A Round of Sound

The Antlers – Hospice [Frenchkiss; released 8/18/2009]

“Don’t ever let anyone tell you you deserve that.”

“Wake”

The absolute out-of-nowhere success story of 2009 comes from  The Antlers with Hospice, the 3rd release from frontman Peter Silberman, but first with a full time band.  The Brooklyn-based trio was relatively unknown prior to this year, but Hospice became a web sensation largely thanks to high praise from NPR’s All Songs Considered who featured it on their weekly podcast and even named it the year’s early leader for best album. Initially self-released, the original pressing sold out before Frenchkiss eventually picked up the disc and remastered it for an August re-release.

Written during a extended period of isolation from the outside world, Silberman emerged with Hospice, a tour de force of powerful and tragic anthems that serve as an emotional journey that trumps even last year’s similar cathartic success, Bon Iver’s For Emma Forever Ago.  A concept album, Hospice centers around the story of a relationship forged between a nurse and cancer patient at Sloan Kettering Cancer Ward in New York City. Every song is a chilling look at the human emotions involved when a relationship is based around such tragedy.  Silberman’s vocals are an eerie falsetto that add to the heartbreak and coupled with the striking imagery found in not only the lyrics, but also in the music, an atmosphere of sorrow is created so palpable it’s truly startling.  Once drawn into Hospice, and it’s impossible not to be, Silberman ensures that you will be haunted long after the 10 songs have passed much like this experience haunts his characters.

[“Two” – Hospice]

This entry was posted on Friday, January 15th, 2010 at 11:42 am and is filed under All, Music, Top Albums of 2009. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.