Antony & The Johnsons - Thank You For Your Love EP

Another act who regularly polarises the office down the middle is old warbly chops and his sad-eyed baroque balladry. Personally I've always respected his wavering, soulful heartfelt take on things, even if his voice can often err on the erm....aquired taste side. You cannot deny he's one of the most distinctive vocalists on the planet these days. The fact he's added his tragic tones to so many cool, contemporary records over the last few years is testament to his worth & the love he commands. This new EP opens with the title track, a kind of ever-intensifying stax-soul ballad which is pretty darn ace. Ignoring the "wistful fat man at a piano" style un-plaudits he's receiving from a certain corner of the office, 'You are the Treasure' is an understated slice of melancholy & heartbreak that will test the hardest heart. The sombre piano-led tone continues unabated until the twinkly MOR of 'Pressing On', his voice becoming more of a strange comfort than ever until...until he goes and nearly DESTROYS every good thing he's ever done by covering the overrated, sickly & sentimental pile of audio gash that is Lennon's 'Imagine' If you could cut CDs with scissors then i'd shave off about 2 and a half inches of this shiny fucker just so that...THAT THING could never torment me again. Vinyl lovers - get yer stanleys out at the ready. You lose a whole star for that, damn FOOL.