The songs on ANOHNI’s first album with Antony and the Johnsons wrap tormented imagery in lush, classically influenced arrangements, and fuse spiritual intimations with aching need. The key to it all is singer/songwriter ANOHNI’s spectacular voice, a multi-octave instrument that’s both unnerving and thrilling. ANOHNI has a way of linking her private obsessions with common human desires. “River of Sorrow” (a moving gospel-tinged aria) and “Deeper Than Love” (set to a gorgeous Gershwin-like melody) draw upon timeless American musical roots in striking ways. The Johnsons—particularly violinist Liz Maranville—bring a stately sort of passion to these tracks. Antony and the Johnsons is a work of beautiful sadness, deeply personal in content yet touching universal chords of emotion.