Cut the World Rough Trade*****

Anyone who’s seen Antony Hegarty live will be aware of what a devastatingly emotional performer he is. Capturing such electrifying intensity on tape is a difficult feat, but one that’s realised on Cut the World, a live album recorded in Copenhagen with the backing of the Danish National Chamber Orchestra. This is something of a greatest hits collection, with cuts from all four studio albums, together with a new (title) track and an erudite, humorous monologue on feminism. Musically these orchestral arrangements are sublime.

When coupled with Hegarty's impeccable, tender quiver, songs such as You Are My Sister, Swanlights and Another World take on a new dynamic, at once majestic and serene, passionate and poignant. There's really nothing to be faulted here. We await the next studio album impatiently. antonyandthejohnsons.com

Download tracks:Swanlights, You Are My Sister