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The sophomore release from Brooklyn trio The Antlers tells the hauntingly beautiful story of a man losing a loved one to bone cancer and explores the powerful notions of his memories, regret and grief as he witnesses her pass away at his side in the Sloan Kettering Cancer Ward. Written by front man Peter Silberman after two years of self-imposed isolation in his New York apartment, the formulation of the protagonists’ plight through abrasive lyrics and disheartening instrumental segments has seen the group receive a flourishing amount of media attention and critical acclaim. Deeply grounded in metaphor, Hospice is an exploration of the young man’s simultaneous decay of his lover’s health and their subsequent relationship. Silberman’s wistful and swelling falsetto creates a heart-wrenching, yet beautiful and moving record.

Hospice is permeated by the sense of recluse from the self and outside world. It searches our rawest emotions, through the endurance of despair within ‘Kettering’ and the idealization of tension and tranquility within ‘Sylvia'.

My personal standout is the capturing of the regret and grief of mistaken relationships within ‘Bear’. It revolves around the theme of abortion, and the paradoxical relationship between the couple’s sexual and emotional maturity.

“Well we’re not scared of making caves, Or finding food for him to eat. We’re terrified of one another, And terrified of what that means”.

Silberman has crafted the melody to become reminiscent of a nursery rhyme, juxtaposed against his cavernous vocals, in essence, exposing our weakness in the submersion of love, death, and guilt.

Hospice is a solemn album; empathetic, lonely and nervous. Rich with symbolism about unwanted and uncontrollable realities. Evocative emotions such as influences Casiotone for the Painfully Alone and Daniel Johnston, The Antlers have successfully sidestepped the cliché of disheartening realism and created an album that is not only relatable, but gleaming with originality.

Leaving the listener with the message “some patients can’t be saved, but that burden’s not on you”, Hospice conveys resolution and communicates the significance of our own relationships with our heart and conscience. Expect to see this album in many best of 2009 lists, powerful yet fragile, simple yet complex, Hospice will leave a lasting impression for many years to come.

Review Score: 9.5/10

Released by Frenchkiss Records, 2009