Antlers hail from Richmond, VA and enlist ex and current members of Mass Movement of the Moth!, Gregor Samsa, If You Are Who You Say You Are, and Resonance as well as the vocal touch of Erin Tobey. Perhaps it is that diverse background that leads to why Antlers self-titled debut is such an eclectic and thrilling listen. The band plays mainly instrumental music with the exception of a couple of songs that showcase brilliantly placed vocals. Antlers are wildly inventive and are able to shed any and all genre tags on their debut LP. From the powerful strains of the opening track, “Black Walnut,” to the noodly stylings of “Dogwood,” Antlers leaves the listener in great anticipation of what is next to come. Songs like “Water Tupelo” and “Catalpa” head off into new, exciting waters and actually recall the heavenly nature of a band like Anathallo. Antlers are able to accomplish more in 22 minutes of music than most bands are capable of in a lifetime. From sharp bursts of melody to shards of dissonance, this is the sound of pure creativity. This LP is a rare, exciting gem that makes you wonder what the hell all these other bands are doing with their precious time.
Genre: Indie/Rock
RIYL: Anathallo, Jacob And I, Braid
Label: Rorschach
Catalpa
Black Walnut
on Mar 12th, 2008 at 10:27 pm
[…] I just mentioned Gregor Samsa in the Antlers review, the band’s new album, Rest, is up for streaming on their myspace page here. I reviewed the […]
on Apr 18th, 2008 at 3:46 pm
[…] EP last year. But, I really can not say enough about how great this album is. Neck and neck with Antlers as my album of the year so far. Look for the review next week. Hopefully, I can do it […]
on Jun 16th, 2008 at 12:04 am
[…] on the track “Airstream”. “Math Biographies” sounds just as angelic as Antlers (songs like “Water Tupelo” and “Catalpa”) were on their debut LP earlier this year. The […]