Review: The Antlers – Hospice
Saturday, January 9th, 2010
The Antlers – Hospice
Self-Released March 3rd, 2009
Opening with the otherworldly, grainy keyboard and delicately raised voices Hospice quickly narrows into a dreamy, quietly whispered confession. Coming into the full grit of the album – the dynamics will shock you awake and surround you with the heaven I’m sure the angels who lent their voices to Silberman strive to convey in his falsetto. Released March 3rd, 2009, having taken nearly two years to come to fruition, Hospice has been well worth its long gestation. The deeply personal nature of the material hints that perhaps the recording process had more to it than just getting it out in as few takes as possible.
Lachrymose and heavy-hearted, yet always pressing onward, the lyrics are meaty and hard to swallow. While blogging about the process of writing the album, Peter Silberman posted drawings and photographs of Sylvia Plath. Upon further reading, the songs “Sylvia” and “Atrophy” go further in depth about her two attempts at suicide from the point of view of a bystander reaching out to her, perhaps her husband Ted Hughes, before they separated a year before she died.
Puncturing to the heart of our feelings about death, sacrifice and letting go, the themes transcend all circumstances, lending themselves to each individual. Each glorious, epic outpouring of devotion and each hushed admittance of guilt carry you along on the way, preparing you for the build and release of the next track.
Mournful, ghostly wails and paired with compelling progressions and dusty static bust beyond the bereavement and lullaby-like lamentation into the exhilarating, heartening splendour of the full band and the acceptance that comes with grief. A well-balanced, beautiful release, Hospice is one not to be missed.
A video from my personal favourite track on the album, “Two”.
