By Jesse Cataldo
No matter how cultured and aloof it pretends to be, the indie scene can never really be anything more than a hipper microcosm of the world in general. The minds may be more open and the clothes may be tighter, but when it boils down to it, everybody still loves a good freak show. The only difference is in the reception. Possessing highly unique qualities can come in handy in a subculture, especially if you can play an instrument or hit the right notes. Or the wrong notes. In most cases, it doesn’t matter, as long as you’re doing something different. Too often, tastemakers and critics are guilty of confusing bizarreness with innovation.
Antony’s stunning weirdness stems not from the fact that he/she is a transsexual, but from the fact that he sounds something like a goat. He also earned automatic scene approval thanks to his biggest supporter, Velvet Underground frontman Lou Reed. By this logic it’s really easy to write off Antony (and the Johnsons) as yet another hype-inflated freak piece. Just a few days ago, a certain reviewer who just happens to write for this publication was about to do just that, but found surprisingly, upon closer inspection, that there was a lot more to I am a Bird Now than empty strangeness masking itself as creativity.
Take for example the pained sentiment of “Hope There’s Someone.” Antony lays out his fears of death and loneliness, avoiding the easy trap of sentimentality and winding the song out in a swirling burst of piano and vocal noise. The instrumental backing is sparse, allowing Antony’s voice, his main selling point, to take center stage. Off-putting and annoying at first, it takes a few listens to appreciate its haunting starkness. In fact, the worst moments on the album are when the guest vocalists (Boy George on “You Are My Sister” and Rufus Wainwright on “What Can I Do?”) take over.
Besides the obvious barnyard comparison, Antony’s shivering vibrato most closely echoes early Roxy Music era Bryan Ferry. Unlike Ferry, Antony’s timbre, however, is much steadier, settling in an androgynous middle ground between male and female. This suits the lyrical composition, which is mostly concerned with the transience and fluidity of gender. The musical accompaniment also suits Antony. By sticking with the sparse sweep of violins and piano, he wisely avoids stereotypical flamboyance or dramaticism. By focusing on themes of hope and growth, Antony creates an album that’s at times both painful and triumphant.

The Chronicle gives “I Am A Bird Now”, by Antony & The Johnsons three 1/2 out of five stars.