Antony and the Johnsons offer up a snapshot of their upcoming full-length I Am a Bird Now, to be released in 2005, with the three-track EP
The Lake.
Antony's musical adaptation of
Edgar Allan Poe's poem is a chilling piano/cello/guitar-accompanied lament that echoes the work of fellow David Tibet discovery and frequent collaborator Baby Dee. Similar ground is covered on "The Horror Has Gone," a less gloomy take on the artist's signature brand of pop-cabaret given extra warmth from a lush full-band arrangement. "Fistful of Love," featuring a spoken word intro and typically awful guitar solo from
Lou Reed, is the EP's centerpiece. The only track to appear on the forthcoming LP, it builds on the promise of the group's delicious 1997 debut, reveling in its chamber pop debauchery and revealing
Antony as one of the most unique and forward-thinking voices in modern music. ~ James Christopher Monger