Critiques CD: Antony and the Johnsons | Cut The World

Powerhouse vocalist Antony Hegarty of indie baroque pop outfit Antony and the Johnsons ventures into live orchestral executions of some deeply personal material for Cut The World. The collection features violin-centric, beautifully arranged renditions of favorites from his four full-length studio albums from the past decade, plus a 7-and-a-half-minute spoken-word track entitled “Future Feminism”. The inclusion of the spoken-word track, taken from a seminar given on his worldview as a transgender person in tune with spirituality, emphasizes the album’s potential as a mirror on Antony’s career up until now. What’s more, the classical instrumentation holds a magnifying glass up to Antony’s already evocative vocal delivery – especially on songs like “You Are My Sister”, throughout which each movement drips with genuine feeling.