I Am a Bird Now

Decent

Pretentious and boring. Although I love that Devendra Banhart makes an appearance

слушала его (другой альбом) год-два назад, не осознала что он такой козёл. причём музыка-то вроде красивая, но слушать такое я не могу

I can see the merit in this being on the list, but honestly I didn't like it for the most part. At times it was beautiful, but unfortunately I really didn't like the singers voice, and it was very overwrought at times. Musically this was pretty good, however. Really hated the first song "Hope There's Someone" and kind of liked "Fistful Of Love" but the rest was very hit or miss, and unfortunately mostly miss. Again, I see why this is on the list, and there are good points to the album, but overall I just wasn't a fan.

Respectable considering how much I dislike pano ballads in general. Very tender & emotional lyricism. Don’t love the vibratto in the vocals. Standout track is: “My Lady Story”

Kinda boring. 2.5, round down. I dont get why this was on this list.

I did not like the singing at all.

Acoustic folk/jazz(?) cabaret - interesting. Mood music

Anohni's lower register is much more pleasant (and, dare I say it, bearable) than her upper register. The vibrato is so rapid that it becomes distractingly omnipresent, but it's less noticeable with lower notes. With the alto range, it sounds like Anohni is constantly shivering while attempting to sing, and the result is goofy and hard to really take seriously. Clumsy lyricism. Generally good piano, though its ballad-like emotiveness gets a little repetitive. I enjoy the strings, which are arranged skilfully. What Can I Do? is a short laid-back jazz track, and I dig it. Definitely underappreciated, judging by Spotify numbers. Fistful Of Love is also worth a shoutout for its soul-esque horn section, which really separates the track's sound from the ballad-heavy remainder of the album. Most of the remaining tracks, though, are pretty forgettable, sharing a common element of having a poor vocalist. 2/5 Key tracks: Hope There's Someone, What Can I Do?, Fistful Of Love

The sound was good but didn’t land with me

Eh. I had a hard time getting past the singers voice.

Nej, det här ynkliga ylandet var inte för mig.

Starts off pretty good. There is some decent vocal range. Sonically it's a pleasant listen, although a little repetitive for a 35 minute album. Some real emotion gets across It's nice music and I'd probably give it a 2.5. The variation tho subtle at times on first listen just doesn't give me a full album feel. It feels a bit like I got the same item in a couple of different colours.

2 out of 5. Not minding the singing unlike some others here, but this isn't my speed either. Fistful of Love was the standout of I had to pick a song.

En rakasta huumorittomia tunteenpurkauksia, mutta pidän tai ainakin kiinnostun artistin äänestä sen väreilevyydestä huolimatta. Biisit kuuntelee mielellään kertaalleen.

I'm sure there's some real artistic merit here, but I do not enjoy listening to this at all. The weird falsetto is distracting enough on its own.

Slow, emotional, don't like

Just a little unengaging. I suppose it may be very interesting to some--just not to me.

I tried real hard to like this but was unsuccessful.

Langweilige Chamber Pop Musik

Another one that I had never heard of before. I was intrigued by the cover and went in hopeful. I really, really can't stand the singers voice, it's just horrid. I would rather be waterboarded than have to listen to those torturous warblings again. That said I appreciate the emotion, the interesting subject matter, and musically it's not bad.

I'm not a fan. I just couldn't really hang onto anything.

Not a fan. Didn't like her voice at all.

The arrangements are beautiful, and so are the vocals, but it's not really for me. A bit to "heavy" for casual listening.

Unique voice. Good songs. New artist for me.

The vocals dominate the sound with scant piano, flute, and strings there to accompany and not much more. This album has a gentle sound. I saw one reviewer describe it as fragile and I thought that was quite a good explanation. Not being a huge fan of vibrato and finding the vocal range not to my taste, she's not an artist I will find myself running to. But, I'm glad it's out there.

Oh my god - that warble. How does a voice like this get a recording contract?

WaaaAAaaaAaaAAAaaay to much vocal vibrato.

Just not good unfortunately

I was not a fan! The songs made me want to fall asleep. Also, ew a Boy George feature?! I just don't know what was so special about this album that it needed to be featured on this list.

Incredibly irritating vibrato. Won’t be listening to this one again.

As performance art, it’s pretty good…as music it’s not good.

I Am a Bird Now is a lyrically beautiful exploration of self-identity, gender dysphoria, and personal transformation. Their haunting voice captures the emotional depth of these themes, with tracks like “Hope There’s Someone” offering raw vulnerability. However, musically, the album feels repetitive and overly somber. The sparse arrangements and melancholic tone can make it difficult to revisit, lacking the energy or variation needed for repeated listens. While emotionally resonant, its heavy atmosphere doesn’t make an album you’d reach out for again, due to being a beautiful but burdensome work of art.

Vibe killer!! Probably just caught me at a bad time

Not sure how I would describe the music. It wasn't great but it wasn't terrible

2 - really not my thing did not like, but great composition and production so not a 1

Hyvää laulantaa, mutta ei tee mieli kuunnella toistamiseen. Ei minua varten nämä Slovakia.

Beautiful and annoying at the same time..beautifully crafted songs ruined by awful singing and awful harmonies. Bleh

Did absolutely nothing for me, but at least I have a name to go with that voice now.

Decaffeinated album. It tries to be emotional but doesn't quite get there for me. Seems almost like a 35min song because it is so monotonous. The voice of the guy is pretentious as hell. Not a single word without vibrato. Poor effort though.

2 I feel like this woman walked so Hozier could run. Anyway, much like Hozier’s music, this didn’t really speak to me at all. I suppose Anohni is a good singer and musician from an objective point of view, but her performance just feels soooooo overdramatic and saccharine to me. I get the impression that she’s probably the kind of person that takes herself and her art way too seriously, and that translates to me in the music, to the point where I’m kind of just annoyed listening to it. The best parts of this album are far and away the guest features - Boy George, Rufus Wainwright (who I initially thought was Thom Yorke), and the man himself, Lou Reed. Each absolutely kills it on their respective song, but I gotta say, Lou Reed’s feature felt incredibly wasted. It’s a six-minute track and Lou was only given the first verse to sing? Who decided that? Not going to lie, it kind of killed the rest of the song for me. Anyway, I definitely wouldn’t call this album bad, but it’s really not my kind of thing.

Possibly the most irritating voice I've ever heard. Like a more irritating Sam Smith. The music in the background is pretty straightforward, though a bit dull. The VOICE though. The NOISE. It's like he heard someone doing vibrato and tried to copy it instead of training to do it.

Some weird ass shit

Not my favorite vibe or subject matter, but there are a couple songs that were okay.

tragic in every way

No

Not for me. Warbly. I remember when the first two albums came out and I tried to get into Antony and the Johnsons based on critical reviews. The honest highlight for me our the horns on the last minute of "Fistful of Love"

Not into the marbling voice

I coudn't stand his voice. Each every song have this weird vibratio that couldn't let me focus on lyrics and instrumental.

I heard more Boy George influence than Lou Reed. And I know I don't want to hear this again.

Piola

The vocalist sounds like he's trying to channel Tiny Tim and Thom Yorke, and sing in a serious manner. Maybe I would have enjoyed this more if the singer didn't overemphasize the vibrato. The cover is also incredibly creepy, a woman in her deathbed? Yikes. Way too depressing. Next.

157/1001 🌕🌗🌑🌑🌑

Not my favorite

I’m sorry I could not do this voice

Nah, you’re alright cheers. This is definitely an acquired taste.

Don't know what to think... One side of me says "this is contrived" The other side of me says "this is forced" That leaves me in the middle saying to both my sides "that's the same, you idiots" Hearing Lou's voice for a second was nice, and it even gave me hope for a second that I would find a killer song on this album, and then there was no more Lou. There are some songs that are pretty good, however, the voice... If you would get a crooner to sing these songs, you'd probably have a solid 4* album, but this voice... 2**

Moody and melancholy. Not for me. Just kind of a drag.

Great voice but not my thing.

Djeezes, wat een kutstem. Fistful of love was nog oké. Maar meh, hoger dan een 1.8 gaat het niet worden.

Took itself way too seriously but also that voice felt like a prank was being played on me. Just seems like a generic attempt at an artsy album.

Another band I've never heard of. Surprised to learn that they are from NYC. Clear to me why they never made it in the US. Most of this album is maudlin and depressing. The lead singer does have a very good voice but the overall feel is just so dour. That said, there was one song that I thought was great -- by far the best on the album -- "Fistful of Love". I never need to hear the rest of this again.

Guys voice is quite annoying, some songs are alright though

Nah

The music is really good, sometimes quite sombre though. However, the vibrato on most of the vocals is way over the top and grates rather than adding to the music.

This one's just kinda boring. I was thinking of giving it a 3 since it was just alright, but then I realized I couldn't remember a single song.

Like James Blake if you gave his voice more vibrato and he had less interesting production

I really couldn't get into this album. It sounded like it was trying to be poignant and deep, but the layered vocals and melodramatic lyrics just seemed a bit amateurish. It won an award, so I guess someone must have liked it quite a bit. The songs made no sense.

I liked the songs but not the singer

This album has a lot of meaning and emotion behind it, but judging it on a purely music level it's okay. To me they remind me of songs that some one with a sob story would sing on American Idol or something, and I hate singing competitions. A lot of the songs sound the same too, but the album is short so it isn't too bad. Also the guitar tone during the guitar solo on fistful of love is terrible. 2.5

There are some moments in here that I dig, but overall, this is very much not for me. 2/5

Bloody fuck this was annoying, voice is kinda all over the place and just warrbles, piano is fine....and probably the best part of it.

I didn’t gel with this album. I found the vocal performance and playing to be good but the actual songs to be incredibly boring. If someone told me they liked this album I could understand but to me it was a snooze-fest.

the music is ok, but the vocals… this guys has WAY too much vibrato in his voice. i can’t. i just can’t.

Ouch! Music, writing, vocals, are all bad and there's no redeeming instrumentation. There's just no reason to cue this up. The Hujar photo is the best thing the album offers!

I remember them winning the Mercury and seeing her playing live but it didn’t make an impression other than her distinctive presence. This just doesn’t gel for me. And the vocals are insufferable

Looking to sob in the shower, fully clothed? Or perhaps just walk straight into the ocean, but you don’t have a playlist for that? Well have I got an album for you…

I enjoyed some of the arrangements on this album...but hate to say the singer's voice took me out of what could have potentially been a nice listen. Another reviewer mentioned vibrato (I think the exact term they used was VIBRAAATOOOO) and I couldn't get that out of my head the entire time. Just too much for me. 1.75/5

Very unique voice. Interesting but probably won't listen again.

Nope sorry these vocals just grate on me too much, I just can’t get past them to appreciate the rest of the album,

Very weird and not in a good way. Some of it is ok, but the rest is just not for me.

the music is pretty cool throughout. unfortunately, the lead singer uses this awful, distracting vibrato the entire time and makes it virtually unlistenable. the only songs not BAD are the one fast one that doesn’t give the opportunity to vibrato and the one that is sung by a different person

Interesting album, and I can understand why it’s on the list. However, listening to that vibrating voice for such a long time - every song on the album - almost drives me crazy. So I cannot give more than two stars. With more diversity - not least wrt singing - this could have been a good and interesting album.

huh..

meh. 2 stars.

2 didn’t resonate with me personally but I could see how others would connect with it. The vocals weren’t my favorite but they weren’t as bad as most the reviews say

i liked the first song, it was cool, the harmonies gave me chills at the end. but the rest was just... alright. very samey, and none of it is really my thing.

Säregen röst men blir lite tröttsamt att lyssna på i längden.

i somehow made it through because the arrangements were decent. That voice though, sounded like nails on a chalkboard.

This is not for me. Albums like these are really the reason I'm going through the list in the first place, but I absolutely cannot stand the vocals. Unfortunately there's very little going on besides the vocals. Somehow the shortest album I've heard in a long time seemed to go on forever.

Frankly, I’m not crazy about the genre music. However, this dude‘s voice is amazing. This dude has some pipes!

OK, not my favorite

Antony and the Johnson’s I Am a Bird Now is incredibly boring. On not one did I care to listen deeply, and I was constantly annoyed by her voice on every track. The one thingI could say I liked were the outros on the songs, especially Bird Girl, which has a beautiful piano playing. All in all, I Am a Bird Now is a bad album. Best Song:Hope There's Someone Worst Song: Spiraling (with Devendra Benhart)

The voice was nice and the meaning in the lyrics was deep but it was so repetitive. Repetition in each song and even between songs the lyrics seemed the same. After looking the band up I saw that the lead singer had history as a performance artist and that tracks with the vibe of the music (to me). Not something I will be listening to again anytime soon.

Not my cup of tea really

Some of the lyrics are intriguing.. particularly on For Today I Am A Boy we hear Anohni openly musing on gender identity a full decade before she transitioned. I didn't enjoy this though, the vocals really grate and they're the main feature really

Not a big fan of his voice, too much vibrato for me.

The piano saved it from being a 1 star

Another day, another album I simply did not need to listen to before I died. This album had a lot of things that I really dislike about alternative/indie music. The lyrics, for instance, made little to no sense for many of the songs. You can try and pretend that they're mysterious or profound or that maybe I just don't understand but seriously has nobody thought that maybe, just maybe, they're just nonsensical? I mean what was the meaning of the last song "Bird Girl"? No sense. Also I could not stand this fool's voice. Good Lord the amount of vibrato was just obscene. If this had been a solely instrumental track this would be an easy 4 maybe even a 5. But it isn't so this gets a 2.

oh for fucks sake, cheer up lad

This album had its moments for me, but overall I’m not a fan. I support her and all she stands for, but just don’t care for her music that much. That being said, I am glad others do!

I liked the first track ("Hope There's Someone") and was optimistic for the rest, but it started to feel repetitive and grating.

This stinks. This person’s voice is super annoying. I was really tempted to give this album my first 1, but there is some nicely arranged piano on here, which gets it a 1.75, which I’ll round to 2.

Vibrato: The Musical This is a really bold album to release in 2005. A time when being part of the LGBTQ community could get you ostracized. They don't hide anything in their lyrics. "For today I am a boy" straight up tells what they want. I enjoyed a few songs on here. "Fist Full of Love" was great, but as an overall album it's not my favorite.

But s fan of the vibe. Music is okay?

Reminded me a little of Nina Simone. Haunting but not my vibe.

I would probably have never listened to this if it wasnt for this album, but good lord....hard to get through after a stressful day

I admire their lyrics and ground breaking but didn’t connect to the music

Não tinha no deezer, a experiência de ouvir no youtube é bem precária. E as músicas não me empolgaram.

Really enjoying this music but struggling to get past the singer's voice. It's not that I hate his voice, but the constant vibrato hurts and his pitch is slightly missing the target. And since it's *just* off, it feels really noticeable. It feels like a very deliberate choice because the backing vocals are solid, but it's just really hard to get past

Music is good, voice is terrible.

It seems pretty I guess, but I hated nearly every second of actually listening to it

Album no. 7/1001. Probably significant for people who relate to it, but not my thing. Lyrically too earnest and repetitive.

If you want to drone someone to death, play this album. Most of the songs sound exactly the same and draaaaaaag out for what feels like an eternity. I understand that there is an audience and I can understand why this album hits home some some people. Unfortunately I will take a back seat and gladly let others enjoy being vibrated into the next century but the ever ending vibrato. There is only one song on the album that sounds different and I genuinely enjoyed the wind instruments and arrangements of piano and strings. But I could just not get past the lyrics and vocals of this easily forgotten album. Giving two stars for the instruments.

Begon erg slecht, ben er uiteindelijk wel een beetje naar gaan luisteren. Klonk niet heel slecht

Pretty hard to listen to. One of those albums that would have been better as a book of poetry or something. The subject matter seems fairly unique so I kind of understand its place on this list, but I'll never listen again.

Brazy... låtarna är kinda tråkiga och vocalsen är inte min grej

Not a fan of the "album as therapy" approach. Not music - more like the artist is dealing with their own personal issues. Depressing and upsetting to listen to, and I guess that was the intent. Not my cup of tea.

The voice was interesting and soothing at times. Weird lyrics. Wasn't terribly too into it, though.

Too painful. Too many vibratos. Not really my thing.

Odd: I wasn't expecting some opera like vocals on any album at all on this list. Wasn't the biggest fan but it was definitely something different which I love to hear. Everything else in comparison felt a little washed out and weak. Could've been better balanced.

I wanted to like it, but her voice was just too grating, and I had trouble understanding some of the lyrics.

Does the woman on the cover remind anyone else of Shaye St. John?

ouff c'est vraiment mélancholique on dirait. Et c'est vrai. Beaucoup de vibrato... 2.5

Schöne Melodie, aber die Stimme geht gar nicht.

ugh. I don't hate this music here and can even appreciate that it's pretty difficult to consistently do that quiver in his voice the entire album. But the sound itself just isn't for me man, there was maybe one or two songs I enjoyed near the end of the album but as a whole the project was a swing and a miss. I appreciate the swing attempt though. 4/10

good songs, but I can't get past the voice

I'm sure there were some good lyrics in here, but I just couldn't get past the unusual kermit-y tone of the vocalist. Sorry Kermit!

I can't deal with the tremulous voice.

On the way to work

I gave this a good go but it didn’t get any better for me although the second listen was slightly more palatable. Only 2*

I was unfamiliar with this artist/album, so I read through some of the comments before listening. Just about every one mentioned the vocalist’s vibrato…. And/or their “annoying voice”. And now I get it. Not my thing. I’ll call it a constant, distinct warble, excessive vibrato. The album’s sound is lush and clean, very good sound. Piano and strings dominate. That said, the songs are quite “down”; dirge like. Certainly maudlin. My favorite part of this album is the cover photo of Candy Darling, but even that sets the tone, as it is “on her deathbed”. Overall, this is a real downer of an album. I can respect it without liking it. 2/5

Wanted to like it. One song at a time is. ok, but after 3 songs I just want to listen to something else.

Um álbum ok, mas muito aquém de outros que estou acostumado.

I don't know what I expected, but it wasn't this. 2.5/5

I didn't like this, but I can see the artistic value here.

I get the appeal, this is music I could listen to but the vocals were so annoying! The vibrato was at an 11 and I would be looking for something in the 0-3 range. The guest vocals only magnified this point of view and had me thinking that this would be a nice album if only it were sung by a different artist or artists.

Meh.

frankly boring

didn't like the beginning, enjoyed the middle a bit but the end was painful like the beginning.

That voice is just annoying.

Holy vibrato, Batman. Bordering on Tiny Tim levels of ridiculousness. There are some beautiful piano and string arrangements, but the vocals really detract from the experience for me. It's a bummer, because a lot of the accompaniment are a ton of fun, particularly on "Fistful of Love". I really wanted to enjoy this more, but I think it's just not for me.

Vibrato, melodic songs with a underlying message. Found the vocalist a little grating, not something I would return to

Never heard of this particular musical group, or this album. I did notice right away that it wasn't included in the edition of the 1001 I'm working from. Either it was added later, or it was added then removed, or something, but without getting too pejorative, in general, if that is the scenario, it's usually the case that it was something that seemed pretty good at the time, but later didn't seem to add much. I thought the vocal delivery was too affected. I didn't think the record was bad, but it was very much not my cup of tea.

There's some talent and creativity here, but I can't get over the tone quality and vibrato.

There are some beautiful songs in this collection, but as an album it’s so slow that I found myself getting restless very early on.

Sounds like depression So sad… sad face emoji :(

What in the fluttery fluff

I don't know how to score things like this. Chamber music, very odd vocals, felt out of its time. Wouldn't listen again.

Didn't finish it. I do like the trills of the singer's voice but this generally didn't sink its claws into me.

Didn't stick but I will return for a second listen, no songs I immediately liked but think a couple were interesting enough for a second listen.

This came out when I was in college and made some waves among the choir kids. Some of the songs are hauntingly beautiful, but they are just singing outside of their range.

Hoo boy. That was not my cup of tea. The trilling baritone and the dirge-like pace of the music just grated on me. I couldn’t wait for this to be over.

Dear lord. This couldn't end fast enough. Not my bag for sure. It's like if Grace Slick and Joni Mitchel had a baby that liked to sing letters people wrote to their dead pets. The songs are written well enough, so it gets a star for that.

I can see the artistic appeal, but Antony's vibratto is too much for me. This isn't an album I would consider returning to.

Dit is niet echt gejengel waar ik van hou. Moet ook bekennen dat ik hem niet helemaal afgeluisterd heb, misschien nog eens proberen ooit.

som melodramático, pra quem curte se afundar

Great singer, especially the vibrato, very operatic, especially with the baroque-style strings and woodwinds. Hearing some Thom Yorke in there. Also hearing some motown influence in tracks like "Fistful of Love." But I don't care so much for an album of piano ballads with boring, slow, simple melodies. Favorites: Hope There's Someone, My Lady Story, Fistful of Love

God this is boring. So dreary and inmemorable.

Seems technically skilled, but not my taste with rounds and shit.

Tiene algún temita, pero bastante aburrido y no es la gran cosa.

I actually liked this once upon a time. I was a sensitive youth once...

The songs are lovely, but I can't handle the throaty vibrato inflicted on every single lyric that hangs for more than a moment.

Omg, I'm in American Idol hopeful hell with these vocals. The lyrics are disturbingly dark but the gentle treatment they've been given doesn't help to serve their purpose. It’s boring and reeks of disingenuous posturing.

It's at the low end of ok.

This was just absolutely not for me. I can’t say it’s bad, but I’ll be happy to never listen to it again.

Uncontrolled warbling is my least favourite style of singing - it's like having a goat in my headphones. At least this album is short. Pretty songs, shame about the voice.

I Am a Bird Now isn't for me, it's interesting with subtle arrangements and a rare voice but not actually good. A bit dull once the curiosity fades. 2.

Yes a bit. Got bored with it.

Hate his voice

Muzyka nawet ładna, ale głos niestety mocno irytujący.

Just not for me, very slow and quiet and not much happening.

2/3

What in the world why

Sanat ihanat ja tunnelma kaunis ja rauhoittava, mutta laulajan määkimistä en sietänyt silloin, kun tää oli tosi suosittu, enkä näköjään siedä vieläkään.

Been a while since I wanted an album to get to the end this badly.

Beautiful but too tragic for me

Really don't like this voice.

this is just not for me. the voice gets really grading over time and the whole project feels really pretentious. that being said, the production on this thing is beautiful and makes it worth a casual listen.

paras transu konsepti album tähän mennessä. miellekästä musiikkia, pianon pimputus (heh) on tunnokasta... vokaalit vähän vituttaa (indie-esque) pioneeriesque laulu tyyli hope there's someone

Great voice. Boring.

Moderne singer/sognwriter, følsomt pop, akustisk klaver og tonsvis af vibrato

Really struggled to get past the annoying voice on what could otherwise have likely been a decent album :(

Oh boy. This was something. The music itself is not bad at all. The vocals are love em' or hate em' and I definitely hate em' I get it. I mean I'm a Tom Waits guy and I listen to a lot of punk and metal. Listening to "bad vocals" is nothing new to me. I just can't endure this .If the lyrics weren't so beautiful I'd probably laugh out loud at the vocals. I'm sorry. I can see why someone would absolutely love this, but I'm just not on board. I hope Anhony (as I believe they now go by) is living a wonderful life.

morose and whiny themes of identity and sexuality within a truly off-putting combination of Tracy Chapman and Tiny Tim. Glad I listened to this but it didn't resonate for me.

This one didn't leave me with much of an impression - solid instrumentals and decent vocals, but not enough melodic impact for me to return to.

Not really for me.

The music is beautiful and the message is important given how the singer is trans... but fuck the voice is just so grating. My least favourite works on here are albums with vocals I can't stand and unfortunately that is the case here. I cannot stand the vocals.

Not bad, but not for me.

Did not enjoy this. Vocals is just whining or boring

The vibrato thing really ruined so much of this.

The music sounds good, especially the piano which is a standout, though overall it is somewhat simple and repetitive. The lyrics are personal, as ripped from a diary, but it is too personal, at least to me. The thing that brings it down for me is his voice. It feels as though he is trying too hard. The comparisons to Nina Simone have some ground, but he is far from her level.

A pretty odd album lyrically but it sounded okay. I didn’t find the music that interesting. The singer had a good voice though and it seemed similar to the antlers. Don’t think I’d revisit this one. 3.8/10

Dismal' horrible vocals, whiney, found it difficult to listen to the whole album

Stimme ist anstrengend. Generell ist das alles sehr theatralisch und irgendwann schwer zu ertragen.

Was not into the vocals at all. Weird vibrato

The songs and arrangements are sad and beautiful. Her voice is cool -so much vibrato ( but too much for me after a while). I really liked hearing Rufus Wainwright sing a song in the middle of the album. Tough one to rate - I feel like I would’ve been into it more if I heard it in 2005. It definitely gave me a nostalgic feeling - I listened to a lot of sad music in 2005 haha. Another tough one to rate 2.5.

Powerful but I didn't really like it.

Not a fan. Dreary and boring.

Kind of weird voice, slow piano music, almost old timey sounding. Would have to give it more listens

What exactly am I listening to? Couldn't tell if it is a dude or a woman...either way, there are times when I really don't like the voice... other times it is fine... for me, it is a nice album, but if I never heard it again, I think I'd be ok.... 2.5/5

Not for me

About as depressing (melancholical) as the cover would suggest. I was about to turn it off after the first track, but it got a bit better. I didn't really like the effect of a "skipping CD" on the second track and lightly on others. Overall personally didn't enjoy it all that much unfortunately.

This honestly sucks, but I'm giving it 2 stars because I guess it's meaningful to some people?

Started off intriguing and different but quickly collapsed into irritating self-indulgent nonsense

I found the singers voice really offputting: so breathy, husky and with vibrato on everything. I ended up just listening to how much I disliked it, rather than to music. This was most apparent, when there was a lovely Rufus Wainwright sounding track in the middle all of a sudden.

erm. not sure

dramatic asf

Nope

Tolles Vibrato, aber dafür hätte es diese Platte nicht gebraucht, oder? Musikalisch größtenteils uninteressant.

Didn't like this at the time when it won the Mercury (I was team Bloc Party!) but on reflection, it's aged a lot better than the indie landfill of that era. This type of arty, baroque pop isn't really my thing but it was decent enough.

Can't do the vocals.

Nice. I'd like to hear this one again. 2/5

C’est différent et pareil en même temps. La façon de chanter est particulière, tout comme la façon d’organiser les tounes. Par contre, c’est encore du foutu I-V-VI-IV qu’on essaie même pas de cacher. Aussi, la façon de chanter semble être un truc pour masquer une mélodie inexistente (Bird Ghul). On dirait qu’il/elle ne sait pas quelle note viser, alors il/elle fait un truc flou qui tourne autour. Finalement, you are my sister... Quessé ça ??? Au final, je suis content que ça existe et de l’avoir écouté. Je l’aime mieux comme artiste invité comme sur la toune de Bjork mettons.

I've heard some music from Antony and the Johnsons, but never a full album. "Fistful of Love" was my favorite track from the album, but I couldn't handle the warble in the vocals. The music is good, but the vocals would make me skip listening to this album again. I think the warble was enough to keep me from rounding up to a full 3 stars.

Han har en härlig röst Antony men ett ganska tråkigt album

I don't get it ... Yet, this won the Mercury Prize for best UK album of 2005? OK. Giving it a 2 b/c I don't want to seem completely ignorant.

First couple of tracks were solid. Kind of a Fiona Apple meets Tiny Tim vibe. 2.3.

Alku kuulosti lupaavalle, mutta siihen sitten se jäikin. Saattais sopia hetkeen kun ympäripäissään rikkoo viimeisen olutpullon kävelymatkalla rannalta kotiin...

Nyt vasta tajusin ku en eilen illalla saanu unta, et ois pitäny tää laittaa soimaan. Aikas mitäänsanomaton, mut ei megaskeidaa kuitenkaan

Boring

liveblogging this one... track 1 - oh god, THAT's why i know this name. i can't stand this guy's voice...and i've got another 32 minutes left. at least it's a short album track 2 - oh god track 3 - oh god track 4 - oh god track 5 - is it over yet? track 6 - is that rufus wainwright? (as it happens, yes) track 7 - lou fucking reed?? track 8 - oh god, there are two of them now? (in fairness, i do kinda like devendra banhart, but...i mean, come on...) track 9 - oh god track 10 - this is different, at least aaaanndd...that's a wrap. the best thing about this album was its length. for me, the worst thing was probably everything else. i know he'll have his fans, but i am clearly not one of them, and as much as i try to keep an open mind about this kinda thing...i just can't get past the fact that i hate his voice with a passion that lives and breathes, and will undoubtedly outlive me. sorry, anthony.

I looked at the reviews and thought "this couldn't be that bad, I enjoy these genres" and then I heard his voice, and within 5 seconds I understood that I was going to be tortured for a half hour.

J'ai pas compris l'album.

Baroque pop? Chamber pop? WTH?!

Het klagerige gejammer dat voor zang moet doorgaan. De drang om op elke noot een vibrato te zetten om daarmee de luisteraar te proberen overtuigen dat hij er bewust voor kiest om geen toon te kunnen houden. De pretentieuze muziek van een stel conservatorium studenten met grootheidswaanzin. De tenenkrullende teksten vol millennial angst die mij vergeefs proberen te overhalen dat deze navelstaarderij op een of andere manier diepzinnig , interessant of zelfs maar mijn tijd waard is… Het enige op deze plaat waar ik niet virulent het schijt van krijg zijn de stiltes tussen de nummers. Die mochten wat langer zijn.

How incredibly boring.

A slow, warbily album about being trans? That’s a no for me dawg.

I don't think the music itself is bad, or even the singing STYLE, but that voice is absolutely horrendous.

I was pretty miserable. This was one of the easiest 1 stars I’ve given throughout this project. My favorite part was where it was Rufus Wainwright singing. Rating: 1.3

Soulful, melancholy vocals, minimal accompaniment.

Malo

Imagine having the confidence/arrogance/delusion to sing like that and release it as an album. Absolute dog toffee.

That falsetto was intolerable

Meh

Not for me. 1/5

Quit playing. 1.

Good singing, but voice is hard to get into. Also gay. Couldn't listen to whole album.

Better than Mariah Carey’s bullshit but not by much. Woof. One of the most boring things I’ve ever heard.

Sounds like an over dramatic ghost singing. Did not like this.

re creepy wtf no

голос не подобається

An incredible pile of excrement. Heard before ❌️ Listened this time ✅️ really not much Revisit ❌️ Default ★☆☆☆☆ (2/10) Total reviewed : 330 Already owned : 76 Purchased : 15 To buy : 4 Nope : 235

Sad guy with piano. Fistful of love only ok song.

Dreadful. Every aspect of this album is miserable.

this was so not my thing…. I didn’t finish it

++: Fistful of Love +: What Can I Do?, Free at Last +-: Man Is the Baby, You Are my Sister, Bird Gerhl -: My Lady Story, For Today I Am a Boy, Spiralling --: Hope There's Someone 3,2/10

there is nothing that this album gives me

Maudlin warbling.

almost seemed like a joke

DNF. Couldn’t handle the vibrato.

This is ridiculous.

Listened to one song, skipped through a couple and gave up half way. Vibrato is too much and vocals are just grating. Not for me.

Virkelig ikke for meg, intetsigende og forferdelig kjedelig

not my thing 1/5

Essential ? Dysmorphic. this is horrific.

The instrumentation is pleasant enough, but my first thought is that this voice sounds really annoying, like a kettle on the stove that no one will remove. If I want to hear warbling I'll go outside and listen to birds from the animal kingdom. Then track 2 begins and that annoying voice is there and I realize that this is going to be a long morning. The songs might be poignant, but I cannot get past the annoyance of the sound of that vocal performance. Third track, and I realize I am not going to make it through the whole album. Sorry, this might be self-affirming but it sounds like shit.

Wow, what an annoying voice. Vibrato is an ornamentation, not a way of life smh. This is an album you must *not* listen to.

- Too slow for my liking - Crooning and not very melodic, not to my taste at all!

I can't fault the instrumentals for being all that bad, but that voice was nails on a chalkboard to me personally. Not my style at all

dit was vervelend van eerste tot laatste noot... zelfs geen zin gehad om teksten te bekijken,

Beautiful lyrics, everything else sucked

Wow, I couldn't decide whether the awful off-kilter piano on the first track was worse than the terrible singing or not. Much of the album continues in this vein. At least the album was relatively short. 1 star album.

His voice is annoying. It’s a no for me dog

Maybe I just don’t get it, but this didn’t connect with me at all. Won’t listen again.

This is awful.

Ei mitä helvettiä

No<3

This album is a coin toss between terrible singing and terrible everything else. No idea how it survived the cut for 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. Those editors were way too generous, if they'd stuck to 500, I wouldn't be sitting here listening to this mess. Less than 100 albums in, and roughly 30% are already one-star disasters in my book.

One of my most disliked albums so far. Excessively melodramatic lyrics, the vocals are a chore to listen to, making 35 mins feel much longer

Genuinely could not make it through more than 3 songs of this because I hate Antony’s wiggly voice so much, sorry

Just awful. This must be #1001.

God this is bad.

So the quaverying, warbly vocal style is . . . oof, not a fan of that, made this hard going. Fistful Of Love was a solid jam, saved this for me. Not that I'll listen again mind you.

Terrible!

Oh for fuck sake. A New York mercury prize winning clever clever band with a stupid name on this list. And this after REM. There was a friend of mine on murder The judges gavel fell Jury found him guilty Gave him 16 years in hell He said I ain’t wasting my life here I ain’t livin alone Ain’t breaking no rocks on no chain gang I’m busting out and heading home Gonna make a jail break Look into the sky Gonna make a jail break Oh I wish I could fly All in the name of liberty See he’d seen his wife had been messin With another man She was down and he was up Had a gun in his hand Bullets started flying everywhere People started to scream Big man lying on the floor With a hole in his body where his life had been Heartbeat It was racing Freedom he was chasing Sirens Spotlights But he made it out. With a bullet in his back. That one song is worth 500 of this album. At least. Fuck it right off and keep it fucked off

I found this really disturbing. I don't like having to experience something like this. That voice comes from my childhood nightmares, I never want to hear it again. I wish I could erase that experience.

#848. Thanks, I hate it. 1/5: nah

Manchmal ist auch gut mit Vibrato, hier aber irgendwie nich

Why the fuck is this incessant warbling considered anywhere near a 1001 top album list? Dreadful noise, doesn't deserve the 1 star it will get.

No

A little slow. I can tell the singing is good but it's kinda like the Eurovision songs I tend to skip.

The was awful. No thanks

This album was garbage. The music wasn't interesting and the singers voice and lyrics were subpar at best. There are better trans artists out there to put on the list if was included to try to be inclusive or an ally.

Tried to be deep but ended up being bland.

There are some albums that are purposely terrible, or difficult. Think Lou Reed's Metal Machine Music, Captain Beefheart, Frank Zappa, the No Wave movement, etc. Their purpose to challenge the listener. They may be hard to listen to, almost impossible, but they make a statement . "I can see what they are doing. This might be art." This album however seems earnestly terrible. The off-key warbling, the plinking chamber-folk. It's very difficult to listen to. Maybe it is art and I just don't get it.

🤨, guy sucks, have yet to see music post 2000 that actually deserves to be in this list

Really struggled with his voice and the songs were so insipid. Very little life and frankly depressing. More like I Am a Turd Now.

At first I thought what an unusual voice, then I thought when will the album end! Thankfully there were only 10 tracks on the album 🤯

Meh

Some nice melodies, but holy God, the campiness factor is song annoying, creepy and cringy. I couldn't stand these vocals at all

Ca aurait pu être juste médiocre si ce n'était pour cette voix absolument insupportable.

Out of 1001 albums, this ranks 1001

Oof. I'm sorry ears. Ok, so the vocals are just weird. "What Can I Do?" is perhaps the highlight of the album, as it has different lead vocals and this singer sounds a but like the dude from The Fray. But...the other songs are sung with such breathy, falsetto vibrato as to be distracting. The primary lead singer has an almost theatrical quality (for an off-off-OFF Broadway show) and honestly would not make it past the first round of auditions on American Idol. Does it havesome beautiful piano and instrumentation? Yes, but that's not enough to salvage the album in my view. iTunes classifies it as alternative which made me excited when I saw that because generally that's a genre I prefer, but alas. "Free At Last" is just a minute of someone talking about telling Jesus they're FREE AT YAST while a Morse Code operator works diligently in the background. (I didn't listen closely enough but I'd bet dollars to doughnuts he's tapping out a frantic S-O-S signal.) Try to avoid if possible. Don't believe me? Play "Spiraling" first and save yourself the trouble of the full listen.

I really don't see the appeal in this one. The instrumentation is boring, the melodies are too subtle for my liking, and on top of this a singing style that sounds like an out of tune siren. The themes and vibe is supposed to be laidback and reflective, but unfortunately the singing detracts from the intended effect.

Terrible. Couldn't even make it through the entire thing.

I love Martha Wainwright but cannot stand Rufus’s voice! So when he appeared on this Album I was out. I find it difficult to get past the voice, tone, timbre, vibrato, and broken falceto. Also, the music is more depressing than beautiful which is a drag for someone who like disco! Once is enough for this lot

1/5 After reading a few of the reviews, I won't even bother listening to this and just go straight to the rating. And the wiki doesn't make this album better. If this guy's a bird, he might be an annoying pigeon. Good for this group that their album climbed a decent bit in the UK charts, but P16 is still P16. Another proof that shit will float if you water it down enough.

Pass

Ugh. This is some arthouse bullshit. She wants to be Lou Reed so bad but can't sing without the dumb warbling vibrato.