Of all the bands to specialize in depression, Brooklyn’s The Antlers arguably make the best go at it. Their breakthrough, 2009’s “Hospice,” has the power to tug any willing listener into some kind of beautiful despair with its space-like atmospherics paired with Peter Silberman’s claustrophobic whispers and wails. Their follow-up came in last summer’s “Burst Apart,” which wasn’t so much a continuation as it was a trip down a slightly brighter tangent. It’s got its share of bleak matter – dying dogs, burning houses, failing body parts and crippling love affairs – but it also has a distinct warmth, an aura of comfort and safety, that allows you to sit peacefully in the flames.

Now, while more eyes are on The Antlers than ever before, they’re peeking their heads out of the studio with a 22-minute mile-marker of an EP that is very telling about the band’s focus and direction.

Entitled “Undersea,” with song titles such as “Endless Ladder,” “Drift Drive” and “Crest,” you only need some vague knowledge about their mastery in atmospheric soundscapes to realize that what they’re trying to do here is put you under water. But the surprise comes in how gently they take you there – you’ll spend stretches of time entranced by the rippling blue-green surface, cool liquid crawling down your ear canals, so, by the time you realize how deep you are, there’s no use flailing your arms around and trying to figure out which way is up. Panic and suffocation is in The Antlers’ blood, but they’re too smart to be super dramatic about it.

If there’s a disappointment here, for some listeners, it might be in the lyrics. While “Hospice” progressed in story-like detail and “Burst Apart” had imagery in its words that could seep into your dreams, Silberman keeps things as formless as water here, emphasizing distance and isolation through cryptic poetry. “Bathe underwater with me/ swim ‘til you’re half asleep,” he sings, at once hostile and alluring. What’s undeniably clear, however, is the musical unity between band members. “Undersea” finds them honing in on what makes them a unique band in a world where there are too many bands. The music soars and plunges without ever becoming too expansive or impersonal. They may be done telling stories for now, but they sure can take you somewhere.