Antony and the Johnsons

Antony Hegarty has the rare ability to create beauty out of vulnerability. With pipes that can humble even flashy disco beats (see: Hercules and Love Affair), there's still a constant quaver in his delicate timbre that resonates with doubt, resignation and nostalgia. The stunning orchestration that balances his operatic croons flows between classical piano ("Her Eyes..."), mystical Elizabethan strings ("Epilepsy is Dancing") and soulful rock ("Aeon"). The overall effect is powerful, whether his lyricism twists the heart with hope ("One Dove") or with pain ("Another World").

Antony Hegarty's tremulous warble is a strange and marvelous instrument &#8212 and for
many, an acquired taste. The Crying Light, this diva-dude's third album, spotlights his
haunting vocals with few distractions, using piano and low-key orchestral arrangements as
foils for him to swoop and shiver over. Kate Bush and Bryan Ferry are touchstones on songs
about a dead woman (the mother-obsessed "Her Eyes Are Underneath the Groun... More >