The Antlers- Burst Apart

The Antlers new album "Burst Apart" is being released on May 10th. I've already listened to the live set they did of the album while performing at SXSW, and right now I'm listening to the actual recording thanks to NPR (you can listen to it here: The Antlers- Burst Apart). Like most of their fans, I found out about the band when "Hospice" was released, and I fell in love immediately. To say that "Hospice" was a powerful album would be a major understatement. The emotions flood every song, and it's hard to not feel the pain when listening to the lyrics that Peter Silberman pours out with his unique vocals. Once I heard this album, I immediately hoped that they would release yet another record, and I checked out Peter's first album that he released as The Antlers as well (which is also worth checking out).

Now the day has almost come for the new Antlers album that their fans have eagerly been anticipating, and I have to say, I'm pretty relieved that it's not as heartwrenching as "Hospice" is with its conceptual story. I don't think anything could compare to that album, if they attempted to do something like that again. If that's what fans are looking for, they probably are going to be confused by "Burst Apart", but I hope that fans give this new album a careful listen, because it is definitely a solid piece of work. The sound is a lot different than "Hospice" and their other recordings, but I can definitely appreciate it when bands let their sound grow with them instead of trying to maintain the same music with new lyrics. That method to song writing limits the possibilities for the band, and also becomes quite boring for the listener. Of course there is also the other method where the band completely changes their sound, and their fans are left to wonder what happened to their music. You have to walk a fine line when writing albums I believe, don't make it too similar to other albums, that's boring, but don't change the sound so dramatically that your fans can't even recognize your music. Luckily, fans of The Antlers should be pretty excited when May 10th comes around, because Peter Silberman and company have crafted a new album that is different from their other work, but doesn't stray too far from the path that has helped them gain many fans in the indie rock scene. I have to say, I can't wait until they come around the midwest on tour this year, I think they will definitely be a show that shouldn't be missed!