Favourite Albums Since 1977: Soda Blonde's Faye O'Rourke on Antony & The Johnsons' I Am A Bird Now

At the age of 13, I Am A Bird Now came to my attention after I found out my childhood obsession, Daniel Radcliffe, was listening to it. It changed how I listened to music entirely. The first thing that struck me was Antony’s voice and the soul-wrenchingly beautiful melodies he articulated with it. His vibrato and multi-octaval sound was so unique and alluringly tragic, the lyrics so painful and honest. I didn’t fully understand how it was making me feel but I needed to keep listening to it.

Piano and strings complement the principal element, which is the songwriting. Possibly close to perfection in its imperfection, I Am A Bird Now covers loss and melancholic rapture while talking about loving dead boys, breast amputation, and gender fluidity. I had no concept of these things as a young girl, but when I started to write my own music I thought a lot about this album – and I still do.

There is a lot of pain on this record, but the climax contains hope and the main component is love. I Am A Bird Now harks back to moments of radical history and covers topics that today remain as relevant and pressing as ever. This album has and will continue to haunt and inspire me – and I am so grateful for that. Thanks Daniel!

https://open.spotify.com/album/4yYa6DGzkYsAIpoE8ael1V