How do you follow an album like Hospice, one of the most emotionally draining records in recent memory? Well, frankly, you don’t. And if you’re smart, you don’t try.
Which is exactly what The Antlers are doing. Peter Silberman and company took to the stage at NPR’s SXSW daytime showcase at the Parish in Austin to premiere their new album, Burst Apart, in its entirety for the first time. Playing the album from beginning to end, the band gave the audience (and those listening on the NPR live stream) a taste of what is essentially its sophomore full length. The record isn’t exactly dance music, but there are more traditional pop elements and more synth grooves. Gone is the feedback fuzz of “Kettering,” replaced by a band that, for the first time, seems happy on stage.
Playing the album’s ten songs over the course of a little more than forty-five minutes, the Antlers seemed genuine and grateful for a group of disciples eager to hear new tracks from the band. Silberman seemed more comfortable, keys player Darby Cicci got more time on the microphone, and the crowd managed to, for maybe the first time in history, dance to an Antlers song.
Still, the band retains its emotional core in the songs on Burst Apart. The sixth song of the show (and the record) was a highlight, but one glance at the track title will remind you that it’s still not all rainbows and butterflies with this band. It’s a testament to the band’s twofold appeal that they can get a crowd to bop during a song like “Every Night My Teeth Are Falling Out.”
