I Am A Bird Now
by Antony and the Johnsons
User Score
8.3

Universal acclaim- based on 271 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 229 out of 271
  2. Mixed: 12 out of 271
  3. Negative: 30 out of 271

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  1. PaulB
    Jun 18, 2005
    9
    Stunning; hard to imagine that anyone wouldn't be moved by this.
  2. sceptic
    Jun 17, 2005
    10
    Best album of 2005. Stunning. Emotional. Powerful. Quote: Matthew W "i could without a doubt sing the same way.". Well do it then. Or shut up. And next time, listen to the album yourself instead of playing it to your mother-brother.
  3. Brackish
    Jun 15, 2005
    10
    A great record. More positive than his first. A masterpiece.
  4. Scott
    Jun 9, 2005
    10
    There has never been an album that has moved me as deeply as this album. There has never been an artist who was capable of making me wanting to hold someone, and cry tears of joy at the same time. Get this album, and be blown away. Matthew W cannot sing like this, nor can anyone else. This is a truly unique voice that needs to be experienced.
  5. LawrenceP
    Jun 3, 2005
    10
    They a moments in this LP that will make me cry and I don't think I have ever been happier in my life.
  6. ToddS
    Jun 1, 2005
    10
    Utterly spellbinding and gorgeous. "You Are My Sister" is the standout track but the whole album is haunting and deeply moving.
  7. TiagoR
    May 19, 2005
    10
    Probably the best album of 2005!!! 5 stars!!!
  8. JohnnyK.
    May 13, 2005
    8
    A great album, marred only by occasional creative misdirection and uneven songs. The album is a wholly great achievement, but, much like The Milk-Eyed Mender or perhaps Abattoir Blues / The Lyre Of Orpheus, the songs range from dazzlingly beautiful to plaintive, simple, and comparatively uninspired. Though songs like Spiraling and For Today I Am a Boy are both obvious in their metirs, A great album, marred only by occasional creative misdirection and uneven songs. The album is a wholly great achievement, but, much like The Milk-Eyed Mender or perhaps Abattoir Blues / The Lyre Of Orpheus, the songs range from dazzlingly beautiful to plaintive, simple, and comparatively uninspired. Though songs like Spiraling and For Today I Am a Boy are both obvious in their metirs, following the dynamic harmonization of My Lady Story and Fistful of Love… Expand
  9. SusieA
    May 5, 2005
    10
    This album is amazing. I heard For Today I Am A Boy on the radio and instantly had to buy it. Antony's voice is hypnotic, and I cannot stop listening to him.
  10. StevenL
    May 4, 2005
    10
    Outstanding
  11. JohnS
    May 3, 2005
    9
    A very beautiful way of presenting unconventional and often wrongly overlooked topics
  12. AndrewLB
    May 2, 2005
    10
    This album is hauntingly hypnotizing. The intensity of emotion in the lyrics and music is captivating. I keep listening to this album over and over again. I would drive 100 miles to hear this artist live in concert. I was turned on to this album by the NPR review that I happened to hear by chance.
  13. FranA
    May 2, 2005
    9
    I was transfixed when I first heard Antony played on Radio 1. I felt awe at the emotion heard in Antony's unique voice and lyrics - amazing!
  14. BarryC
    Apr 30, 2005
    10
    God, where did this come from?
  15. mark
    Apr 29, 2005
    9
    i had never heard of antony and the johnsons until yesterday on radio 1. he made me stop what i was doing and listen, that hasn't happened for a long time. what a voice
  16. AntonioA
    Apr 24, 2005
    10
    sunshine for heart and soul
  17. PaulS
    Apr 23, 2005
    9
    Very Good but not Excellent as first album )
  18. thlda
    Apr 16, 2005
    10
    Exquisite, Simply Beautiful
  19. CraigL
    Apr 12, 2005
    7
    If you are a fan of the "successful" singers on American Idol, you will hate this CD. (I'm not in that category.) If you are one of those people who likes something strange and castigates others for not understanding something so obviously beautiful and lip-quivering, you will LOVE this. I find some of these songs to be beautiful in a Brian-Ferry-singing-gospel way. But I'm not If you are a fan of the "successful" singers on American Idol, you will hate this CD. (I'm not in that category.) If you are one of those people who likes something strange and castigates others for not understanding something so obviously beautiful and lip-quivering, you will LOVE this. I find some of these songs to be beautiful in a Brian-Ferry-singing-gospel way. But I'm not prepared to say I agree this is brilliant. Overly mannered? Yes. Brilliant? No.… Expand
  20. Dean
    Apr 11, 2005
    9
    I'm not really into my tenors, but this album really is very very good. Can't say it'll start off a whole movement, but it certainly makes a nice change.
  21. GlenP
    Apr 8, 2005
    9
    emotive, uncertain, souless. he needs faith.
  22. [Anonymous]
    Apr 1, 2005
    8
    Upon hearing a couple of clips, I hated this at first. But after listening to the full album, Antony won me over. His voice takes some getting used to, but the glam influences and strong melodies make this sucker hold up. If you don't mind hyper-dramatic pop music, give it a shot.
  23. Arethusa
    Mar 22, 2005
    9
    I absolutely adore this album. The lyrics and the music would sound saccharine and overly dramatic with anyone else except Antony, whose voice really is the leading instrument in this band. I've just discovered them with this album and I can't get enough. I think it's one of those polarising records that you'll either love or won't.
  24. BjarneBoy.
    Mar 22, 2005
    10
    This is the best cd I have heard in years. Antonys voice is SO beautiful ...
  25. PredragM
    Mar 21, 2005
    10
    Unforgettable voice!
  26. clarae
    Mar 19, 2005
    10
    this album had a visceral effect on me. i knew it was going to be good, but it surpassed my expectations. cathartic, intimate, vibrant, sorrowful, hopeful... this string of adjectives seems redundant though. go buy it. & if you dont like it the first time, play it again. and if you still dont like it then i dunno. check your pulse.
  27. CharlotteC
    Mar 15, 2005
    10
    This album is brillaint, it might not be that amazing when you first listen to it, but once you re-listen to it, it touches the heart and soul... It is truely amazing, definitely worth buying in my eyes.
  28. JimB
    Mar 9, 2005
    10
    simply astonishing!!!
  29. JasonF
    Mar 8, 2005
    9
    His voice and music has an aching and melancholic beauty. Best album so far this year. I know it is a differnt kind of music, but this makes Bright Eye's lastest album(s), though very good, seem sophmoric.
  30. Johno
    Mar 7, 2005
    8
    Impressive stuff. Great songs. Great set of mates too. Shame his voice is so annoying after a while.
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Awards & Rankings

7
#7 Best Album of 2005
14
#14 Most Discussed Album of 2005
36
#36 Most Shared Album of 2005

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
88

Universal acclaim - based on 30 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 30 out of 30
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 30
  3. Negative: 0 out of 30
  1. AllMusic
    80
    Haunting and affecting.
    Read full review
  2. cokemachineglow
    74
    For what it lacks in consistency, I Am A Bird Now gains in being, even at its most tedious of moments, an interesting and thematically compelling listen.
    Read full review
  3. Entertainment Weekly
    83
    It could have been mawkish, but the sentiments--and Antony's trembling falsetto--are so honest, you love it despite your jaded self. [4 Feb 2005, p.133]
See all critic reviews »