The Antlers – Blight

Has it really been sixteen years since Peter Silberman emerged as a quiet yet assured songwriting force with 2009’s Hospice? The Antlers, now a duo comprised of Silberman and drummer Michael Lerner, have been a consistent presence on the musical landscape ever since, rarely missing the mark with their sparse brand of melancholic indie rock. Blight is the pair’s first record in four years, and while their star has undoubtedly faded since those Hospice days, the quality of Silberman’s writing—not to mention his knack for an arrangement—certainly hasn’t.

Sonically, it’s still very much Sufjan without the pizzazz, or Iron & Wine without the, well, wine. Songs drift into borderline ambient territory at times—the mournful “They Lost All Us” is a fine example—while others (“Something In The Air”) explode into peculiarly polite crescendos. Blight’s power lies in its thoughtful lyrics, which touch upon themes of consumerism (“Consider The Source”) and humanity’s thoughtless destruction of the planet (“Calamity”). The way Silberman gently delivers sharp, critical lines, such as “rotting garden where crud and convenience combine,” adds a curious potency to his message and avoids the sense of preachiness that often burdens more anthemic protest songs.

This is a record that rewards investment. If you’re willing to focus on the lyrics and immerse yourself in its themes, Blight is arguably the band’s best post-Hospice work.

Blight is out now via Transgressive Records.