Antony and The Johnsons fit well into the classification of “Baroque pop” and they’ll fit well into “Romantic pop” and any other hybrids of classical and pop genres critics come up with.
The Johnsons define Baroque pop, a genre consisting of orchestral compositions and instruments within pop music. The group uses classical instruments including piano, violin and cello, while guitar, bass (electric) and drums provide the occasional modern influence.
Antony Hegarty, the pianist and vocalist of the group, has a mellow yet theatrical voice that can fool the listener into thinking every song is a depressing one. Perhaps having heard this before, Hegarty provides more upbeat tracks than on the band’s previous album, “The Crying Light,” which won the Barclaycard Mercury Prize (England’s album of the year).
On “Ghost,” the piano is shockingly upbeat for a song coming from The Johnsons. The first single, “Thank You For Your Love,” is downright ambling, the piano accompanied by horns. The two tracks provide nice breaks from the less jumpy tracks on the record — which are the rest of them.
Hegarty’s mellow style accompanies his slow piano playing in a way that could easily lull a listener to sleep. This is not necessarily a complaint, but the two buoyant tracks serve as intermissions for the audience.
“Fletta” follows The Johnson’s traditional pace, but guest vocalist Bjork livens it up. Hegarty provides a soft vocal harmony, but the Icelandic icon is clearly at the head. Hegarty’s piano is the only instrumental accompaniment for the track.
The title track and the closer, “Christina’s Farm,” are soothing and well-written, and although the more upbeat tracks are a nice break from the norm, the other six songs aren’t as ear-catching as similar tracks on “The Crying Light.” The Johnsons could attract more listeners by adding more cheery tracks, but it might cost them some indie cred.
