The Antlers - "Burst Apart"

Artist: The Antlers
Record: Burst Apart
Label: Frenchkiss Records
Release Date: May 10th, 2011
Review by: Sean Kayden

The Antlers made huge waves in 2009 with their concept album, Hospice. It told the narrative of an emotionally disparage relationship, expressed through the analogy of a hospice worker and fatally ill patient. That record was on an array of best of the year lists from different publications. At the time of its release, I didn’t immediately dive head first into the compilation. I’m not objecting to the overwhelming praise Hospice received, but I can’t honestly say I agree either. Given my lack of knowledge of the band’s most profound material to date, I went into their follow-up album, Burst Apart with an open and uninfluenced mindset. While the ambition may not have been quite as high this time around, Burst Apart is an often subtle, perceptive, and emotive display of music. The record isn’t perfect, but The Antlers easily deliver some of the most personal, compelling, and heartbreaking songs of the year.

Founder/vocalist behind The Antlers, Peter Silberman’s voice is as soothing as they come by these days. It’s the kind of tone that can mend a broken heart. He sings in a crooning manner that floats on top of the delicacy and intimacy of the often times majestic arrangements. It is very easy to get immersed into the incontestable beauty of the songs. Tracks like “No Widows” and “Corsicana” will leave on the brink of tears. “No Widows” delves into the territory of solitude and death, while “Corsicana” speaks about two people trapped inside a room on fire. However, it’s Silberman’s tender voice that will shake you up and the overall aesthetics of these tunes that will have you recalling repressed memories. Where the album takes a few missteps is with songs like “Parentheses” and “Rolled Together”. The songs out of sync presence and/or possible resemblance to tracks off Hospice have them interrupting the incredibly fluid flow of the record. It’s an unfortunate scenario since Burst Apart could have been deemed an equal masterpiece to their previous landmark opus. Overall, there is too much good stuff here to wallow in slight disappointment over some misguided tunes.

“Putting The Dog To Sleep” is the ideal fitting cap to a record that will deeply affect you in more ways than initially imagined. The final track showcases Silberman’s reflective understanding of the parallels of life and death spoken with such clarity and of the likes of an old, wise soul. That’s saying a lot for a guy that’s still in his twenties. There is a very special feeling you’ll experience while listening to Burst Apart. It will effortlessly tug on the strings of your heart and gently guide you back to previous moments in life. My biggest problem though is that this elated sensation is short-lived due to the album clocking in at 41 minutes over the span of ten tracks (two tracks being ill-fitted for the record). Despite that minor imperfection, The Antlers’ forth record (second as a full band) is quite the unparalleled achievement in not only indie rock, but also all music across the board. Burst Apart will lift those heavy eyelids, alleviate that tiresome mind, and facilitate a wounded heart. If you’re in need of all or any of the aforementioned, do yourself a solid and pick up this amazing record.

Key Tracks: “I Don’t Want Love”, “No Widows”, “Corsicana”, “Putting The Dog To Sleep”
Grade: 8.9 out of 10

Published on May 28, 2011 by Mountain Views News
http://mtnviewsnews.com/v05/htm/n22/p11.htm