| Hospice | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | March 23, 2009 | |||
| Recorded | July 2007 – August 2008 | |||
| Studio | Watcher's Woods,Brooklyn | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 51:47 | |||
| Label | Frenchkiss | |||
| Producer | The Antlers | |||
| The Antlers chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Hospice | ||||
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Hospice is the thirdstudio album by Americanindie rock bandThe Antlers, and their firstconcept album. It was initially self-distributed by the band in March 2009, and was eventually remastered and re-released once they signed toFrenchkiss Records in August of the same year.[2][3]
Set inNew York City'sMemorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, which the second track is named after,Hospice tells the story of a relationship between ahospice 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.[4][5] The story of her deterioration also serves 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.[6]
Before the release ofHospice, the band recorded and released a 3-song EP titled "New York Hospitals" through their MySpace page in June 2008. While two songs from the EP were covers of songs by Magnetic Fields andYo La Tengo, the song "Sylvia (An Introduction)" acts as a prologue to the events inHospice, with the titular character and melody of the song becoming a recurring motif throughout the album.[7]
The first single was "Bear", released in April 2009 to promote the self-released version ofHospice. "Two" was the first single released commercially, as a digital download in June 2009. The song's music video features a combination of photography andcutout animation, and was directed by Ethan Segal and Albert Thrower.[8] 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.[9] Additionally, an exclusive live recording of "Sylvia" at The Orchard inNew York City was released as a download on November 17, 2009.[10] "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 theIFC's website on April 15, 2010.[11]
On March 8, 2019,The Antlers reissuedHospice via Frenchkiss/Transgressive. The reissue was pressed on double white vinyl and featured updated artwork and packaging from artist Zan Goodman. The same year, The Antlers embarked on a 10th anniversary tour, playing the album in its entirety. However, Silberman's health concerns led them to perform acoustic versions of the songs during intimate shows in smaller venues. It was the band's first live performances since 2015. The tour officially marked the departure of multi-instrumentalist Darby Cicci.[12][13]
On February 14, 2025, the band releasedHospice at Ten: Live in Chicago, a live album recorded atThalia Hall in Chicago on April 5 and 6, 2019. It was released exclusively throughBandcamp, as a double LP or digital download.[14]
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AnyDecentMusic? | 7.8/10[15] |
| Metacritic | 83/100[16] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| The A.V. Club | A−[17] |
| The Daily Telegraph | [18] |
| The Guardian | [19] |
| The Irish Times | [20] |
| NME | 8/10[21] |
| Pitchfork | 8.5/10[22] |
| Q | [23] |
| Spin | 7/10[24] |
| Uncut | [25] |
The album was released to critical acclaim.Pitchfork endorsed the re-release ofHospice with their "Best New Music" stamp.[22]NPR Music placed the album at number one on their list of the top ten albums of early 2009.[26] 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."[27]Beats Per Minute named it the best album of 2009,[28] whileRhapsody deemed it the 24th best album of 2009.[29]
It sold 13,000 copies in the United States by October 9, according toNielsen SoundScan.[30]
All songs written byPeter Silberman. In the liner notes, all songs are given alternate titles.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 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 |
Yep. She is on 'Kettering,' 'Thirteen,' 'Two' and 'Shiva.'
