A Most Interesting Voice
I’m fairly certain that Antony and Johnsons–and singer Antony Hegarty in particular–will never need to worry about becoming pop superstars. Their songs opine melancholy without the slightest hint of popish hooks. But they’re also completely unforgettable, if not brilliant. Hegarty in particular casts a mesmerizing spell, a vibrating viola of a voice, both strange and beautiful.
In recent years, Hegarty had been cultivating a partnership with Bjork. A cameo appearance on “Dull Flame of Desire” from her last album Volta saved the CD from sinking further into the Bjork-gets-weirder bin. Now, in 2010, Johnson highlights a rising cache in the art music world with a fantastic new release called Swanlights. Is it a reference to Bjork’s famed Oscar Swan outfit? Doubtful, but the reigning Diva of Iceland returns the favor with another duet. NPR is hosting a free preview of the CD in its entirety for the next few weeks.
