I Am A Bird Now is a beautiful, emotive, glorious, and sometimes sinister album that will top many a critic's list come the end-of-year polls, and justifiably so.
A scintillating album that ushers you into its mournful, gender-blurring world.
Whereas Antony and The Johnsons was a stark, chilling affair that was arresting and perhaps a little disconcerting, this album is a shining beacon of hope and healing amidst ceaseless pangs of heartache and loss.
The mingling of friends is a treat but, heart in his hand, Antony can more than ably go it alone-- even though he spends so much of I Am A Bird Now fearing solitude and celebrating those rare perfect connections.
Even in duets with Rufus Wainwright and Boy George, Antony is the dominant voice of solitude and agonized waiting.
Antony and the Johnsons’s I Am a Bird Now takes us on a morbid journey from confusion to comfort.
It's a testament to Anohni's skill as a writer and arranger that these guest appearances are completely devoid of pretense, and while each artist is reverent to the source material, it's still Anohni's show, as the most powerful moments on I Am a Bird Now are hers.
For what it lacks in consistency, I Am A Bird Now gains in being, even at its most tedious of moments, an interesting and thematically compelling listen.
For any gay, bi, pan, trans, non-binary etc. person reading this review, I wish you a very happy pride month and I advise you not to let anyone talk down to you based on who you love, or how you choose to express yourself. Those people are just stubborn jackasses who refuse to accept change.
Anyway, this album is fucking beautiful. Anohni has one of the most powerful voices I've ever heard, and it is a very engaging journey that we take with her on this album, as she yearns to be free from her ... read more
This album is a profoundly important document of pain, sadness and loneliness. Anohni's vocals are the centerpiece of this album but her voice is bolstered by rich, yet sparse instrumentation. These songs are exceptionally beautiful because at their core, they are so honest and so human.
Absolutely hauntingly vulnerable and beautiful.
Favorite Songs: My Lady Story / For Today I Am a Boy / Fistful of Love / Bird Gerhl
Utterly gorgeous. This is a stunning album with beautiful vocals, emotional narrative, and incredible power. The more you listen to it, the more it just 'makes sense'.
1 | Hope There's Someone 4:21 | 96 |
2 | My Lady Story 3:33 | 88 |
3 | For Today I Am a Boy 2:36 | 88 |
4 | Man Is the Baby 4:09 | 87 |
5 | You Are My Sister 3:59 | 91 |
6 | What Can I Do? 1:40 | 89 |
7 | Fistfull of Love 5:51 | 95 |
8 | Spiralling 4:25 | 90 |
9 | Free at Last 1:36 | 85 |
10 | Bird Gerhl 3:14 | 94 |
#4 | / | NME |
#5 | / | Pitchfork |
#6 | / | Slant Magazine |
#8 | / | No Ripcord |
#22 | / | Gigwise |
#28 | / | SPIN |
#33 | / | Rolling Stone |