Let's start by saying that you either are going to love Antony's voice, or you are going to be seriously scared by it. If you have not heard "I Am a Bird Now" or any of his other works, then prepare to be challenged by something completely different. If you have heard "I Am a Bird Now", then prepare to be challenged by something very similar.
First, that voice--that wondrous, painful voice. I think that I love it, but I have to listen to this album and his music in general when I am in just the right frame of mind, or I can't take it. My wife can't listen to him at all. Antony sings in a high, wavery voice that comes on like a falsetto, but the more you listen to it, the less you are sure that it is a falsetto. Could this simply be the range in which he sings? Whatever the verdict there, be certain that it is one of the most oddly cultivated singing voices ever to make an impact in music that can vaguely be termed "popular". He has been compared to Nina Simone, and I sort of see it--but only based on his very mannered vibrato. He does not have a wide range, but he is very expressive with the narrow range that he has; at least, if you regard "constantly seems to be about to dissolve into tears of despair" as "very expressive".
The music skirts the border between art songs and pop music written by very pretentious people. Usually, he stays pretty firmly on the "art song" side of the line, but occasionally, the schmaltz overwhelms everything, and only your personal reaction to his voice will determine if it comes off as "bizarre genius" or "wha...???" If you take the time to read his lyrics, they are often beautiful, confused musings on longing, becoming, love, and the lack thereof, but for me, the words are far secondary to the feeling, the emotion that is conveyed by this singer. His performance of the songs is so laden with emotion that the words are definitely less important that simply allowing yourself to be surrounded by him on all sides.
It is hard to review the songs one by one--the album is definitely a piece as a whole, but there are some standout moments. "Aeon" starts with a typically pretty piano figure with a harp backing, but then changes with the addition of an arpeggiated chord on an electric guitar. Antony seems to be the closest I have heard him to happiness as he sings "Oh Aeon! My baby boy! Oh, Aeon will take care of me". What does it mean? Who is Aeon? Is it God? As the song unfolds, I'm not sure if this is a plea for protection for himself, for someone else, or his father? Anyway, Antony backs himself in a gospel choir of emotion, soaring into an ecstasy. Pretty amazing song, I just wish I really knew what he was singing about.
"Dust and Water" has an almost Ladysmith Black Mambazo feel to it, although he sings solo. Not an easy feat to accomplish.
The final song, "Everglade", finds Antony at his most poetic. "When I'm floating in the water/And your eyes are lilies all around/When I'm lying sweetly in my bed/The sun plays crystal with my eyes", while woodwinds and strings form a lush backdrop. Beautiful, with just a drop of "over the top" to the production.
This is actually a very difficult record to review because it is so hard to separate the songs themselves from the performance. Antony is a true original (for better and for worse), and sometimes, in some moods, I love the courage and talent that he exudes. I love his heart on his sleeve approach and his wounded butterfly vibrato. But if I am not in just the right mood, that voice becomes grating, annoying, overly artificial. If you can't get past his performance, you'll never be able to appreciate his songcraft. His songs are beautiful, and it would be an interesting exercise to hear them performed by someone else, to see if someone else could draw out the same level of feeling and emotion, or if they are singable only by Antony. I'd be hard pressed to think of someone who I'd want to try this exercise--perhaps Harolyn Blackwell? Someone trained in Schumann lieder? Or someone raw like Patty Smith? I'm not sure.
If you loved his first two albums, you are going to love this. He has grown somewhat, but he has not really changed his formula. If you didn't like the previous collections, then this is not going to do anything to bring you into his fold. If you, like me, are still trying to figure him out, then you will probably still be intrigued. My one bit of advice is definitely to listen to a few sample tracks prior to buying this if you have never heard him before. You'll thank me--either for introducing you to something lovely and new, or for saving you from making the worst musical investment of your life.