Hospice (The Antlers album)

Hospice is the third studio album by American indie rock band The Antlers, and their first concept album. It was initially self-distributed by the band in March 2009, and was eventually remastered and re-released once they signed to Frenchkiss Records in August of the same year.[2][3]

Hospice
Studio album by
The Antlers
ReleasedMarch 23, 2009
RecordedJuly 2007 – August 2008
StudioWatcher's Woods, Brooklyn
Genre
Length51:47
LabelFrenchkiss
ProducerThe Antlers
The Antlers chronology
In the Attic of the Universe
(2007)		 Hospice
(2009)		 Burst Apart
(2011)
Singles from Hospice
  1. "Bear"
    Released: April 2009
  2. "Two"
    Released: June 22, 2009
  3. "Sylvia"
    Released: March 22, 2010

Concept

Hospice tells the story of a relationship between a hospice worker and a female patient suffering from terminal bone cancer, their ensuing romance, and their slow downward spiral as a result of the woman's traumas, fears, and disease as a metaphor for an abusive relationship. Frontman Peter Silberman has been reluctant to divulge explicit details regarding the meaning of the record, and the extent to which it is autobiographical.[4] Silberman has described it as the story of an emotionally abusive relationship.

Reception
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?7.8/10[5]
Metacritic83/100[6]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
The A.V. ClubA−[7]
The Daily Telegraph[8]
The Guardian[9]
The Irish Times[10]
NME8/10[11]
Pitchfork8.5/10[12]
Q[13]
Spin7/10[14]
Uncut[15]

The album was released to critical acclaim. Pitchfork endorsed the re-release of Hospice with their "Best New Music" stamp.[12] NPR Music placed the album at number one on their list of the top ten albums of early 2009.[16] At the end of the year, Pitchfork placed it number 37 on their list of the best albums of 2009, praising its "power to emotionally destroy listeners."[17] Beats Per Minute named it the best album of 2009,[18] while Rhapsody deemed it the 24th best album of 2009.[19]

It sold 13,000 copies in the United States by October 9, according to Nielsen SoundScan.[20]

Singles

The first single was "Bear", released in April 2009 to promote the self-released version of Hospice. "Two" was the first single released commercially, as a digital download in June 2009. The song's music video features a combination of photography and cutout animation, and was directed by Ethan Segal and Albert Thrower.[21] In the United Kingdom, "Bear" was released on 7-inch vinyl on November 16, 2009, featuring an exclusive remix of "Bear" by Darby Cicci on the B-side.[22] Additionally, an exclusive live recording of "Sylvia" at The Orchard in New York City was released as a download on November 17, 2009.[23] "Sylvia" was issued as the third proper single on March 22, 2010. A music video was produced for the song, directed by Trey Hock, and premiered on the IFC's website on April 15, 2010.[24] The song "Kettering" was featured in the following shows and films: Chuck (season 3, episode 13), Sense8 (season 1, episode 1), The 100 (season 1, episode 10), indie film Camp X-Ray, "Offspring" (season 1, episode 5), Fear the Walking Dead (season 1, episode 6), and Riverdale (2017 TV series) (season 4, episode 14).

Track listing

All songs written by Peter Silberman. In the liner notes, all songs are given alternate titles.

No.TitleLength
1."Prologue" (Hospice)2:35
2."Kettering" (Bedside Manner)5:10
3."Sylvia" (Sliding Curtains Shining Children's Heads)5:27
4."Atrophy" (Rings Ill-Fitting)7:40
5."Bear" (Children Become Their Parents Become Their Children)3:54
6."Thirteen" (Sylvia Speaks)3:11
7."Two" (I Would Have Saved Her If I Could)5:56
8."Shiva" (Portacaths Switched)3:45
9."Wake" (Letting People In)8:44
10."Epilogue" (Sylvia Alive In Nightmares)5:25

Release history
Country Date Label Format Catalog no.
United States March 23, 2009 The Antlers Music CD 7 26167-4620-2 3
August 18, 2009 Frenchkiss Records CD (remastered) FKR041-2
LP FKR041-1
United Kingdom October 19, 2009 Frenchkiss/Studio !K7 CD FK041CD

Credits

Personnel
  • Peter Silberman – vocals, guitar, accordion, harmonica, harp, keyboards
  • Darby Cicci – trumpet, bowed banjo
  • Michael Lerner – drums, percussion
  • Justin Stivers – bass
  • Sharon Van Etten – vocals on "Kettering," "Thirteen," "Two," and "Shiva"[25]

Production
  • Recorded at Watcher's Woods, Brooklyn
  • Mastered by Greg Calbi at Sterling Sound
  • Original release mastered by Timothy Stollenwerk
  • Artwork by Zan Goodman
  • Design by Darby Cicci
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References
  1. Lymangrover, Jason. "Hospice – The Antlers". AllMusic. Retrieved July 1, 2010.
  2. "Interview with Peter Silberman". Archived from the original on June 30, 2012. Retrieved July 4, 2009.
  3. "The Antlers: An Album Review". Archived from the original on August 4, 2009. Retrieved July 4, 2009.
  4. Ayers, Michael D. (August 21, 2009). "Interview: The Antlers' Peter Silberman on their strikingly haunting debut Hospice and those nagging Arcade Fire comparisons". The Village Voice. Retrieved August 21, 2009.
  5. "Hospice by The Antlers reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved January 8, 2020.
  6. "Reviews for Hospice by The Antlers". Metacritic. Retrieved July 1, 2010.
  7. Kornhaber, Spencer (August 18, 2009). "The Antlers: Hospice". The A.V. Club. Retrieved May 7, 2016.
  8. McCormick, Neil (November 18, 2009). "The Antlers: Hospice". The Daily Telegraph.
  9. Hughes, Tom (October 22, 2009). "The Antlers: Hospice". The Guardian. Retrieved May 7, 2016.
  10. Carroll, Jim (March 27, 2009). "The Antlers: Hospice (Self-release)". The Irish Times. Retrieved July 1, 2010.
  11. "The Antlers: Hospice". NME. 2009.
  12. Howe, Brian (August 4, 2009). "The Antlers: Hospice". Pitchfork. Retrieved July 1, 2010.
  13. "The Antlers: Hospice". Q (281): 111. December 2009.
  14. Fitzmaurice, Larry (August 2009). "The Antlers: Hospice". Spin. 25 (8): 84. Retrieved May 5, 2016.
  15. "The Antlers: Hospice". Uncut (151): 98. December 2009.
  16. Hilton, Robin (February 26, 2009). "2009 already better than 2008". NPR Music. Retrieved July 4, 2009.
  17. "Staff Lists: The Top 50 Albums of 2009". Pitchfork. December 17, 2009. Retrieved December 17, 2009.
  18. "The Top 50 Albums of 2009". Beats Per Minute. December 21, 2009. Retrieved January 11, 2010.
  19. "The 25 Best Albums of 2009". Rhapsody. December 29, 2009. Archived from the original on July 31, 2010. Retrieved July 31, 2010.
  20. https://perpetua.tumblr.com/post/293484776/pitchfork-top-10-albums-in-us-sales
  21. "The Antlers — "Two"". Chart Attack. Archived from the original on June 7, 2011. Retrieved August 19, 2009.
  22. Antlers, The - Bear (7″) at Discogs
  23. "Sylvia: Live at The Orchard NYC: The Antlers". Amazon.com MP3 Downloads.
  24. Kim, Brandon (15 April 2010). "Exclusive! Video premiere: The Antlers' "Sylvia" + free EP!". IFC. Archived from the original on 18 April 2010. Retrieved 15 April 2010.
  25. Kaloudis, Evan; Koepp, Brent (December 21, 2009). "Interview: Peter Silberman of The Antlers". Beats Per Minute. Retrieved October 15, 2013. Yep. She is on 'Kettering,' 'Thirteen,' 'Two' and 'Shiva.'
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