Earth Song

As previously mentioned here Antony & The Johnsons are set to release a 5-track EP entitled Another World in October, prior to the release of their third album The Crying Light in January. Well, given the nature of the music industry and the internet, the title track from the EP has leaked and can be heard right here in some kind of exclusive (if exclusive were to mean reading it on a rival blog's forum and then finding it on youtube):



It is, as ever, utterly beautiful, with trademark piano and crystalline vocals all present and correct, but lyrically the focus has shifted from gender and loss to 'bigger issues' such as the state of the planet. I know, dodgy territory for some. For the most part Antony remains on the right side of patronising and expresses genuine sadness for what's going on with the planet, but it's difficult to hear the lyric "I'm gonna miss the bees" without thinking of Michael Jackson's pertinent eco-related question; "What about elephants?". It's a nature-fuelled conundrum and no mistake.

Still, Antony could sing my shopping list and make it sound devastatingly sad- "Tesco value toilet rolls/ Toothpaste/ Small tin of beans/ Microwave meal for one". Oh, that is quite sad...