The Antlers - Hospice FLAC

I came across this album through a copy of Q Music Magazine, who rated the album highly. And only until now have i gotten round to listening to it....and by god its pretty damn impressive.

Im going through a stage at the moment with my music where i keep listening to 'depressing' albums; or albums with a slow, sad feel to them - purely because my music always runs parallel with how i feel.

OK let me get this straight, i dont expect people to cry listening to this album....i dont ever cry from just listening to something unless im very emotional and about to cry in the first place...do not listen to this album and think 'BRING IT ON make me cry'. Although some people have said its made them cry...ive listened to too much music not to get that involved with it...because i listen to my music in public, people might get a bit scared if i start crying in the street, in the store or on the train.

But i will say this - this album did make my insides twitch a little. The whole album is a story, which is evident from researching the album in general. If it is a true story or not that is another question, but anyway besides the point because this story, that is more common to appear as text in a book, is told so well it has the same effect as reading a book or watching a film - which is not an easy thing with music.

As im sure you know with most sad albums, songs, the tempo is very slow - so it may come as a bore to those more used to listening to more mainstream music. But this album is anything but a bore, okay if you were not paying attention you would think 'the hell is this, who finds this entertaining' - so to see the hype behind this album you need to listen to it a bit more closely - and i very much recommend getting the lyrics as the vocals are not always the most clearest thing and the instrumental can sometimes over power the quiet vocals. That brings me to the fact that the whole feeling of the album, is only just enhanced with the vocals - almost like a quiet cry. Can't say so much about some of the instruments used that can at times appear as a paradox to the meaning of the song. Bear for example has quite a happy-indie feel to it, musically..but when you read into it its lyrics and meanings are anything but.

A little warning for first timers, so the majority of this album is quiet...but this album has more emotions running through it than a love-obsessed hormonal teenager - so yes at points the volume of the album almost doubles. I always find this album more effective to listen to using headphones/earphones - purely because you can hear everything more clearly thus understanding the meaning of the album.

At time of writing i give it a 4/5 - but most likely after many re-listens that will go up to a 5. A 4 for now because i havent let myself into the whole of this album, because it is one of the deepest, and most consistent albums ive listened too. Also the fact that each song is another 'chapter' to the story - listening to just one track will make you want to listen to the next, and sooner or later you've listened to the whole album.

My favourite tracks from this album are Bear (5) and Epilogue (10).
Bear because of its 3 minutes and 54 seconds of a paradox, which i think is a really interesting feature to the album, and shows how talented the writers (the band) are.

Epilogue because for me it IS the most depressing, deep, emotional, powerful song on the album (**SPOILER**) as its about her (the girl who has cancer, the love interest) death. Of course ive heard of songs about loved ones dying (for example As Your Voice Fades by Emery) but ive never heard it in such a way as The Antlers portray it. For story albums its one of the best endings i've heard (even in comparison to films or books).