Album Review: Antony and the Johnsons – Cut the World

Antony and the Johnsons
Cut the World
Secretly Canadian

Antony and the Johnsons know how to break hearts. They know the notes and timbre to strike a sense of sombre meaning into fabric of listeners’ minds. It is through Antony’s unique voice, crooning not-necessarily-sad lyrics, that something of beauty emerges. This latest album is no exception. A collection of live symphonic tunes, including the brand new title track, “Cut the World,” a powerful oeuvre. The title song is slow, with a conveyance of depth and relevance, though “You Are My Sister” is one of the album’s chief highlights. It is emotionally raw and made all the more gut-wrenching within the context that the androgynous Antony identifies as transgender. “Cripple and the Starfish,” another standout track, is a strongly orchestral piece, somehow greater than Anthony’s earlier concoction, with a more pronounced denouement as the line “I’ll grow back like a starfish” repeats ever more gloriously than the first incarnation. The overall collection seems to capture the quintessence of Antony’s strengths as an artist while enticing any doubters to see the band live. And for these reasons, we award Cut the World four Spills.

RJ Vandrish

antonyandthejohnsons.com/