Sufjan Stevens is far from obscure, but I tend to have a rather skewed view of what is "popular" and what isn't, so I'm going to go ahead and recommend this one anyway. Soofyahn's long-term goal of producing an album for every state in the U.S. is, to me, ridiculous, though I understand from his bandmates that he is quite serious about it. I have to say, though, that even if he only did EPs and worked hard to put out 2 a year of constant good quality, he would be more than middle aged before he finished. His Michigan record was excellent, showing a songwriter really entering his element and establishing an original and instantly recognizable sound, one which nonetheless changes drastically from song to song and album to album. His follow-up, Seven Swans, considered sort of a bonus by some but a truly independent album by others, was also very good, but in my opinion spotty. Fast forward to the present: I saw Sufjan at the Triple Door, an excellent show which made me focus on the music which, after having listened to his new album only once or twice, I had (shame!) somewhat dismissed. Seeing them live made me reconsider the album and its significantly different feel.
I must warn you that this album is very long - 25 songs or so taking up close to 80 minutes. Even I, your brave hero, have only had the constitution to listen to it straight through a few times. Furthermore, the track names themselves are so long that I am going to have to abbreviate them. That said, I feel there is a ton of great music here and I'm sure they had a hard time cutting it down to its current length because it's solid pretty much the whole way through.
It begins with the plaintive piano and wind ballad "Concerning the UFO sightings..." before "The Black Hawk War..." begins, a song less a song than an announcement of the album to come. Next, "Come on, feel the Illinoise!" drops in and you may become disillusioned. The song is representative of what I was hesitant about on this album. The fact that horn, xylophone, and piano are the primary instruments creates a kind of whimsical alternate musical reality which is difficult to accept - your mind chafes at the idea that this music with its snarky rhymes, boppy rhythm, and Smurf chorus could possibly be the same guy who made songs like "Sleeping Bear, Sault St. Marie" and "In the Devil's Territory."
After the initial shock, though, you must continue to listen carefully, because the same tight songwriting and intricate instrumentation is there, though the pomp has been turned up significantly and the production as a whole is decidedly larger. Even by the end of "Come on..." you can see clearly the same Sufjan as before: listen carefully to him alternate with the female vocals - hear the horns interacting with the strings? Hear the counter-melodies, the simultaneous lift and the descent, the bass, the drums working in concert? This is what you wanted!
Now, to go through this album track by track would be madness - I'd lose my mind and you would skip it anyway. I'd still like to mention that standout tracks include "Decatur," "The Predatory Wasp of the Palisades" and "The Tallest Man, the Broadest Shoulders" among others.
Here, then, are my simple instructions to you: If you haven't heard of Sufjan Stevens, check out Michigan and Seven Swans first. If you haven't heard this one yet, get it now. If you heard it and didn't really like it, as I did, give it another shot, listen hard once, and the great stuff will come out to stay. Also, for the record, you girls in the band are pretty hot, and if you read this, come back to Seattle.
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