You know what you're getting with The Antlers, unlimited emotion for even
the bravest of men. Right from Peter Silberman's inception as a solo artist,
The Antlers' music has been as eerie as Aphex Twin, but as emotionally connective
as a Jeff Mangum penned song. Hospice was undeniably a powerful concept
album in the back end of the 00s, paving the way for the dream pop styles of Burst
Apart in 2011. Silberman is backed by drummer Michael Lerner and multi-instrumentalist
Darby Cicci, adding a band feel to Burst Apart from what was essentially
a solo project with Hospice. The Antlers announced their fifth album Familiars
set for a June release, putting out "Palace" as the pre-release
single.
"Palace" sounds unlike Burst Apart, unlike Hospice,
and unlike the lo-fi recordings of Silberman's past. It’s light, breezy, and
boasts a brass instrumental to go with the already excellent falsetto vocals and
reverberated percussion. Lyrically, "Palace" is excellent: "Then
when heaven has a line around the corner, we shouldn’t have to wait around and
hope to get in," highly imaginative lyrics, what we've come to
expect from Silberman - "if we can carpenter a home in our heart
right now, and carve a palace from within." If "Palace"
is an indication of anything, then it's indicating the level of skill and
quality, Silberman, Cicci, and Lerner poses when creating textures that bridge
indie rock with dream pop delicately - it's time to get excited.
~Eddie Gibson
