Current 93 / Antony and the Johnsons

Durtro 049CD, 2000, Running time: 11:00

Current 93 / Antony and the Johnsons
  1. Cripple and the Starfish (Antony and the Johnsons) - 04:18
  2. Immortal Bird - 06:42

A short EP to preview new albums by Current 93 and Antony and the Johnsons.  No lyrics.

When I first heard the track CRIPPLE AND THE STARFISH by Antony and the Johnsons, I honestly didn’t like it at all. I’m not sure what I was expecting, but this really wasn’t it. However, the next day I gave the track a second try and, having some idea of what it was like already, found that I actually enjoyed it a lot. Surprise. It’s not C93-like at all. Although it features piano and strings, the structure is a little more pop-y. Antony’s voice may take a little getting used to, but his serious-comedic-tragic lyrics are surrealistically superb. And there’s a great saxophone segment towards the end. It’s a really unusual piece, but very intriguing. Their self-titled debut album is available on Durtro, and is well worth checking out.

Current 93’s track, IMMORTAL BIRD, is from the album Sleep Has His House. Contrasting much of c93’s recent work, this piece is really lush and warm-sounding, a swirl of harmonium and bells and Cashmore’s (always wonderful) acoustic guitar. Tibet’s vocals feel quiet and understated, melding perfectly with the soft and flowing atmosphere of the song. A nice new direction for the band to be taking.

As both these pieces appear on other full-length albums, there’s really not much need to own this EP if you already have (or intend to aquire) Antony’s disc and Sleep Has His House.

No epilogue.