87/100
Band: The Antlers
Title: Hospice
Written By: Brad Babendir
Art is supposed to evoke emotion. That, in fact, is one of its core purposes. The importance of that fact in music is extremely evident, as an album that creates no emotional connection is likely an album that creates no connection at all. Now, the connection doesn\’92t have to be through heart-wrenching lyrics or beautifully powerful instrumentals. An album can simply make you happy, sad, or pretty much any other emotion.\’a0 - LISTEN TO ALBUM + READ REVIEW
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Art is supposed to evoke emotion. That, in fact, is one of its core purposes. The importance of that fact in music is extremely evident, as an album that creates no emotional connection is likely an album that creates no connection at all. Now, the connection doesn\’92t have to be through heart-wrenching lyrics or beautifully powerful instrumentals. An album can simply make you happy, sad, or pretty much any other emotion.
In that lies the power of The Antlers\’92 new album, \’93Hospice.\’94 It\’92s an album that, no matter what mood you\’92re in, will create the correct emotion. Its lyrics are powerful, its instrumentals beautiful and its overall tone is a tad depressing, as it is generally about hospitals and death. Even with all of this, when the album comes to a close, the only feeling left is satisfaction.
The lyrics are skillfully put at the forefront of the record, and rightfully so. They often have a shocking power that extends far past the music that lies underneath. Lines like \’93Hundreds of thousands of hospital beds/and all of them empty but mine,\’94 and \’93All the while I\’92ll know we\’92re fucked and not getting unfucked soon\’94 resonate due to their startling honesty and chilling subject matter.
The chilling emotion that the words are sung with is a major part of why the lyrics truly resonate so well. Every word is not only said, but truly felt, by the narrator. Of course, the haunting ambiance of the instrumentation goes bounds to further the record\’92s power. The slow pacing of the piano that plays through the first two and half minutes of the second track, \’93Kettering,\’94 is a fantastic example.
Even more so is what follows: a booming drum sequence repeated multiple times before fading back to ambiance. It\’92s a powerful eye-opener and a testament to the band\’92s ability utilize their instruments and vocals, both together and separately. \’a0
And that really sums up what this band is: a balance between the ambient and loud, between all of its separate parts. They, as many bands try, walk the line. However, what sets them apart is that they succeed, and they do it with a fantastic amount of ease.
This isn\’92t an album that will open itself to you in one, two, or three listens. Its layers need to be studied, digested and then restudied to fully expose themselves. It\’92s an album that requires a lot of work from the listener, but not work that feels like an obligation. It\’92s work that is something you want to do. It\’92s an album that listeners will keep coming back to, not simply because they want to, but because they have to.
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