Antony and the Johnsons: The Crying Light (2009)

Although I’m here to heap further praise at the feet of Antony Hegarty, he doesn’t need my help, having already gained support from the cognoscenti at the intersection of avant-garde and popular music (David Tibet, Björk, Lou Reed, etc.). For the most part, his music would be filed under the “easy listening” category, populated by gentle piano and light symphonics. Yet Hegarty’s spooky, wavering voice elevates him over your standard sensitive minstrel, along with the haunted demeanor of his songs, which often blur gender lines and speak of loss and longing in doomed romantic tones. His latest album with his band the Johnsons is not really a rocked-up departure, despite the soothing pulse of percussion on tracks like “Kiss My Name” and “Aeon.” It is, however, a less ponderous set than he’s offered in the past, with Hegarty’s lush, fluttering vocal melodies taking the fore in standouts like “Epilepsy is Dancing,” “One Dove,” “Daylight and the Sun” and “Another World,” the latter previously heard on the 2008 EP of the same name. For fey art songs, the material offered on The Crying Light is surprisingly engaging and rich with personality. Its stark, surreal beauty echoes its strikingly bizarre cover image, which depicts Japanese butoh legend Kazuo Ohno (the album is dedicated to him).

“Aeon” (“Late Show with David Letterman,” 2/19/09)

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