Antony

Antony and the Johnsons' album covers can be collectively recognized for their black and white, stark, almost lifeless photographs that are as evocative as Antony Hegarty's tremulous vocal delivery. If you witness the cover of their 2009 full-length The Crying Light, which showcases the contorted figure of Butoh dancer Kazuo Ohno, you will realize the visual equivalent of the band's shadowed torch ballads.

But with the release of the band's new record, Swanlights, the mood seems to have shifted. Or -- at least -- the visual image of that mood has.

Swanlights, which is planned for released on October 6 via Secretly Canadian, is covered in a color-tinged collage and charming cursive handwriting. The collage may be of a bloodied polar bear, but the image still does not seem as troubling as the colorless portraits that cover their previous albums.

Special editions of the album will also come with a 144-page book of Antony's artworks and writings. Crafted by an alluring artist, the book will surely be somber and beautiful.