Album: Illinois
Artist: Sufjan Stevens
Born: Detroit, Michigan
Released: July 2005
Genre: Baroque Folk
Some albums are so obviously brilliant that they pick themselves. Sufjan Stevens is one of the most talented and creative musicians working today and Illinois is his masterpiece. So fertile was his muse when creating this 22-song album that it was followed soon after by another LP containing 21 outtakes from the Illinois sessions, The Avalanche. Much was made at the time about Sufjan's 50 States project, but by his own admission this was no more than a promotional gimmick. Sufjan was born in Detroit and raised in Northern Michigan, so the two state records he did release were about places close to his heart. By 2005, he'd already released four albums: folk-infused A Sun Came (2000), Enjoy Your Rabbit (2001), an electronic album based on the Chinese Zodiac, Michigan (2003) and the spiritual Seven Swans (2004). Michigan is a wonderful record in its own right and deeply influential and widely imitated, especially its banjo and brass playing, baroque strings and hushed, intimate vocals. There are many reasons to love Michigan, not least its song that shares a title with my surname, Redford (For Yia-Yia & Pappou), which underlines Sufjan's extraordinary skills as a composer. The widescreen vision of Michigan is taken to another level on Illinois, with a wider array of instruments, most played by Sufjan himself, whether that's a Wurlitzer organ, flugelhorn or sleighbells. As with many of the great musicians, his style is hard to pin down, but the experimental time signatures are inspired by Steve Reich, the intimate folk sound has the flavour of Nick Drake and the lyrics have the wit and insight of Saul Bellow and the poetry of Walt Whitman.
Sufjan actually undertook extensive research before writing this album, but the historical and geographical detail doesn't detract from what's a moving, universal picture of small town America. Casimir Pulaski Day is one of the standout tracks, a deeply touching song about a girlfriend dying from leukaemia ("And the complications you could do without / when I kissed you on the mouth"), set against a rich banjo sound. Sufjan also celebrates the American love of the open road on Chicago, which at turns sounds hopeful and nostalgic (and was used to wonderful effect in the indie film, Little Miss Sunshine). Other highlights are the grand sweep of The Tallest Man..., the beautiful melody of Decatur, the lovely choruses of The Man Of Metropolis Steals Our Hearts and the deeply personal lyrics of The Predatory Wasp..., on which Sufjan's voice shares the same precious intimacy you find in Nick Drake's songs. This is an album that's endlessly rewarding, a rare feat for a record that lasts for over an hour. I finally got the chance to see Sufjan live in May 2011 and it was one of the best gigs I've been to. Though I wasn't a huge fan of the album he was touring at the time, The Age of Adz, full of beats-heavy songs inspired by outsider artist Royal Robertson, his performance and interaction with the crowd helped put the record, his music and his life in context. Ever since, I've had a deeper appreciation for his artistic vision, and we've never spent a Christmas in our house without listening to his festive albums (Songs for Christmas and Silver & Gold) at least once.
Some albums are so obviously brilliant that they pick themselves. Sufjan Stevens is one of the most talented and creative musicians working today and Illinois is his masterpiece. So fertile was his muse when creating this 22-song album that it was followed soon after by another LP containing 21 outtakes from the Illinois sessions, The Avalanche. Much was made at the time about Sufjan's 50 States project, but by his own admission this was no more than a promotional gimmick. Sufjan was born in Detroit and raised in Northern Michigan, so the two state records he did release were about places close to his heart. By 2005, he'd already released four albums: folk-infused A Sun Came (2000), Enjoy Your Rabbit (2001), an electronic album based on the Chinese Zodiac, Michigan (2003) and the spiritual Seven Swans (2004). Michigan is a wonderful record in its own right and deeply influential and widely imitated, especially its banjo and brass playing, baroque strings and hushed, intimate vocals. There are many reasons to love Michigan, not least its song that shares a title with my surname, Redford (For Yia-Yia & Pappou), which underlines Sufjan's extraordinary skills as a composer. The widescreen vision of Michigan is taken to another level on Illinois, with a wider array of instruments, most played by Sufjan himself, whether that's a Wurlitzer organ, flugelhorn or sleighbells. As with many of the great musicians, his style is hard to pin down, but the experimental time signatures are inspired by Steve Reich, the intimate folk sound has the flavour of Nick Drake and the lyrics have the wit and insight of Saul Bellow and the poetry of Walt Whitman.
Sufjan actually undertook extensive research before writing this album, but the historical and geographical detail doesn't detract from what's a moving, universal picture of small town America. Casimir Pulaski Day is one of the standout tracks, a deeply touching song about a girlfriend dying from leukaemia ("And the complications you could do without / when I kissed you on the mouth"), set against a rich banjo sound. Sufjan also celebrates the American love of the open road on Chicago, which at turns sounds hopeful and nostalgic (and was used to wonderful effect in the indie film, Little Miss Sunshine). Other highlights are the grand sweep of The Tallest Man..., the beautiful melody of Decatur, the lovely choruses of The Man Of Metropolis Steals Our Hearts and the deeply personal lyrics of The Predatory Wasp..., on which Sufjan's voice shares the same precious intimacy you find in Nick Drake's songs. This is an album that's endlessly rewarding, a rare feat for a record that lasts for over an hour. I finally got the chance to see Sufjan live in May 2011 and it was one of the best gigs I've been to. Though I wasn't a huge fan of the album he was touring at the time, The Age of Adz, full of beats-heavy songs inspired by outsider artist Royal Robertson, his performance and interaction with the crowd helped put the record, his music and his life in context. Ever since, I've had a deeper appreciation for his artistic vision, and we've never spent a Christmas in our house without listening to his festive albums (Songs for Christmas and Silver & Gold) at least once.
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