Less than half a year after their wonderfully assimilated interpretation of the Peter Silberman solo number Ahimsa charm The Antlers with the contemplative jewel I Was Not There.
On the single, which stands alone for the time being – but the artwork is definitely on Ahimsa – the band consisting of Silberman and drummer Michael Lerner, with the support of standing bassist Logan Coale, leads the aesthetic of Green to Gold (2021) back to her masterpiece Familiars (2014).
The sparse but physical use of the bass drum throbs like the slow-motion heartbeat of the ether, a lonely Radiohead piano and Silberman’s androgynous voice roam thoughtfully before the rhythm wriggles in a jazzy, decelerated, sauntering way, a vague contemporary R&B flair into slowcore, so to speak – and offers indie folk trademarks of the band. The textures sparkle, the melody drifts dreamily by.
there is I Was Not There always as melancholic as leaning back, typically gentle and cuddly, but articulating his emotional longing with a calm composure, whose penchant for avoiding confrontations is definitely symptomatic.
The Antlers meanwhile they sound more comforting and aesthetic than stirring and affecting, shimmering and sparkling like soul balm, whose songwriting is patient and unreal, offering no demonstrative redemption to the arc of suspense (unfortunately – at least standing on its own), surprises or impulses without being overwhelming – or magic – wistful smiles away.
A bit like arriving, less at oneself than at one’s own place in the universe. Or as Silverman says: “Perhaps counterintuitively, “I Was Not There” is about the elusive experience of complete presence. Across three scenes, the song describes fleeting moments of clarity and wholeness, and the accompanying feeling of leaving yourself.“
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