I Am A Bird Now

It has been one of the most boring weeks for entertainment since The Wasteland began, with everything I've done being a repeat of things already in the archives... I have gone back to a bit more reading - which is good, and I'll write up the reviews after I've finished each of the four books I've had on the go. In the meantime the only original thing to comment on is the Antony and the Johnsons Mercury Prize winning album I Am A Bird Now. I was curious about it rather than truly compelled to give it a listen and my view of it reflects that attitude. It is certainly unique and beautifully strange throughout its brief 35 minute running time, with Antony's voice a core of resonance and honest emotion. It is mostly reliant on standard blues and jazz themes that are tampered with in avant garde ways to create a moody and disturbing whole that changes your mind upon each listen. However, what points of beauty do exist are often negated by silliness or atonal nonsense that I can't find a reason to like. Equally, there just aren't enough stand out tracks to make it a classic in any sense - what it is is much as I expected: a quirky novelty that may inspire imitation and definitely deserves respect, but will never be the first album you reach for on any occasion. 6.5/10 Kx