Antony and the Johnsons

Thank You For Your Love EP

(Secretly Canadian)

Record Review by Adam McKibbin

Antony and the Johnsons have a new full-length arriving in our ears in a few short weeks, but , no matter its majesty, it would be a shame to overlook Thank You For Your Love, the five-song EP released as an appetizer and teaser for Swanlights.  Some of Antony’s most moving songs have been tucked away on past EPs, and even though he doesn’t quite scale those peaks again on the new EP, there’s still enough points of beauty and interest to make it a must-have addition for Antony lovers.

We’re now familiar with the incredible voice, an inimitable instrument of intimacy.  Hopefully it hasn’t become so familiar that it has lost its capacity to startle.  He’s up to plenty of his old vocal gymnastic tricks, starting with the title track – a relatively jubilant, horn-enriched song that does indeed mostly consist of Antony saying “Thank you” like he really, really, really means it.  It’s not the sort of track apt to be the centerpiece of a full-length, but it’s a nice table-setter.

“You Are the Treasure” expands on the theme of gratitude, with Antony singing sweetly of his treasure and his dream, “the one I’ve been waiting for,” tapping into his expressive warble without ever escalating into powerhouse mode.  Stretched out any longer, the track would be at risk of sounding slight, but at two minutes it serves as a poignant testimonial.  “My Lord My Love” is given new life after appearing on some versions of Antony’s last album, The Crying Light.  Here we get more delicate warbling over a soft piano line, but this time there’s the climatic rise into swelling strings and a heartbursting plea heavenward:  “My Lord, my love, take care of the ones you say you love!”

Then we get the covers, which almost serve as a spiritual debate between Bob Dylan and John Lennon.  If someone ever writes a book about “Bob Dylan’s 500 Greatest Songs,” they probably won’t have to write about “Pressing On.”  But if you want to tackle a Dylan cover and have a chance of improving on the original, his gospel revival period is a great place to start – and Antony’s delicate treatment feels more heartfelt than a swaying line of gospel singers.  His considerable interpretive powers falter a bit on a somewhat listless (but, you guessed it, heartfelt) rendition of “Imagine” – criticism that is mitigated somewhat by the song’s standing as one of the hardest tracks of the last 40 years to cover.  More interesting than this new version of the song is its existence on this EP.  Whatever shall we make of Antony finishing all this Lord talk with Lennon’s clear-eyed, illusion-shattering masterpiece?  What’s up with the perspective shift, making it sound like a first-person account rather than a command to the masses?  Are we charting Antony’s own awakening?  While we’re asking questions, was the tummy-baring cover inspired by The Situation?  Like any good inscrutable artist, Antony – for all his heart-pouring – leaves some things up to our interpretation.