9. Familiars / The Antlers

The Antlers have secured their third Top Twenty appearance.  On fifth album, Familiars, the Brooklyn three-piece create a richly-layered inner world, showcasing the band's wholly original sound and presence.  Lead vocalist and guitarist Peter Silberman wrings out his personal hangups and frustrations, which are gracefully rendered by his singular voice and enhanced by David Lerner's subtle percussion and Darbi Cicci's sophisticated work on the the trumpet, bass, synthesizer, piano, and organ.

2009's Hospice scattered emotional wreckage with disjointed guitars and noise-rock flurries, while 2011's Burst Apart infused spare keyboards and drum rhythms into the band's growing oeuvre.  Familiars is notably more intricate than either of those records, gloriously weighty and dense, the interplay between voice, guitar, piano, and trumpet a profoundly involved listening experience.  You will not be released without being submerged.

Silberman still breaks your heart with his falsetto, of course (see "Hotel"), but his evocative guitar playing is equally impressive here, understated, tonal, sinewy, and spiky.  (See "Directed" and "Revisited").  Cicci's stately trumpet arrangements are textured and heavyhearted (see "Palace" and "Parade"), while his elegant key and bass work is dark-hued and deft (see "Refuge").  During the band's live show this past summer, two things were striking.  First, Silberman carries the vocal torch with aplomb; his falsetto is full and unforced, and his lower register is strong.  Second, Cicci's lead trumpet was superb, if not the highlight of the entire show.

The fierce emotional and lyrical content on Hospice depicted both fictional and autobiographical accounts of then 23-year sold Silberman's isolation and depression.  But the music's aural power--and his ever-reaching voice--developed into something astonishing and soaring.  On Familiars, it feels as if Silberman is in a better place, healed up and hopeful, although the record is still uncertain and nocturnal, best suited for a lonely apartment or a late-night and solitary walk through the city.  If you are looking for a deep and rewarding listening experience, this is your kind of record.