Antony And The Johnsons - The Spirit Was Gone

Antony Hegarty has one of the most emotional and vulnerable voices that I've heard in a long time. It's haunting.  His vibrato is incredibly rapid, yet controlled, and his lyrics are brutally honest and personal. "The Spirit Was Gone" is a solemn song about death.  Antony sings over soft piano chords and crying strings.  The song's simplicity is what brings through the raw emotions.  He states that "It's hard to understand", almost like an innocent child asking a question  It's truly a remarkable song.

Antony And The Johnsons released their fourth full length album this week.  Swanlights contains "The Spirit Was Gone" and ten more tracks, including a duet with Björk.  You can download this single for free below.

Keep reading to watch the music video for "The Spirit Was Gone" featuring the Butoh dancer, Kazuo Ohno, who was featured on the cover of Antony And The Johnsons album, The Crying Light.