Conceived over a few years, album number seven from The Antlers entitled Blight was inspired by worldly fears about the state of the planet and how society has evolved into the nasty mess it now appears to be. Effectively the work of Peter Silberman, these nine tracks were recorded in Peter’s home studio and mostly utilise a minimalist approach in terms of instrumentation.
The vibe is warm and comforting on the opening song ‘Consider the Source’ which has a beautiful melody and rich instrumentation. Booming percussion puts some oomph into the mellow ‘Pour’ before a wonderfully angelic ending. ‘Carnage’ starts so delicate and frail using spacious arrangements before shifting to some dexterous percussion and a blazing guitar solo as the song explodes with vitality.
Album title track ‘Blight’ sashays with a silky elegance before breakbeats add a little bite. ‘Something In the Air’ is all about the grand finale when a contrasting hurricane of distorted sounds swoops with dramatic effect. ‘Deactivate’ strips back the instrumentation as a delicately plucked acoustic guitar underpins Peter’s soothing falsetto. The sprightly ‘Calamity’ merrily breezes by with a drippy beat leading the way. Pushing the envelope of minimalism ‘A Great Flood’ is barely there with only a warm waft of synths to accompany Peter’s fragile delivery. The album closes with ‘They Lost All Of Us’, an instrumental full of melancholy as piano rolls over waves lapping on a shore (literally).
Blight is another little gem to add to the treasure box of music from The Antlers. A perfect companion to a warm fire on a cold winter’s evening.
