Review: The Antlers @ The Academy 2

For their first Dublin show, The Antlers must have been a little crestfallen to discover that they had to recreate the fragility of the much lauded 'Hospice' in the restricted confines of the Academy 2 venue. Surely one of the most appalling venues in the capital with no stage, questionable acoustics and limited capacity - this show sold out weeks ago - the band clamber on 'stage' a little after 9pm. Frontman Peter Silberman looks far younger than you'd imagine and far too young to have penned the bleak narrative of 'Hospice', one of the year's finest records. And it is the hype surrounding that record which has everyone packed in here tonight, quite literally hoping to catch a glimpse of the band given the setting. 'Hospice' has been the 2009 recipient of the same blog-orchestrated hype which saw Bon Iver's 'For Emma' sweep the boards at the end of last year's polls and is likely to do the same for The Antlers this year.
'Hospice' has indeed some wonderful songs but it loses momentum at vital moments, just when you want the tension ratcheted up a notch. And so it is tonight with the band choosing to open with 'Kettering' - probably the best song on 'Hospice' - but which meanders somewhat initially, until halfway through when the band let loose and Silberman shrieks his way to the song's conclusion. For me, there are too many times tonight in what is a desperately short set - a mere 8 songs - when the band fail to connect. From a technical point of view everything clicks but for an album that exists on such an emotional knife edge, it's strange to leave The Academy by the show's end feeling unmoved. There's also the feeling that the band need to grow some more and that many of the songs follow the very same blueprint which invariably end with Silberman on his knees flailing wildly on his guitar. Highlight of the night for me is a beefed up version of 'Two' which puts much needed flesh on the original version on 'Hospice'. Not a disappointment as such then but occasionally underwhelming.