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Review
There is much to say about Hospice, but of most import is its sheer heart. Born out of isolation and all manner of personal tumult suffered by bandleader Peter Silberman, it balances clinical austerity with deeply humanistic concerns, questioning the very nature of benevolence. More specifically, it asks where you draw the line: when does compassion become self-sacrifice? Likewise devotion, obsession? Selflessness, folly? These are big, searching questions, and Silberman posits them with an earnest conviction that on occasion proves excruciating.
The narrative finds its protagonist on the cusp of losing a loved one to terminal illness. A milieu of whitewashed cancer wards is vividly realised; from its stark artwork through to the duelling swathes of static and melody upon which it opens – and especially Silberman’s haunted, keening falsetto – Hospice is a fantastically evocative work, which refuses to shy away from its grand themes or unashamedly ‘concept’ tone.
Comparisons have been drawn with the likes of Arcade Fire, Cursive and Bon Iver, and they’re not far off the mark: these acts’ bludgeoning emotional weight and reflection on mortality is ubiquitous, and like Justin Vernon, Silberman wrangles great beauty out of solitude (this recording is the result of two years’ seclusion on his part).
Undoubtedly working best in its entirety, its 52 minutes variously clatter and soothe, thrash and pacify. Melodies circle and eddy throughout, brass and piano adding welcome shade to a shimmering sonic palette. Traditional song structures are present, but The Antlers’ expressive soundscapes are just as likely to dwindle and fade before emerging in notably different style – see the clinking waves of noise on Thirteen eventually ceding in order that Sharon Van Etten’s vocals glimmer and rise, or the dreamlike ripples that form when the bottom falls out of Two’s anthemic surge.
Implicitly a solemn, emotionally taxing record, it remains an utterly compelling and addictive piece of work. A conclusion of sorts is reached as it approaches its coda; amid the luminescent swell of Wake Silberman offers his central character comfort long overdue – an assertion of hope in the direst of circumstances. Because if Hospice is ultimately an exploration of sorrow and of guilt, it’s also a testament to the human spirit, and its lasting impression is one of cathartic, hard-won transcendence. --James Skinner
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The Telegraph
"an instant classic... From distorted, ambient noise to crescendos of explosive rock it grabs your attention quickly but reveals itself slowly"
5 Stars *****
5 Stars *****
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
The other positive reviews have already outlined the themes of 'Hospice' and enthused over the beautiful simplicity of this unflinchingly raw labour of love - all I'd like to add is that whilst this is certainly a wonderfully unique listening experience I really can't remember a recent album that has reminded me of quite so many other artists whose work I greatly enjoy.
Fans of 'In an Aeroplane Over the Sea' will love the story arc and acoustic compositions, Arcade Fire listeners will hear hints of 'Funeral' throughout (to be honest 'Wake' would have made an equally appropriate title for this album), followers of Sufjan Stevens who were left emotional wrecks after listening to 'Casimir Pulaski Day' will find ten similarly themed tracks here, the detailed storytelling lyrics will remind many of Okkervil River, some of the hushed moments recall Bon Iver, etc.
This is in no way a criticism - more a case of genuine surprise at just how tailor made 'Hospice' is to my current listening tastes!
One word of warning however, if you have lived with someone suffering from cancer I could imagine this album could be impossible to listen to. A song like 'Two' or 'Thirteen' can catch me off guard, leaving me emotionally drained and I'm guessing that for someone who has personally experienced similar situations to those described in these songs they could have a far greater resonance, one that could possibly be unwelcome.
Fans of 'In an Aeroplane Over the Sea' will love the story arc and acoustic compositions, Arcade Fire listeners will hear hints of 'Funeral' throughout (to be honest 'Wake' would have made an equally appropriate title for this album), followers of Sufjan Stevens who were left emotional wrecks after listening to 'Casimir Pulaski Day' will find ten similarly themed tracks here, the detailed storytelling lyrics will remind many of Okkervil River, some of the hushed moments recall Bon Iver, etc.
This is in no way a criticism - more a case of genuine surprise at just how tailor made 'Hospice' is to my current listening tastes!
One word of warning however, if you have lived with someone suffering from cancer I could imagine this album could be impossible to listen to. A song like 'Two' or 'Thirteen' can catch me off guard, leaving me emotionally drained and I'm guessing that for someone who has personally experienced similar situations to those described in these songs they could have a far greater resonance, one that could possibly be unwelcome.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:MP3 Download
This is my third attempt at writing a review of this extraodinary album!
Hospice is a "once in a group's lifetime record" where every song/piece fits into the collection. I have read that this album was the result of the lead singer's experience of having endured an abusive relationship with someone suffering from cancer. The songs manage to commit to music the gamut of emotions of a deteriorating bond with a dying person. I also have to say that while I never like singers playing tricks with their voices, the lead's falsetto is near essential for this.
In my mind the first three songs are laments: sorrowful 'Kettering', raging 'Sylvia' and quiet reflective 'Atrophy'.
Then there are two songs which deliver an uplifting musical accompaniment :'Bear' which manages to mix acceptance and the vulgarity of the situation. 'Two' which relates the desperate silliness in the mess, recounting the memories that lead up to it. My previous reviews never appeared because I quoted certain lines with profanity in Bear, but I dare say all of it is justified in this album by making the lyrics very powerful.
Following that, there is the return to the hush of dying and death with 'Shiva'. 'Wake' is the singer's attempt to put a point across to the departed but it sounds like he is repeating the mantra to himself to make it real.
Then to reiterate the group's creative streak, the happiest tune in the record, 'Bear', gets twisted into a hollow and macabre sadness of loss: 'Epilogue'.
There are two non-lyric pieces which I thought were originally fillers: 'Prologue' and 'Thirteen'. On repeat listening to the album as a whole they are vital placemarks and tone setters. Unfortunately if you're sampling this never gets across properly. Indeed, Prologue would put many people off immediately as the first sampler.
NPR Music bravely voted this album of 2009. I shall paraphrase their advice of just letting this run on a lonely weekend morning. And in my own words, I leave you with this: Hospice is a modern psalm of sorrow and loss .
Hospice is a "once in a group's lifetime record" where every song/piece fits into the collection. I have read that this album was the result of the lead singer's experience of having endured an abusive relationship with someone suffering from cancer. The songs manage to commit to music the gamut of emotions of a deteriorating bond with a dying person. I also have to say that while I never like singers playing tricks with their voices, the lead's falsetto is near essential for this.
In my mind the first three songs are laments: sorrowful 'Kettering', raging 'Sylvia' and quiet reflective 'Atrophy'.
Then there are two songs which deliver an uplifting musical accompaniment :'Bear' which manages to mix acceptance and the vulgarity of the situation. 'Two' which relates the desperate silliness in the mess, recounting the memories that lead up to it. My previous reviews never appeared because I quoted certain lines with profanity in Bear, but I dare say all of it is justified in this album by making the lyrics very powerful.
Following that, there is the return to the hush of dying and death with 'Shiva'. 'Wake' is the singer's attempt to put a point across to the departed but it sounds like he is repeating the mantra to himself to make it real.
Then to reiterate the group's creative streak, the happiest tune in the record, 'Bear', gets twisted into a hollow and macabre sadness of loss: 'Epilogue'.
There are two non-lyric pieces which I thought were originally fillers: 'Prologue' and 'Thirteen'. On repeat listening to the album as a whole they are vital placemarks and tone setters. Unfortunately if you're sampling this never gets across properly. Indeed, Prologue would put many people off immediately as the first sampler.
NPR Music bravely voted this album of 2009. I shall paraphrase their advice of just letting this run on a lonely weekend morning. And in my own words, I leave you with this: Hospice is a modern psalm of sorrow and loss .
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Based on brilliant reviews, I decide to give this album a try, and now I will try and write my own to do it justice. Hospice tells an emotional narrative throughout its ten tracks of a man losing someone he loves to cancer, and it certainly isn't easy listening.
The lyrics are deep, harrowing and often brutal in their storytelling. But they are perfectly matched by frontman Peter Silberman's shaky falsetto vocals, which, coupled with the albums overall content makes Hospice at times reminiscent of Arcade Fire's Funeral. I don't like pulling out standout tracks when the album is so cohesive as a complete composition, but hey, I'm going to. First single `Bear' is beautiful and vulnerable, as Silberman's shivering vocals tell the story of an abortion, whilst `Two' raises the tempo and builds to an epic final verse.
To echo Silbermans lyrics from `Two' - "You had a new dream, it was more like a nightmare", the album is musically dream-like with gentle melodies building in vast crescendos, whilst the lyrical content is so deep and morbid in comparison, as the story of this nightmarish situation unfolds.
The album works fantastically, it had me hooked by the heartstrings in the same way Bon Iver's For Emma, Forever Ago did last year. Hospice is gentle on the ear, but heavy on the mind, balanced perfectly to create wonderful wintery listening.
The lyrics are deep, harrowing and often brutal in their storytelling. But they are perfectly matched by frontman Peter Silberman's shaky falsetto vocals, which, coupled with the albums overall content makes Hospice at times reminiscent of Arcade Fire's Funeral. I don't like pulling out standout tracks when the album is so cohesive as a complete composition, but hey, I'm going to. First single `Bear' is beautiful and vulnerable, as Silberman's shivering vocals tell the story of an abortion, whilst `Two' raises the tempo and builds to an epic final verse.
To echo Silbermans lyrics from `Two' - "You had a new dream, it was more like a nightmare", the album is musically dream-like with gentle melodies building in vast crescendos, whilst the lyrical content is so deep and morbid in comparison, as the story of this nightmarish situation unfolds.
The album works fantastically, it had me hooked by the heartstrings in the same way Bon Iver's For Emma, Forever Ago did last year. Hospice is gentle on the ear, but heavy on the mind, balanced perfectly to create wonderful wintery listening.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
great music
You should listen to this album from the first track to the last. That's the best way to appreciate Antlers and their unique music
Published 6 months ago by muratceyhan
It struck a chord.
Having a very close friend pass away from gastric cancer, I was introduced to this album by another friend who saw how low I was, and initally changed his mind and didn't want to... Read more
Published 8 months ago by Forbidden City Cop
Dark, beautiful and comforting
Hospice is heavy. There's no denying it. It's an open-eyed representation of what it is to live through a loved one's suffering at the hands of cancer. Read more
Published 10 months ago by kingrizla2000
A dark (but note hopeless) journey.
Hospice is an album that works incredibly well on many levels; it is an haunting, melancholy album that can be used to inspire, it is a deeply personal emotional journey, it's a... Read more
Published 16 months ago by The Orange Fellow
Harrowing but Brilliant
Emotionally raw and at times harrowing but also cathartic and life affirming in a way that transends the sometimes painful lyrics.
Published 19 months ago by J
An experience
A work of art in and of itself, listen to Hospice in the correct track order with the lyrics booklet.
Incredible, insightful.
Incredible, insightful.
Published 21 months ago by Josh
An experience
A work of art in and of itself, listen to Hospice in the correct track order with the lyrics booklet.
Incredible, insightful.
Incredible, insightful.
Published 21 months ago
Suprisingly brilliant
A real suprise to me I had heard 'bear' and thought that was a great song so bought the album and was not disappointed though the angst and pain in many of the songs is clear this... Read more
Published on 22 Jan 2010 by S. Lockyer
Hospice
Excellent! The beauty of Bon Iver, but with a very strange and (sometimes frightening) twist.
Published on 1 Dec 2009 by Tim De Meyer
Sickeningly Simple (9/10)
First, The xx gave us the key to unlocking the age of understatement on their eponymous debut, and now The Antlers are here to confirm the power of restraint. Read more
Published on 16 Oct 2009 by Gannon
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