The Antlers are not just another band that calls Brooklyn its home. The humble trio of sultry groove and soaring talent will perform at the 9:30 Club on July 25, and attendees undoubtedly picked the right move to start their weekend. Band members Peter Silberman (lead vocals/guitar), Darby Cicci (multi-instrumentalist) and Michael Lerner (percussion) have a rare ability to hypnotize listeners, sounding like symphonic swirls of sophistication. The Antler’s most recent record, “Familiars,” emphasizes flowing tempos, bluesy horns and trademark melancholy themes.
Seven years and four albums later, these modest musicians have developed and adjusted their slow-tempo indie rock sound as if each album were created in an entirely new dimension. A fan base first grew around the band’s 2009 deeply somber record “Hospice,” which hauntingly narrated one’s dealing with loss. But since then, the band still seemed shyly swept away, even with 2011’s more electronic “Burst Apart.”
“Familiars,” released in June, brings The Antlers back into focus. Like lullabies for grownups, each track gently sheds light on serious self-reflection while. arrangement-wise, the tracks are fuller and sonically matured. In the past, Silberman may have felt weary of his own voice, but anyone who experiences its hypnotic effortlessness will have trouble finding any flaws. His voice glides like satin over passionate horns and a dash of jazz groove weaves behind it all. Once swept up into the Antlers’ sounds, people will not want the songs to end.
Since the release of “Familiars” in June, The Antlers have hit the road for a full U.S. tour. They will be accompanied by opener and fellow New York group the dreamy Mr. Twin Sister and fans have high expectations. While The Antlers’ music impacts listeners on a deeply personal level, it will be exciting to hear what they have in store for its live gig. Its sound may seem soft and its lyrics like the pages of a private journal, but powerful musicianship just might be what takes full sonic bloom on stage.
