Sufjan Stevens
Illinois
Asthmatic Kitty, 2005
Multi-instrumentalist Sufjan Stevens has released several albums over the past five years, with each getting better than the last. Much like his last foray into his project to musically document all 50 of the US states – 2003’s Michigan – Stevens’s new CD is a wonder of lush arrangements and complex songwriting. There is a massive outpouring of joy on every track, with positive lyrics and intoxicating melodies that will keep your body moving and your heart singing.
A few minutes into “Come on! Feel the Illinoise”, Sufjan follows a decent keyboard solo with a passionate yet subdued cathartic moment about crying himself to sleep. If you do not feel your pulse with “Chicago” or “Jacksonville”, then maybe it’s time to give up on collecting records. His lyrics – serial killer John Wayne Gacy, Bible studies, and a girl with bone cancer – are infused with a poignancy that, while not entirely poetic, are certainly touching. All this may sound a little too syrupy, but consider the notion that maybe it’s time for indie music to drop the irony it wears on its cuff and join the joyous rebellion against mediocre music fuelled by band egos. Put Illinois on your stereo over breakfast and let the day open before you.
MP3: Sufjan Stevens - Jacksonville
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