Hospice
by The Antlers
User Score
8.7

Universal acclaim- based on 157 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 143 out of 157
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 157
  3. Negative: 13 out of 157

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  1. NathanielT
    Nov 6, 2009
    10
    Sometimes I struggle not to cry when listening to this. Perhaps I'm not so cynical after all, or perhaps this is just incredibly powerful?
  2. alexg
    Aug 30, 2009
    10
    Best album since Radiohead s In Rainbows!
  3. JohnO.
    Apr 13, 2010
    10
    This is one of the best albums I have ever heard.. Brings me to tears. What a great band.
  4. bobj
    Aug 19, 2009
    10
    Best album of 2009.
  5. BillyC.
    Aug 21, 2009
    10
    Easily the best album of 2009 thus far.
  6. pauld
    Aug 25, 2009
    10
    Absolutely stunning album! Better than anything I've heard in years..... a cinch for album of 2009. What a talented band!!!
  7. JamesP.
    Aug 29, 2009
    10
    Currently halfway through this album, and I don't need to finish it to already know 10/10 passion and feeling went straight into this album, followed up with a great sound.
  8. DavidS
    Aug 30, 2009
    10
    I get shivers every time I listen to this album. It is full of emotions, and worth a listen.
  9. Bman
    Sep 1, 2009
    10
    Heartbreaking. Some of the best lyrics I've heard in a while and one of the best albums I've heard this year. Highlights are Atrophy, Bear, Thirteen and Shiva. Gets better every time you listen to it, although first impressions aren't too bad, either.
  10. GoliathR
    Nov 16, 2009
    10
    I can count on my fingers the number of records I can sit down and listen to all the way through repeatedly. Hospice is one of them. Easily my favorite album of 2009. 10 is deserved.
  11. charliem
    Nov 5, 2009
    10
    Hands down, favorite album of the decade. No joke. Unbelievably powerful.
  12. jr
    Oct 23, 2009
    10
    We've all been there - illness, mortality, the hospital. Antlers provides an artful portrait.
  13. brenk
    Oct 25, 2009
    10
    I keep listening to this on my ipod, over and over. Its haunting.
  14. SatreN
    Oct 29, 2009
    10
    One of the most powerful and tragic albums I have ever heard, it has this broad scope of melancholy emotions that just brings you to your knees. I think this has to be one of best albums of this decade.
  15. BrianM
    Oct 9, 2009
    10
    On first listen I was only somewhat impressed with album. The real power is in the emotional delivery of the vocals and the weighty lyrics. Death, sickness and loss never felt so beautiful and cathartic. This is probably one of my favorites for the year and certainly has the emotional depth that is missing in most music today.
  16. Davis
    Aug 18, 2009
    10
    Nothing this year comes close to being as powerful as Hospice. Best disc of the year.
  17. a.nony-mous
    Aug 21, 2009
    10
    It's quite a feat to make music that goes from subdued to grandiose without making it sound pretentious. this album is able to walk that line perfectly, drawing a surprisingly wide range of emotions out of the listener. if you like music of this genre, this is definitely one of the top albums of 2009.
  18. KeithW
    Aug 31, 2009
    10
    Breathtaking, touching yet not overdone at all. The singer makes this record one that many can empathise with.
  19. StephenW.
    Aug 18, 2009
    10
    Amazing.
  20. Gary
    Sep 18, 2009
    10
    A haunting, emotionally draining masterpiece. If 2009 is going to see a better album than Hospice, it had better hurry.
  21. bobj
    Sep 26, 2009
    10
    Best album of 2009.
  22. ChrisK
    Nov 15, 2009
    10
    Sad, touching, beautiful, and occasionally rocking. The best album I've heard this year.
  23. druss
    Nov 3, 2010
    10
    Incredibly moving. If you really listen to the thing front to back you'd have to have a heart of stone not to well up a bit. The music compliments the words perfectly. A deeply inspired work of art.
  24. Delta_Spirit
    May 29, 2011
    10
    I heard about The Antlers, because a review had said they were similar to Arcade Fire, so I had to check them out. Turns out they have completely different styles, both of which I love. This album is absolutely stunning, and my favourite track has to be Kettering.
  25. AnarchistArtist
    Oct 16, 2013
    10
    Haunting, harrowing, and beautiful. It's a stunning concept album that you need to listen to straight through to really appreciate. I've heard varying perspectives on the story it tells, but to me it's about an emotionally abusive relationship in which the narrator tries to hold on to his relationship with a girl struggling to deal with her own possibly trauma-induced emotions. This isHaunting, harrowing, and beautiful. It's a stunning concept album that you need to listen to straight through to really appreciate. I've heard varying perspectives on the story it tells, but to me it's about an emotionally abusive relationship in which the narrator tries to hold on to his relationship with a girl struggling to deal with her own possibly trauma-induced emotions. This is told through an allegory of a hospital worker in a cancer ward who falls in love with a patient whose imminent death is the catalyst for their tumultuous relationship. The two stories blend ethereally together, almost as if drifting in and out of consciously, while other heart-breaking metaphors bleed into the story. The content of the lyrics is intense and the gorgeous, electronic and folk-influenced music creates a dangerous atmosphere that will draw you fully into the words. The album has no "happy" or "light" songs. The first lyrics of the album (in the song "Kettering") are "I wish that I had known in that first minute we met, the unpayable debt that I'd owe you". If you've ever felt pain from a relationship in your life (whether romantic or not) you'll be able to relate to the feelings the narrator displays for us the panic and horror of trying to hold on to something you know won't last, the feeling that your entire being is tearing apart when it ends, and the fear that you may never be the same person again.

    As a side note, it would definitely be helpful to follow along with the lyrics, because often, the narrator sometimes sings in undertones and the words often blend into the music to create that dream-like atmosphere. The downside is that you may miss a lot of the brilliantly poetic lyrics if you don't follow along.    … Expand
  26. Scratch
    Jan 23, 2017
    10
    It's hardly just a musical album. It's hardly just a story. It's hardly anything that you can put your finger on. It transcends those things, bringing you along with it, and grasps to pull everything up that you struggle so hard to keep down. Not only does it make you feel emotions you thought were long lost, it makes you -want- to feel them. There are times where you forget you're evenIt's hardly just a musical album. It's hardly just a story. It's hardly anything that you can put your finger on. It transcends those things, bringing you along with it, and grasps to pull everything up that you struggle so hard to keep down. Not only does it make you feel emotions you thought were long lost, it makes you -want- to feel them. There are times where you forget you're even listening to music, that these are guitars, drums, keyboards, and people making this music and telling you this story. The cleverness behind the two-sided lyrics tells you two stories at once, and once you hit the ending, you'll want more of both.… Expand
  27. jotaeseche
    Dec 31, 2014
    10
    It's more than a bunch of songs; it's a complete work of art, a story, a life, a new and aural experience. Few albums had such impact in my life so as to change it significantly: Hospice is one of them. It's simply magic.
  28. jamison_johnson
    May 13, 2014
    10
    This album expresses the roller coaster of sadness, and still makes it sound beautiful. This is a must listen to anyone who likes music, or has feelings.
  29. abnerabner
    Sep 21, 2014
    10
    It's amazing the significance than can be put into an album, and Hospice is the perfect example. It might not be the happiest thing you'll ever hear, but it's certainly worth listening, and arguably the best Antlers allbum there is.
  30. DarrenV
    Aug 20, 2009
    9
    Stunningly emotional.
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Awards & Rankings

34
#34 Best Album of 2009
24
#24 Most Discussed Album of 2009
35
#35 Most Shared Album of 2009

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
83

Universal acclaim - based on 21 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 20 out of 21
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 21
  3. Negative: 0 out of 21
  1. Delusions of Adequacy
    90
    This quintet of musicians are making a name for themselves and with Hospice, they have remarkably made one of 2009’s best albums.
    Read full review
  2. Lost At Sea
    100
    Hospice sits squarely in this camp, a heartbreaking aural experience that hits us on a deeper level.
    Read full review
  3. NOW Magazine
    80
    Hospice isn’t uplifting or hopeful; it explores themes of dejection through delicate, beautiful sounds.
    Read full review
See all critic reviews »