The Antlers - Burst Apart Vs Hospice - Did it measure up?

I am completely obsessed with them right now. I recently turned 22 which was very difficult for me. I can no longer have fun and it wouldn't be all that weird if I had a child. I don't really care though obviously. To sweeten the deal I was given a two tickets to The Antlers by SUPERINJUCTION.

So on the twelfth of June I will be standing in front of them in all their glory, so much more than the mounted moose heads that I once considered antlers. Hospice quite simply blew me away. It was recommended to me not long after its release by a friend but I didn't get around to listening to it until about five months later.

I got a pre release live version of Burst Apart. I liked it admittedly but reasoned I would have to wait to listen to the studio version before making my mind up. I got the studio version a week ago. I suppose the big question surrounding the album was could it live up to Hospice which was an absolutely terrific album. Burst Apart is probably an absolutely terrific album, I struggle to fault it. Hospice was a very good album made great by Kettering and the two closing tracks Wake and Epilogue. This rendition of Kettering is absolutely sublime. Peter Silberman's singing is amazing and the gentle cymbals combine with the almost aquatic synth in a weird but brilliant way. Epilogue is a very very interesting song lyrically. For me it is dealing with a break up of some sort. He seems haunted by the antagonist, losing his job, bad dreams etc. As the closing track, and its title this song is making statement on the conclusion of the album. It does not seem to be a happy one and that is significant to say the least. Furthering this again in my opinion is the track before it Wake which is an eight minute epically beautiful and mournful and again a track you would struggle to take joy et al from.

Burst Apart again has a good conclusion, Corsicana and Putting The Dog To Sleep are probably my two favourite tracks on the album. Every Night My Teeth Are Falling Out is worth a mention as well. Burst Apart doesn't differ dramatically from Hospice and once again the same things impress, the impressive and ambitious vocals the melancholy air and the subtle usage of a wide range of instruments; bowed banjo, harp, trumpet, accordion. These same things shine through in Burst Apart. Yes you could say it is more of the same but thankfully for us more of the same has turned out to be good enough. The dramatic pleading of 'Prove to me, I'm not going to die alone' in Putting The Dog To Sleep is truly breathtaking. Silberman's voice soars and we are snapped back by just that a sharp snap of some instrument, I can't identify it. The almost spanish guitar in Every Night My Teeth Are Falling Out is a good example of the subtle developments present in this album. This song combines this spanish guitar playing with standard electric guitar and the resulting jam is amazing.

On first listen Burst Apart was great but not quite as good as Hospice. With a few more listens and a bit more of an appreciation for it I think Burst Apart is probably as good as Hospice. I would probably go with;

Hospice - 53/60
Burst Apart - 52/60

Yeah I rate shit out of sixty.

Peace