The Antlers | Burst Apart | Long | Distance

The Antlers | Burst Apart

8 Comments 26 | May | 2011

Considering my previously scathing dissertation on #1 fanaticism displayed at The Antlers live show last year, I find myself in the difficult position of being whole-heartedly obsessed with their new album, Burst Apart, but not crossing the boundary into “that guy” territory. For the purposes of this post I’m choosing to let loose with my profound love of The Antlers on the premise that my unabashed raving online is nowhere near as intrusive or annoying as being in the presence of an intoxicated and overzealous front-row-fan who is on the verge of forcefully climaxing through denim.

Additionally, this post will serve as my primary outlet for sharing my extremely positive sentiment regarding the band because upon close inspection of their tour schedule they have chosen to forego a stop in San Diego. Hmmmm….I wonder why. Perhaps the audience at LA’s El Rey Theatre will bear witness to similar antics performed by a traveling fan. Lucky them. Or perhaps Darby Cicci will go postal and throttle the life out of their #1 fan. Undoubtedly, detectives would piece together the choke marks and the stained jeans, concluding yet another case of autoerotic asphyxiation (see David Carradine).

~ CASE CLOSED ~

Barring this wacky forecast comes true, I’m hoping The Antlers will go on making brilliant and thoughtful records. No pressure guys, but it’s really tough to wait for new material when everything you release is pure gold. For now I will focus on the masterpiece the Brooklyn threesome dropped on May 10, 2011.

The follow-up to 2009’s critically acclaimed Hospice (and #2 on my Top Albums of 2009), Burst Apart picks up right where they left off, making beautiful yet haunting indie rock. Peter Silberman works the scales displaying impressive falsetto jumps on the album opener “I Don’t Want Love,” while continuing to tinker with the push and pull of human relationships. The magnificently crafted first single is a perfect reintroduction to their unique brand of torment and sorrow, setting the tone for the nine gorgeous train wrecks thereafter.

While it is not apparent The Antlers have settled on a formulaic approach to song-writing, the majority of the album traces its roots to constructs found on Hospice. However, each has been nudged in a slightly new direction, lending fresh perspective and keeping critics from crying foul on a band for rebranding and reselling the same album.

Similar to Hospice’s symbolic finale, “Wake,” the new album closes with “Putting the Dog to Sleep.” Let me be the first to say that it’s every bit as gut-wrenching as the title would have you believe. I’m reserving further comments for a later post, but suffice it to say, THIS IS BY FAR MY FAVORITE SONG OF 2011.

Bookended by two of the most outstanding tracks of the year, the album’s core could have been a re-release of Ugly Kid Joe and I would still be falling all over myself, slathering praise from here to heaven. Instead they went and did us a solid by packing a tight 42 minutes of genius in a back-to-back x5 format.

The shear amount of despair woven into the lyrics is almost too much to handle and gives the feeling that the album’s name signals the emotional outcome. But while Burst Apart may be full of misery, but it makes for great company.

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TALKING POINTS
What’s your favorite track on the new album?
Which of the concerts you have attended hosted the worst case of #1 fanaticism?
Do you own, or have you ever owned Ugly Kid Joe’s album, America’s Least Wanted?