Reviews (page 4 of 8)
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.
I get the feeling this artist puts on a hell of a live show. This is definitely not background music. This is one of those that requires full attention. A little too much attention.
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
It’s alright, not great tho
This was quite good. I enjoyed the guest appearances, and although I get it's a taste thing, I actually quite like the vocals.
Had some really good parts but then other parts were a complete snoozefest. Some of the singing was a bit weird.
Never heard of these guys but we've had a decent amount of Mercury prize winners and I've liked most of them so excited going in. Something about his voice I am just not jiving with. It's a beautiful record so far about 4 songs in. Voice definitely works better on some songs. Really beautiful on Spiralling. That definitely had a beautifulness to it that I appreciated, but I probably won't be back soon.
327/1089 - Do you want some vocals with your vibrato? That aside, it's competently made but definitely not the type of music I like or would listen to ever again. The first song was pretty awful (I hate "Paul McCartney/Singer-Songwriter style piano playing) but the music got more interesting as the album went on.
i'll be honest, i didn't really like this (that vibrato 😩👎) but i'm giving it an additional star for trans rights and inclusion on this list. women can make art i don't like too!!
coffee shop background music with off-putting vocals. sounds like he's trying to ape hozier but adding way too much vibrato. i'm not really a fan. the music sounds pretty good in spots though, kind of art rocky. and it's a tight 35 minutes. favorites: hope there's someone, you are my sister, fistful of love.
not terrible by any means, but it didn't really grab me either.
3.5
This is a pretty unique album I've never heard before. Hope There's Someone is a really good song. I did get kinda bored of it after that though.
Honestly I don't hate it, kind of a nice mix up to listen to 6.1/10
Gorgeous vocals that haunt
Als zwaarmoedig een persoon was dan heette hij/zij/het ANOHNI. Maar ondanks dat het daardoor gewoon taaie kost is, omdat het geen moment eventjes luchtig is, waardeer ik de emotionele orkestratie wel. Dit is wel art pop in optima forma, ook al is het niet helemaal mijn dingetje. Toch denk ik dat hier later met steeds meer waardering naar geluisterd wordt, want het heeft een 'klassieke' kwaliteit. Waanzinnig breekbaar, maar ook wel echt robuust in zijn instrumentatie. 6,5/10 Highlights: You Are My Sister Fistful Of Love
Mooie bijzondere plaat. Orkestraal echt prachtig maar geen makkelijke kost. De stem van ANOHNI zit in eerste instantie in mijn allergie door de vibratie die in de eerste 2/3 nummers de hele tijd overheerst. Ik ben daar geen liefhebber van en dat zit nu eenmaal heel veel in haar stem. Echter veranderd dat halverwege de plaat enigszins. Ik vind de nummers daar ook luchtiger en er zit een prachtig drieluik in het album (zie highlights). Begon sceptisch maar uiteindelijk toch overtuigd. 7,5/10 Highlights You Are My Sister What Can I Do Fistful of Love
It's definitely high quality, but it's just not something I would choose to listen to
Imagine my surprise when Rufus wainwright randomly showed up
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
At times beautiful, at times annoying
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.
# 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
Очень красиво, но выбрать что-то не получается. Мне кажется, последний альбом коллектива сильно лучше. Лучшая песня - Hope There's Someone.
fine
Ooh, I don’t care for the vocals at all, but piano music is beautiful.
This message is important for someone, but not for me. And the delivery leaves something to be desired.
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
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
”hope there’s someone” is a song i am sure i’ve heard before, i like that one.
Decent.
It’s an ok album, not sure why it’s on this overall list, though.
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".
Trippy, tender, and a little too floaty for me. It’s interesting — not unenjoyable — but for Today, I Am Gonna Pass.
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.
It felt okay but also underproduced.
Haunting. A great album but a very difficult listen in places.
Pas mauvais, quelques bonnes tounes, mais pas pour moi.
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
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.
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.
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.
interesting and unusual. I like this one
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!
Never heard of this artist. Very interesting. Read up on them, and they are an ensemble. Interesting.
Ok. Only sometimes annoying. Sometimes unique and emotional.
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!
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.
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"
5/10
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.
Opening son is outstanding - the rest is less than i remember it being
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
Kinda nice as background music. 2.5
So beautiful and sad and haunting
A surprisingly beautiful album. Unique sounds mix of soul folk and indie. Worth another listen
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.
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...
Not bad but just incredibly slow and soft.
This was very sad and beautiful music.
An interesting listen.
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...
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)
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
Some great singing. Absolutely bizarre.
Was kind of hard to describe.
Would be like a 7, it was pretty but didn't hook me
Strange but not awful
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
Ok
Very introverted pop music. I like this sometimes but was not on the mood for it now.
Smooth voices
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
Really beautiful instrumentals. Vocals are a bit hit or miss for me but they definitely hit more than they miss
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
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 🏳️🌈
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.
Good indie classic but in the end his voice is pretty hit or miss
Decent listen but maybe I needed to be feeling sad as this didn't connect
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
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.
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.
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.
Slow and a bit boring but sometimes beautiful. Favorites: Fistful of Love
Listened to this twice. I was skeptical but warmed up to it some on a second pass. I also appreciated some of the later songs on the album more than the first few. A bit too many vocal runs but moving at times.
Good voice over dramatic at times
I'm not going to lie, this would get a whole star higher if it weren't for the tremelo singing.
Eine recht dramatische Art zu singen
Una voce meravigliosa e suggestiva
One of those things that’s fascinating and haunting for a song but too much when repeated over an album It’s not bad at all but equally I can’t say I’m going to seek it out again Call it a generous 3
Good, just not my vibe
A good album but a bit too arty for my liking.
His voice is interessting. The songs and production are excellent.
-I first became aware of Anohni through her collaborations with Björk, and I really like a few albums from her album Hopelessness. her voice is… definitely an acquired taste honestly, especially on this album -despite her unique voice I found the whole thing to be a bit samey and inoffensive. still far from bad though, it is very beautiful and had some great songs -Favorites are You Are My Sister and Fistful Of Love
There are some incredibly stunning songs on this album. I don't think it is super consistent from front to back which holds it back, and I prefer the later album "Hopelessness" overall, but this definitely is an essential listen despite its inconsistency.
pretty good 3.5
Yet another I just couldn't get into.
The singer's rapid-fire vibrato is off-putting. Otherwise, this is a pretty good collection of stripped-down arrangements of darkly dramatic songs. 3 stars.
3/5
Really loved their album from 2023 but never was able to get into this one quite as much
Its something
Liked it but certainly not blown away. Don't have a problem with the vibrato as many people do (though let's be honest, there's some amount of transphobia in a lot of those complaints) but it just didn't overly connect with me. Very beautiful arrangements!
I like this less than I did when it came out.
It was very ethereal and artsy.
Your enjoyment of this depends on if you like the singers high warbley vibrato. The songs are heartfelt and fine. It's different in a good way.
7/10. A bit weird - but I have to say I think I quite liked it. To be honest I think the album would've scored a bit lower had it not been for the first time which absolutely blew me away. Some of the later song are a bit slower and I felt that the weird vocal style fell more flat when placed upon a blander instrumental background. That being said I always enjoy hearing something new and the fact that this sort of worked allows me to give it a very decent score.
this was pretty
This needs a second listen I genuinely can't tell if I love it or hate it...
3.5/5
Okay album 3/5
No idea what to expect here. Well the music and vibe of it was great. I couldn’t take the voice. Excessive vibrato and it was like watching what’s that it’s Pat. Too distracting. Still a three.
Had previously high-graded this album, so good to get to know the rest.
I had previously avoided taking the time to listen to Antony and the Johnsons because the singing voice put me off. But this was kind of a pleasant surprise, and even the voice kind of grew on me as the album went on. Not likely something that will make it into my regular rotation, but glad I finally gave it the time.
A little odd at times lyrically. Decent vocals but got boring
Musically interesting. Mostly torch-songs. Worth another listen.
I know what "vibrato" means now, so I guess I learned something from this
Enjoyable
Fluttery voice.
Pretty good, not fantastic, some good songs, some meh songs
Really enticing, I acc liked it it took a second to get used to his voice but very gorgeous stuff
It’s nice! It’s fantastic! Pretty voice, not overly exciting though.
One of the more interesting and unique albums so far. Deep vocals and piano, mostly. Veers into theater feel at times.
acabou com a minha vibe de ano novo, mas não é ruim não
ERRATA DA ULTIMA REVIEW: 2025* e repeti que pedrada duas vezes, tava empolgado. ainda bem que nao ouvi esse no ano novo, ia ficar daquele naipão. mas é um bom album, fistful of love é absurda. só vozerão, letra bonita e arranjos bacanas.
A bit avant garde for me but she has a crazy vibrato.
This is interesting music, not my favourite but she's talented.
Är rätt svag för denna typ av musik. Nu var det några sisådär låtar på denna skiva. Men tex fistful of love är sjukt bra.
Now this was a strange listen. I was doing a lot of driving so I ended up hearing it four times. The second I started the first listen I was like "Okay what's going on here" but the more I gave it a chance the more genuine and heartfelt this seemed. It's not easy listening and isn't the most accessible but it feels honest and like the project had a purpose. I was more won over than I thought. I think it makes sense to have things like this on the list but if the entire list was like this I'd never last 1,001 listens.
It was surprisingly decent. Good instrumentals and calm lyrics
Early 2000s chamber pop is an interesting and very forgettable era. Pretty decent though.
Had a very vivid dream once where I was on X-factor but had the singing voice of Anohni - fucking blew Simon Cowell away. Hope There's Someone is great track - rest of album fades a bit. I like Anohni's vocals and really like some of the dance tracks she put out post AJ.
Fair enough, but probably never listening to this again.
I mean, you have to admit it sounds exactly like the kind of music you would expect by taking a look at the artist. I enjoyed it well enough but don't care to hear it again. I became more accustomed to the vocals than I thought I would. Some tender emotion and some escapist fantasy
When this came out, first the single and then the album, I had an absolute visceral hatred of it. I just think maybe the voice was too much for me to take. But I could not stand it. A friend of mine tried to convince me that it was a fantastic album and I should give it a chance. He even bought me the album as a birthday present to try and force me to like it. I listened to it once and hated it still. It basically got put on a shelf and I thought I would never have to listen to it again. Until now. I was kinda loathe to hear it again, but I tried. And didn’t hate it. The 20 years interim must have changed my receptors. I began to appreciate it a lot more and even her voice didn’t upset me anymore. I’m not sure how much I’ll revisit it. But I did hear some beautiful qualities. Quite profound at times.
This was equally haunting, beautiful, strange, bombastic, and way over the top. How to rate such a beast? It's an easy 4 from the perspective of the artist achieving an emotionally charged and singular set of songs. But when will I ever be in the emotional place where this is the music I'd choose to listen to? For me, I don't know that place exists. So... a 3 for my connection to the music. But this was pretty intense.
It's funny Rufus was on here because this guy struck me as a similar artist. His voice is a lot, and your mileage will vary depending on how much you can take. There were a couple of songs on here that were pretty solid. They'd make for a great soundtrack to a movie or TV show. But boy, a whole album of that voice was too much for me. I'm not really sure how to rate this. I can't see returning to this, though I didn't hate it. Guess it's right down the middle.
Songs are a mixed bag but there is definitely some storytelling I missed on the first listen. Favorite Song: Fistful of love Least Favorite song: Hopes theres someone
Intimate, maudlin, piano bar or cabaret type music. Anohni seems to be emotive and putting a lot of passion into the delivery. I can see why this album was included in the list, but I personally didn't connect. Fistful of Love was the highlight.
yea, no. it's fine. but moving on.
Not bad.
🎧Giving this album a 3 largely on the strength of Fistful of Love, a song I am obsessed with. Put it in the 1001 Songs YMHBYD.
This was quite haunting There were some really beautiful songs on here, but also a lot that just sounded like filler. So overall it was just too much and too long Also the voice is... unique to say the least 3 ⭐️
This was a poetic expression of metamorphosis and a, painfully sad farewell... I won't listen to this again, but it's one of the few albums on this list that'll stick with me.
Deeply emotional, deeply personal. There is some lovely music and songwriting behind it, but I just couldn’t quite get into Anohni’s voice. It seems an acquired taste that takes time to get used to, and I’m still getting there. Sometimes it is rich and textured and enveloping, but too often (especially on the first track) the vibrato and warbling are overused.
Sure I mean this is fine. Not really my thing overall, but I didn't hate it. Perfect length. This album could have easily been 70 minutes and I likely would have shot myself.
Ive never been more unsure how to rate an album. I don't generally like this style of music or singing. But it made me feel unbelievably melancholy while driving home after a nice evening out and then ... as Spiraling was on, drove by a deer that had been hit by a car and its breath was illuminated by the headlight, and I'm now *wrecked* on my couch ... this album was lovely but I never want to hear it again
For Today I Am A Boy was crushing to listen to, but hell yeah for first album by a trans woman, I think?
Jazz, relaxing, coffee shop vibe music.
It wasn’t bad but it really wasn’t for me.
Evocative and winsome for what probably could (and should) have been. I liked the appearance of Boy George (but didn’t recognise his voice). The real prize here is Anohni’s voice. An important album. I can see why it’s included.
Not exactly for me, but sounds like they're putting it all out there.
2.5 rounded up, saved fistful of love
They lyrics were good but his voice was not something I could get behind. Kinda Ray Romanoish.
This was a super unique and interesting album. I enjoyed it all the way through, but don't know if I will ever want to revisit it. Anohni is an interesting character.
Står oppført som kammermusikk på wikipedia lol. Veeeeldig masse vibrato. Men syns da va bra
Tidvis bra, tidvis ganske mid
The vocals were just a biiiiit much. 2.5 stars
I also hope there will be someone to take care of me when I die
Not to bad although not my style. Nice ideas but can't get over the feeling of restaurant music.
Meh it was okay.
Not something that I would want to listen to regularly but it had some interesting parts to it.
Mixed feelings. I find it pleasant and engaging but also a little bit boring and dragged out. I enjoyed it overall but probably will not revisit. 3/3.5
Hyviä biisei ja sit ei niin hyvii
Pretty good. Not my thing, but I found myself think some of this wasn't too bad. But we're in a stretch of some terrible albums so I'm wondering of my mind hasn't been fucked by all the shit I've listen too lately. Probably. Or maybe it's because I heard my man, Lou! Whatever the reason, I did listen to this a few times and I enjoyed. Fistful of Love is best song but who didn't think of their sister(s) when you heard You Are My Sister? Beautiful song. I hope all their dreams come true. Shout out to Boy George too. He's got some good music out there, if you allow yourself to admit it. 3
3.5 rounded down almost impossible for me to rate; the lyricism and themes of this album are undeniably beautiful and illuminating, but the sonic elements were seriously lacking for me. i’m really glad this was put on this list (even though it was nixed from later editions). this album will certainly stick with me for a long time highlights: hope there’s someone, for today i am a boy, fistful of love (apr 22 2026)
Amusing to get this the day after Dolly Parton. It's vibrato week! Also, a week that started with Kid Rock has since that low point been exclusively queer icons. Been aware of their work obvs since this won the Mercury but never really listened to it. Someone included the first track in their playlist in our playlist group a few months back and I really enjoyed it, particularly how it went slightly batshit on the piano midway through. Goes into the 'yeah very nice, not hugely my thing but definitely enjoyable' camp I think. Also, if you're being crass, some enjoyment can be found in the album title and the fact that Anohni is a bird now.
Not my cup of tea, but a solid album.
Okay.. well
Bluesy smooth vibe
Thematically important but too sombre to fit the mood of the day, unfortunately, which naturally has a bearing on how we rate this album. Ahnoni is an impressive artist and we appreciate the meaningfulness of the songs. May explore again when the mood calls for it.
A unique album that I'm struggling to form a strong opinion on. I liked the musical composition. It was elegant. The vibrato singing style I did not like and it overpowered many of the songs. The lyrics felt personal and significant. I don't think it's going to break into any of my personal playlists but I wouldn't go as far as to say I disliked it.
Never heard of this artist. Not a bad album
I had never heard of this, but it looks like it won the Mercury Prize so it just HAS to be included. All in all this was fine but really not at all for me. I could see how British critics in 2005 loved this album though.
Pretty good. She has a unique voice (even if it makes everyone think it’s a man singing, which is understandable) and the songs are interesting. 3 stars, but more in the way of ‘pretty good, but doesn’t warrant 4’ than ‘this album is just okay’.
Somehow lives up to the haunting beautiful album cover art. Emotional, personal, meditative; pours it all out there. Nothing I'd want to listen to twice, though.
Not really for me, but well put together. Unique lead vocalist
Favourite song - Fistful of love
Quite whiny, but still harmonic.
This is something very different. Which makes a nice change. Really enjoyed it. Will I go back to it? Probably not, but still decent!
Interesting...
One word - vibrato. Lots and lots of vibrato. The music is like a mix of torch songs and haunting jazz/pop. The lyrics are all about struggle - with your own identity, society, other people and teh deconstructing of gender. That album title has to be a knowing wink to that last point too. Though the voice is one that is full of emotion, the vibrato does get a tad grating after awhile. Best Tracks: Hope There's Someone; You Are My Sister; Fistful of Love
I had no idea what to expect from this but was still surprised by her voice on the first line. Sets a really nice, moody atmosphere.
Pretty good! Enjoyed it more in that I got to listen with Stevie while he drove me to the airport. Wasn’t a huge fan but liked some of the pianos. I’ll take it over the UK mediocrity.
I know Anohni, the transgender artist formerly known as Antony, for the song she made that almost won an Oscar, "Manta Ray." Really, really cool song, I was mesmerized by her style immediately. This album puts me in a similar space, such a unique voice and sound that I'm almost surprised that I enjoy. I'm not saving too many songs from this one, but it's really good and enjoyable to me. Cool that this made the list. Favorite tracks: Hope There's Someone, My Lady Story. Album art: I'm not sure if that is Anohni (or, at the time, Antony) in the bed, I'm leaning toward "no" but don't ask me. Anyway, it's a black and white picutre of what seems to be a woman in a bed with some flowers on the covers. The heavy eye makeup makes this spooky - second time in a week or so that I've been reminded of the zombies in Carnival of Souls. It's a good cover though. 3.5/5
Good
this is the type of album that can be extremely polarizing. i did find that this album was really really beautiful, even if a bit odd at times. i would love to give this a second listen through, preferably with a nice drink in my hand, and really just let it resonate around me.
I didn’t enjoy listening to this album, but I think it has merit.
This could've been such a beautiful album, but once I realized just how much vibrato I was hearing it was hard to focus on anything else
Me he puesto tristón
Not my thing but very sincere and beautiful sounding.
ok, aber sehr slow
Alright
At first this sounded like Joana Newsom, but it didn't click that much for me. Man is suffering, at least that's what his singing voice tells me. And I can appreciate this one for what it is, but it's not going in my rotation
This was a punishing listen. I found it hard to understand the lyrics due to the high pitched vocals.
I don’t know, I have kind of mixed opinions on this. I’ve listened to this artist’s music before and it’s not for me, especially the vocals. However, I do feel like this album was pretty unique compared to a lot of the others on this list, so I’ll give it a 3 for now.
Chamber pop is not my kind of music genre, but I must admit that this album is at least well produced. But I cannot fathom this extreme vibrato in the singer's voice.
Great job of conveying the emotions of inner turmoil on some big questions. The trembling voice makes it both authentic but a bit hard to listen to at times. There are a few soulful numbers here.
Can there ever be more inner pain and despair in a voice? Tell me, Thom, tell me!
Favorite Tracks: Hope There’s Someone For Today I Am A Boy You Are My Sister
Mello. Pretty nice. 3.5
I know I’ve heard at least one of these songs before but cannot place it. I quite enjoyed it. I thought the style was going to get annoying as it is very voice-centric but it didn’t seem to.
You go, sister. This music is beautiful, haunting, & deeply emotional. The only one I can almost compare her voice to is Nina Simone with a dash of Bryan Ferry (Roxy Music). I like how bare and unaffected the music is. Good rich acoustic sounds. It's not overdone. But overall it's a bit slow and dramatic for me.
Very interesting album. There are some songs that are extremely good, and some that aren’t. It appears to be a very personal story of a trans girl, and the lyrics are at times sweet, and delicate, and very moving. The singer has a great voice with a very distinct vibrato - perhaps too much at times. I liked this album. Although I don’t think I’d ever intentionally seek it out to listen from front to back, I probably wouldn’t skip any songs that started playing on a random mix.
I much prefer MBWABFYTC to this. I can’t remember ever listening to this before, but this is an extremely my-Mum-coded album. A fine 35 minute album that I will likely never listen to again. Which is better than being a fine 75 minute album that I will likely never listen to again, which a lot of this list is.
This was a short listen. Only 4 of the songs from the album are available on Spotify. I liked what I heard, maybe will look for the rest another day.
Nice low key chill album. Fav songs hope there's someone and what can I do
I enjoyed this album, there was something familiar about the music even though I had never heard of them.
wasn't my cup of tea but gets a 3 for being iconic and for Fistful of Love
Hey ich finds mega schön? Aber sini viele vibratos drive me insane? Iwie gspühris halt genau im hals all dir vibratos and makes me feel not good ich weiss ned sorry
boah ich mag nöd wiener singt und au de song gaaar nöd. es isch sehr nüt. my lady story singter uf chillo vo breast amputation und s komische vibrato isch immerno doo. for today i am a boy checki schochli meh. ok antony/anohni isch e trans frau, daher de titel. aber isch au fast 20 johr her. s duo mit boy george isch no cute. what can i do findi recht nice. die letstee dinfau wieder schön
I was totally getting "Tiptoe Through The Tulips" vibes from the vocalist here. I feel like this record is getting a bum deal from me because I listened during a hectic day when I was in a crappy mood. It was interesting enough, but not something I would return to for whatever reason. I appreciate the super exposed nature of the vocals and the lack of "spit shine" for sure. "This is me and how I sing" is admirable and gets my respect!
My first thought was “Sam Smith vibes”, but it changed as I heard a bit more, and gave some Hozier vibes at some points as well. Regardless I love the voice(s), and I’m glad I know a bit more about Antony/ANOHNI and the Johnsons.
I had no idea what I was getting into at the beginning of this album but I was pleasantly surprised by the end of it. The composition held your attention and parts of this album were hauntingly beautiful. The subject matter was surprising once you got into it, especially for something that came out in 2005 when the world was a lot different. I don’t know how often I’ll return to any of the songs on this album, but it was nice to listen through at least once.
I’ve tried repeatedly over the years to like this album - and it’s not because it’s a bad one - Anonhi’s voice is surreal and beautiful and the songs have a certain pull - but it just does not resonate with me. It didn’t when it was released and still doesn’t now. I guess you can’t like them all.
Can’t say I’d listen to this more than once but I’m glad I did.