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The opening track to this album is probably closest to what I think of when I think of Antony Hegarty. The song is one lyric, "everything is new," repeated over and over by Hegarty while the orchestral music builds and grows behind him. Rhapsody has him in their category of Baroque Pop. I like this name for a genre in that I think you sort of know what to expect when you hear it. The only thing I would say that you miss in relation to Antony and the Johnsons is the jazz feel of their music.I've never quite understood Hegarty or his appeal and that continues on this album. But he has loyal followers and I would think they are happy to hear him continuing to produce his unique sound.
The odd spot on the album for me is the song "Fletta" with Hegarty and Bjork. Personally I think this is a big mistake on Hegarty's part because it simply makes me want to have the entire album performed by Bjork. If you are going to perform this quiet, edgy, moody, jazz oriented pop then you probably shouldn't invite in the person that has defined that music.
I could see playing this while reading a book on a stormy night or sitting in the house watching a snow storm as the sun goes down.
Following the Rhapsody rating method I give it 2 out of 5 stars for Not Bad.
I found this song unlistenable.
ReplyDeleteYeah I can see that. I have to say it's not really my thing and I was tempted to give it 1 or 0 stars, but this is what this guy does. He's loved by critics and he has a huge following. Of all the stuff of his I've heard I think this album falls right in line and in some ways is a bit more approachable. So in that sense I gave him 2 stars.
ReplyDeleteWhat would really interest me is to hear him try and break out and do something completely different. I have never listened to a lot of Bjork, but the reason she is so loved by critics is because she has proven that she can sing anything. I think it would interesting to see what Hegarty could do as a singer doing something different.
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