THE SKINNY: I don't normally agree with the opinion of Pitchfork, but there have been a few exceptions and them liking The Antlers has been one of them. Hospice is a beautifully crafted, emotional record that you should give a listen to. Grab a pair of big headphones, curl up in bed and let the album play out in front of you.WEBSITE: http://www.antlersmusic.com
MYSPACE: http://www.myspace.com/theantlers
TWITTER: http://twitter.com/theantlers
PURCHASE: Amazon MP3, iTunes
I started this article with very different intentions. I have a few bands that I could write about and that I should write about. It has been months since I've posted anything. As I was listening to The Antlers, scrolling through the rest of my iTunes library, I knew what I needed to write about. The Antlers have been hogging my listening time for the past month, so if I'm coming out of my writing hibernation it should be to write about them. The Antlers are a three-piece band out of Brooklyn, N.Y. fronted by Peter Silberman. Silberman put out an EP by himself a few years ago before recruiting Michael Lerner and Darby Cicci to become The Antlers. They put out two EPs before recording their first full-length, Hospice. The album was recorded after Silberman finished a hibernation of his own. After moving to Brooklyn, he isolated himself for about two years.
It's not surprising that this record was made while Silberman was going through a hard time. It's one of the saddest albums I've heard in a while. You can tell just by the album name, Hospice, that this isn't something to listen to if you're looking for a pick-me-up. The album is a 10-track narrative telling the story of Sylvia, a terminally ill cancer patient with a lot of baggage. The album shows the frustration and fear that accompanies illness for the people dying and the loved ones who have to witness and prepare for that death. The music accompanies the story line using breathy tones, loud melodic choruses and distorted acoustic transitions. But what really carries Hospice is the story itself. If you are going to listen to the album I suggest getting your hands on some liner notes. The nine-minute track "Wake" is probably the most haunting song on the record as he sings, "It was easier to lock the doors and kill the phones than to show my skin. Because the hardest thing is never to repent for someone else, it's letting people in."
Hospice may not be an easy listen, and won't be for everyone, but there is something about this album that keeps me listening. It is an album that grew on me after a few tries, and the more I listen the more impressed with it I am.
"Bear" off of Hospice
FAVORITE TRACK: "Bear", "Wake", "Two"
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