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Antony And The Johnsons: Another World [Album Review]

Antony And The Johnsons

After Antony Heggarty’s involvement in the phenomenal Hercules And Love Affair release from earlier this year, one might expect his more personal project to perhaps alter course. But Another World, for the most part, continues down the same path as earlier works, like I Am A Bird Now and the groups self-titled release. And that commonality is the stripped-down Heggarty on vocals with a melodramatic backing piano and string accompaniment.

As a whole, Another World is solid and short. It is more an EP than anything else. Androgynous as ever, Heggarty’s voice is about as unique as it gets; it can be a difficult one to appreciate, especially in a near a cappella track like “Shake That Devil”.

Yet it is here that Heggarty’s backing instrumentation takes a different and refreshing twist–it’s experimental and drone-y in the first half before a prominent, almost jazzy drum kicks in at the midpoint (the soulful sax and backup vocalists simply emphasize this point). On second thought, title track “Another World” also has a hint of drone, but it’s minimal. “Sing For Me” returns to the signature piano and strings.

Overall, the album is soothing. Were it not for the midpoint in “Shake That Devil” and the prominent though minimal drones in “Another World”, it wouldn’t be much of a feat. But those two songs make Another World interesting, if not intriguing.

Antony And The Johnsons: Another World [mp3]
[audio:1014_antony_and_the_johnsons_-_another_world.mp3|titles=Another World|artists=Antony And The Johnsons]

Another World by Antony And The Johnsons

Secretly Canadian [12″ LP, 2008]

1. Another World
2. Crackagen
3. Shake That Devil
4. Sing For Me
5. Hope Mountain

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