Familiars
16 June 2014
ANTI-
4 stars out of 5
Now five albums into their career, Peter Silberman’s The
Antlers seem to have migrated as far as possible from their lo-fi folk origins
while still maintaining their recognizable Antler-ness. Although there isn’t a
lot going on here that could qualify as “folk” anymore, Silberman’s songwriting
transcends genre and works in a realm high in the clouds above all that
territorial nonsense. (Can’t see no borders from space! Well, except for the
one between Haïti and the Dominican
Republic
The arrangement of tracks like the trumpet-soaked “Hotel”
and “Intruders” give them a feel as wide open as your mom’s legs were last
night. Instead of density, hollowness is the quality best used to describe the
sound of Familiars. The result is
that the music has a stunning depth to it—there’s a whole world inside each
song that you can crawl into and walk around in. In addition, Silberman & Co. favour longer arrangements (the shortest piece here
lasts a mere 4:57), allowing you enough time to escape from each song after
your extended explorations within them.
Though their softness for concept albums has earned them a
reputation for being the Pink Floyd of lo-fi folk, The Antlers don’t operate
within either the lo-fi or folk realms anymore. Nor is there a hint of
pretension to be found on Familiars—the
listener isn’t asked to forgive any awkward passages in the name of a greater
vision; each track is a rewarding experience in and of itself. Yet another
solid album from one of Brooklyn ’s better
bands.
reviewed by Richard Krueger
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