Two years spent writing and recording an album about your relationship with a terminally ill child evidently does wonders for your music. Who'd have thought. Peter Silberman is just 23, and together with Michael Lerner and Darby Cicci, they are The Antlers.

In March, they released their first full length album, Hospice, which was just re-released by French Kiss a couple of weeks ago. And godamn, is this one great album. I'm far from the first, and likely not the last to say that this is one of the best albums of the year. It's beautiful, varied, and full of life, despite, or perhaps because of, the depressing subject matter. The songs move effortlessly from trembling quiet to soaring exuberance, so comfortably it's beautiful, but so pop-ily that it's catchy.  Woxy lounge session.  Video of Hospice live in DC by NPR. Peter Silberman Interview. Awesome video for "Two" after the jump.

^{(photo by Alex Marvar / VanityFair.com)}

The Antlers - Kettering

The Antlers - Bear