Daily Download: "Paddy's Gone," Antony & the Johnsons

Unexpected winner of the Mercury Prize, subject of a lengthy New York Times Magazine profile, about to make Carnegie Hall debut: Antony's star is rising very quickly indeed, and it's gratifying to see such an unusual and brilliant artist getting this much well-deserved attention. Secretly Canadian is releasing a single of "You Are My Sister" -- Antony's duet with Boy George -- and three previously unreleased b-sides, one of which is this lovely song, which I'm delighted to offer as an exclusive download. To me, Antony is at his best without his band, just accompanying himself on piano (as he does on the standout track on his record, and a front-runner for my favorite song of the year, "Hope There's Someone"), and that's what we get here, except that instead of just one, it's a whole chorus of Antonys -- and he sounds just as striking in chorus as he does on his own. He drops some of the extreme vibrato to let the sound blend better, and you can just revel in the pure sound of that glorious voice, so throaty and open and wet with emotion.