of public opinion inevitably swings back the other way, this album can be re-recognized as a rich piece of art. It so deeply deserves it.

??.. no thanks

Not bad but just incredibly slow and soft.

That vibrating voice was really grating and distracting making this one unlistenable for me. I did somehow listen to the whole thing though, never again!

1.5

This was very sad and beautiful music.

Once the vibrato eases up this is a really good album.

Listening to this over Christmas was perhaps not the best time, but I did not get this.

Surprisingly beaufiful!

An interesting listen.

Just dreadful.

too much vibrato

Vocals sound like they were recorded while sat on a washing machine on full blast or some shit

A ver, no está mal y eso. Pero en serio no hay 1001 mejores?

Enjoyed more than expected. Very simple, and did not enjoy the singing style particularly. But the orchestral parts were nice, I suppose. Songs very simple on the surface, but still I found it just different enough to be somewhat enjoyable. Also, "Free At Last" made me strangely emotional...

I normally love blue-eyed soul but this isn't doing it for me. Her voice is just someone imitating Nina Simone. I'm not surprised that music critics had to put this in their list though. The lyrics are more like a lecture than song lyrics. I'm sure they are very personal and meaningful, but there's no depth to the words, everything is on the surface. I'm looking forward to this being over. It's like depressing John Legend. Or depressing Boy George. Fistful of Love is good, there's potential here.

Genial y único. You are my sister es una delicia. Imprescindible, y sigue con discos fabulosos.

There were some really lovely melodies, but I didn't enjoy the vocals.

6/10 Never heard of the artists before(there are 2 artists right?) btw, the first track is quite impressive. I like the mood&tone, it reminds me of Lana a bit(quiet but emotional). I think “Fistful of Love” is my favorite(didn’t finish the album yet though)

I didn't hate it but wasn't overly compelled, his voice is good but after a while the vibrato felt like a gimmick. Lyrically not overly compelling either for me.

Interesting voice but not what I would listen to again and again

Pretty high quality, but a little too rich for me.

First song great, rest not so much

Great intro song, I don't muvh like the rest sadly

Heard one and a half (cover) of their songs before and always meant to look up their others. Really enjoyed it, would like to do a closer listen with lyrics sometime.

Some great singing. Absolutely bizarre.

Thrilled that this album is on the list. Antony obviously has an unconventional voice and I wouldn’t say this music is for everyone. But I think that many artists attempt to do what this album does and fail in the process. Theatrical and sweeping. A gift.

Was kind of hard to describe.

Overall: 1/10 I hate to say this but that is probably the single most annoying voice I've heard in my entire life. I truly couldn't stand this and I'm upset that I listened to it. Fav Song: For Today I'm a Boy Least Fav Song: Hope There's Someone

Stunning album. Beautiful music. Sensitive, melodic, interesting; simple, piano-led arrangements, allowing the songwriting to shine. This is the sort of music that can save people. ANOHNI appeared at Glastonbury the other day and is a true artist. I loved it.

This was so hyped on release and it was shit then and shit now

Thought the falsetto would get annoying but I think it works. They have used a recording that sounds really live which I think is actually the best part 4*

Would be like a 7, it was pretty but didn't hook me

Strange but not awful

Nah

Weirdest I’ve ever listened to

Not for me. Voice is like scrapping a chalk board all song about there ego. Reminded me of Orval the duck.

Some really gorgeous songs in here. I was big into this album in college and I’m glad it holds up years later.

The backing music was pleasant in a semi-melancholy way. Sort of reminiscent of Lana Del Ray. But the vocal style was absolutely brutal and very off putting. I couldn't finish it.

From Wiki: After it won the 2005 Mercury Prize, the record shot up the UK albums chart from #135 to #16 in one week, the biggest jump in the history of the prize.[2] As of September 2011, UK sales stood at 220,000 copies.[3] I can't for the life of me place my finger on why this album is listed on a list of albums that you must listen to before you die. Not one. Not a single issue. The MacArthur prize is often referred to as the genius prize - this album smacks of genius in all the wrong ways. Regardless of talent, shit music always sounds like shit music when you have a singer singing in a falsetto that sounds like Tiny Tim went mainstream. 1/5

Pretty neutral on this record. I might need to listen to it again sometime, but nothing on it really stuck out this first listen. 3/5

I think I listened to this album when it was new. I liked it then and I like it now. Antony (AHNONI) has a beautiful, sad, voice that is lovely, and the band really accompanies her voice well. 3.5/5

Sometimes a dirge, but a heavenly one. Wasn't really put of by the vibrato.

57% Best (a stretch for this album): Fistful Of Love Must-Hear? You can't be serious...

I am mixed on what it objectively a good album. Amazing vibrato control, very personal and progressive themes, and well executed. But for my personal taste, there's a bit *too* much vibrato, to the point of feeling that most of the album feels unsettled. Which again, fits to the theme, but it's not the top tier type of album I'll want to return for again and again

This album is what this whole experience is about and why it should be done. Never would this have crossed my radar if it wasn't for this, and it was a great listen throughout with extremely memorable and distinct vocals and great instrumental accompaniment mixed with the strong lyrics. It's difficult to give this quite a 5/5, but it will receive a strong 4.5/5 and be bumped to 4.

Really enjoyed this album. Great vocals throughout and the lyrics evoked a range of emotions somehow going from sad/mournful vibes to a more hopeful sound. It was my first time even hearing about Antony and the Johnsons but what a find. Fav track: Fistful of love

Great album, deeply personal lyrics with haunting and unique vocal. 4/5.

Ok

Say what you will about the singing, the music and singing here is in fact music. That’s more than can be said for many albums on this list.

This guy uses vibrato how I use vibrato when playing the violin to cover wrong notes, aka, all the time. I think this would have been nice without that on every note. Did he just learn this technique the week before this was recorded?

Very introverted pop music. I like this sometimes but was not on the mood for it now.

I didn't absolutely hate it. I just mostly hated it.

This seems like a deeply personal and heartfelt album, and I appreciate the emotion behind it. Unfortunately, I think that it's just OK both musically and lyrically. It does have a few strong moments, though. Favorite track: "Spiralling"

1. hope - 2 2. lady - 1 3. boy - 1 4. baby - 1.5 5. zizter - 1 6. do - 1.5 7. love - 1.5 8. zpiraling - 1.5 9. free - 1 10. bird - 1.5

Not my jam. 1/5

Smooth voices

Lovely music, and he has a very nice voice. It's too bad his vocal cords have Parkinson's.

The continuation of New York City. Lou Reed got involved and it feels like a part of the factory brought to modern times. Anthony’s voice is painful, forlorn and soft in a way that draws you in and hurts.

Had some good sad vibes in there but overall little overwrought for my mood these days and not so stunning to override how I’m feeling

Bueno

ainakin yksi hyvä biisi

8/10 really beautiful stuff, loved the singer’s voice but most of the compositions and arrangements were a little plain, I still really enjoyed it :)

Really beautiful instrumentals. Vocals are a bit hit or miss for me but they definitely hit more than they miss

1/2

I enjoyed this. It was very mellow, with evocative gender questioning and confirming lyrics. Any album with Rufus Wainright can’t be all that bad. I want to listen to more of their music.

that was a test of patience, a couple of tracks were wonderful but my god you had to wade through some deep deep shit to get to them.

I've listened to Anohni's solo album Hopelessness, so kind of knew what to expect here. Her voice is very unique and definitely takes some getting used to, and the songwriting is very solid. Quite melancholy and personal themes in the lyrics. Not something I see myself going back to, but glad to have listened to it.

This is a bit of a shocking listen....overtly arty and emotional and quite compelling. A couple of listens reveal a lot of interesting musical and lyrical details that invite further exploration. My first listen left me confused, my 2nd listen left me intrigued and looling forward to at least another immersive listen. THIS IS NOT background music, this is music that takes time and commitment and hopefully reveals an artistic statement that is worthy of yur attention. I suspect it will. 3.5 stars

It’s alright

I really did not enjoy this album at all and I’m noticing I don’t like ‘chamber pop’, it’s too depressing. And I hate the singer’s voice and how vibrate-y it is

yeah, me too sister

Bleating instead of singing is definitely not for me

nope. Not for me. Some of the music is pretty. But the vocals. No. Not for me. I’m sorry. It was hard to even get through even 35 minutes of this. Lou Reed on “fistful of love” would have taken it up to a 1.5. But no. The vocals were a 0.0. Not for me.

The short story is this: I cannot stand Anonhi’s (nee Antony’s) vibrato voice. I understand the acclaim and the comparisons to Nina Simone, but I don’t like it.

That vibrato took me out. I actually liked the album musically and lyrically, and even thought she had a good voice in general. But the vibrato ruined it for me and made me feel like I had to cough the whole time. Happy Pride though 🏳️‍🌈

The constant vibrato killed it for me, hard to get through because of that.

Gave me major Sam Smith vibes but there was too much vibrato in most notes. But I liked the band.

Didn’t like this at first but grew on me the more I listened. Like the band ensemble at the end of Fistful of Love. Too much vibrato though.

Hm nie echt

Boring piano music and I'm not a fan of his voice.

She certainly is.

Good indie classic but in the end his voice is pretty hit or miss

This guy's voice...is really awful to me? The first song was giving me anxiety. The rest of them did not improve my state (although the overall sound of Fistful of Love is pretty dope). The music is not bad, but I can't deal with the vocals at all.

No idea how I never heard of this, but really enjoyed it. Give me British chamber pop over Brit Pop any day

Decent listen but maybe I needed to be feeling sad as this didn't connect

Objectively very beautiful but, felt very similar throughout

I really wanted to like this, sonically and lyrically I enjoyed it enough. Hope There's Someone is a beautiful song, but my god this is such a good example of vocals I can’t stand. The vibrato on every single syllable and the weird droning timbre of her voice was just not as captivating or alluring as it's apparently supposed to be, it just got too much after only a couple songs. That is very subjective though, something about my brain doesn't like lower registers, and combined with this specific timbre it's just near unlistenable for me. I actually went on a hunt as I knew I recognised this voice from a Björk song - a bit of searching confirmed that this is the same vocalist featured on The Dull Flame Of Desire and My Juvenile from Björk's album Volta. I can, then, confirm the consistency of my opinion on this person's voice - I have always hated it. The reason I recognised it so viscerally is because it makes me hate those two songs too, and I have listened to a lot of Björk so I don't see it "growing on me" any more than becoming tolerable. She can sing, but I don't like it. It reminds me a bit of jasmine.4.t's vocal style, actually, except hers has a better timbre to it. There was a fair bit of repetition in the lyrics across the whole album, especially For Today I Am A Boy, and I really hate that. No, the meaning is not any cleared now you’ve said the title of the song 57 times. I did like the general atmosphere, the heavy string usage and the cover image is incredibly captivating once you know the context (iykyk, google it). It's quite a sad and dreary album, though, so despite everything else it's not really my thing. But it does take on a more significant meaning since Anohni only came out publicly years after this album. Most: Fistful Of Love, I could actually listen to this one despite the vocals, but Hope There's Someone for the production if the voice were different. Least: For Today I Am A Boy Rating: 1.5, but rounding down.

Gentle, kind of crooner-ish

Some beautiful songs and lyrics. Perhaps too many of the songs are too similar to make me want to listen to the whole album again. But would definitely listen to certain songs again. It’s an interesting album that probably deserves more than one listen to really understand

bored

Sad but hopeful drag queen chansons. “My Lady Story” is the stand out track and single. “For Today I am a Boy” and “Bird Guhl” as a closer are both good tracks. The rest tries to meet these high marks. 3.4 stars rounded down.

"Performers there are who tremble consistently on each note as if they had the palsy." - Leopold Mozart

Didn't like this album at the time. Genuinely surprised upon listening today. A lot to appreciate.

Nobody has a voice like Anohni (billed here as Antony & the Johnsons). That vibrato is so distinct! This is a gorgeous album of artful ballads. I enjoyed putting it on today and could see myself getting more into it at the right moment in my life, or in a certain mood. There are a number of songs about being trans, and while her vocals are certainly melancholy, the music can also feel uplifting and hopeful, especially with imagery in the lyrics about birds and flying. “Fistful of Love” is a highlight. I love that soulful melody and those jazzy horns. “For Today I Am a Boy” is a beautiful song too.

I had written up a few paragraphs of a review for this but unfortunately my computer had a random restart and I didn't save them in the browser, so I'll have to sum it a bit: this album really floored me. At the first few tracks I wasn't sure what to think, as the vocalist's wavy vibrato was so thick and the ends of the first few songs were so heavy that I almost felt like I was listening to a villain in a movie sing cabaret. Almost hauntingly scary? I've listened to a lot of really heavy death metal in my life and I don't usually get that response so this surprised me. By the end of it I was really captivated though. Some really beautiful and wonderfully heavy (not just tonally, but lyrically) stuff inside. One of my favorite surprises to pop up here.

бля ну скукота какая то несусветная

If you like excessive vibrato, and minimalist depressing chamber pop, then this is the album for you!! It's like really really shitty Hozier. Fistful of Love is the first song on the record that shows a pulse, and it's the 7th song out of 10 on the record. The album cover is apparently some Andy Warhol superstar "Candy Darling" on her deathbed. How charming....wtf?!? I don't get the appeal of this album... Favorite songs: Fistful of Love, For Today I Am A Boy, Hope There's Someone Least favorite songs: What Can I Do?, Free at Last 2/5

People apparently get rubbed the wrong way with the vibrato ANOHNI uses in her singing style on this album but I thought it was pretty elegant and raw; y’all wouldn’t have lasted in the Regina Spektor-shaped crater I was raised in. Album is good! Not necessarily my go to but it’s performed well, executed well. Definitely a weird follow-up to the Elvis Presley s/t, but that’s what this list is for.

Could not understand half the things they said and in generally found the music kind of dull.

Slow and a bit boring but sometimes beautiful. Favorites: Fistful of Love