On first appearance, Antony Hegarty seemed a mentally tortured big friendly giant. Caught somewhere between hope and despair, from an outside perspective, he looked like a victim set for a world that can be cruel to a gentle soul. Yet, as we sat back and watched, Antony's work has moved from struggling with duality and transformation (I Am A Bird Now), to "landscape and future" (The Crying Light). Hot on the heels, Antony offers us here perhaps his most joyful sounding work, complete with a whole book, and a load more instruments!
Before we go much further let's rewind to 2004 when the American label, Secretly Canadian, re-released Antony and the Johnsons in America. Antony had already captured the attention of Lou Reed and work was underway on 2005's I Am A Bird Now. From the point of release, this second album not only received wide critical acclaim but picked up the Mercury Music Prize in what was (as always) something of a surprise. Thrusting Antony further into the spotlight, we waited another four years for the next full length, 2009's The Crying Light. Matched with equal critical acclaim, Antony (and colleagues) continued to carve their place in musical history. Having waited so long for the third album, the fourth is already here. So, a bit of a rush job? Anything but…
Joyous was never a word that should have been in this, but here it is. 'Thank You For Your Love' and 'I'm In Love', in particular, make Antony sound like the happiest man in the world. Chock-a-block with symphonic winds and parping brass (again, who'd have thought) these tracks deal with themes of affection, love and support ("and all my dreams they did come true / the day I laid my head on you"). 'Salt Silver Oxygen' also stands out, sounding ostensibly joyous whilst remaining lyrically challenging ("dancing with his casket / Christ becomes a wife").
Love Antony & the Johnsons but not sounding like your cup of tea? Then worry not, there are plenty of tracks here that plough through some previously furrowed ground. If one pops out as closest to the past then the sparsely instrumented 'The Spirit Was Gone' is most on the money. Antony's haunting vocal intensity drives contemplations upon death along, as both piano and gentle strings play a bit-part to demonstrations of his enchanting range.
Can this review end without mentioning the duet with Björk? Well no, obviously. 'Flétta' (interlaced) is a stormer of a track, in which the voices of Björk and Antony are beautifully woven around each other as they both sing in Icelandic set against a simply enchanting piano piece that is punctuated but an unexpected increase in tempo. Beautiful stuff.
Overall then? Tender, melodious and joyous Swanlights is filled with love for nature, and love for love. We can only imagine that the book will be just as enlightening, filled as it is with "…thought-provoking paintings, drawings, collages, photography and writings". Oh, and what does the word swanlights actually mean? We'll leave that one to Antony:
"It's the reflection of light on the surface of the water at night. It's the moment when a spirit jumps out of a body and turns into a violet ghost".
Well quite. What he said. - Matt Coxon
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