antony and the johnsons

In his third Antony and the Johnsons release, lead singer Antony Hegarty brings his eerily operatic voice to an indistinct but poetic ensemble of piano and strings. Sadly, The Crying Light shows Hegarty as a one trick pony only capable of conveying a sense of tear-stained, sexual melancholy that accompanies a long gaze up to a cold moon through a rainy window, most befitting of a Zach Braff movie. Sure it's a complex emotion to get across, but we can only take so much. The only track that diverges somewhat from this somber feel is "Kiss My Name." But the departure is only an addition of sharper drums and electric guitars. Even in a supposedly upbeat song, Antony's majestic vocals cannot seem to convey joy. Similarly, "Aeon," with its simple but strong guitar riff shows signs of imagination, but this more grounded sound is never fully explored. Lyrically, Hegarty confuses listeners with disparate brush strokes that fail to paint much of a picture. As he whines in the title track, "Agony goes/I was born to adore you. I was born to represent you/To carry your head into the sun." On top of well-crafted orchestration, Hegarty repeatedly wastes his opportunity to make a lasting work. Perhaps I'm ignorant and insensitive to the New York City cabaret scene of the '90s from which Hegarty emerged, but outside of its element, the style is lacking and one-dimensional. Musically, I can't help but lament with Hegarty when he when he croons, "I need another world/This one's nearly gone." -