Hospice, the sophomore album from Brooklyn based band The Antlers is one of the best albums of 2009.

Through its eerie, whispered vocals, ambient and transitory tracks and poetic lyrics Hospice tells the story of a man whose wife is suffering from a terminal cancer at the end of her life. 

As heartbreaking as its inspiration the album artfully weaves between ambient, repetitive and instrumental melodies reminiscent of Talkdemonic and hushed indie pop constructions similar to early Neutral Milk Hotel. 

Key tracks such as "Bear," "Two" and "Shiva" effortlessly incorporate light hearted pop elements with ghostly xylophone, solitary piano and haunting background noise to give the listener a distinct sense of deep introspection. Throughout the album, the listener is overwhelmed with a sense of eerie childlike nostalgia, heartbreaking melancholy, and reflection in the face of powerful loss, and is left with an uncannily beautiful and moving listening experience. 

Lauren Faulkner is the program director at KUPS 90.1FM in Tacoma.