his absurdly ambitious project to make a record for every state in America outdistances even 2003's superb Greetings From Michigan in scope and beauty. A sweeping paean to the Lincoln state, Illinois weaves together history, personal confession, and detail-filled scenarios with chamber folk, expansive orchestral pop, and back-porch pastoral settings for a stunningly progressive indie gem that sound like Brian Wilson, Stereolab, and Neil Young holding hands in heaven. Remarkably, in its intricate, gorgeously crafted surfaces, Illinois lives up to its aims. In addition to its symphonic grandeur, the album also showcases Stevens's heartland folk, and some of the album's most shimmering moments are its most spare. "John Wayne Gacy, Jr.," for instance, is an absorbing narrative that features Stevens's sweet tenor couched by guitar, piano, and backing vocals. "Casimir Pulaski Day," similarly, rides a rootsy banjo and guitar groove while Stevens unfurls image-rich lyrics over a lilting melody. Witty, audacious, and moving, Illinois manages to be spiritual, entertaining, and educational all at once, resulting in an utterly unique conceptual and musical statement. (RAR)
Monday 5 February 2007
Sufjan Stevens - Illinois
The second entry from sui generis singer/songwriter Sufjan Stevens in
his absurdly ambitious project to make a record for every state in America outdistances even 2003's superb Greetings From Michigan in scope and beauty. A sweeping paean to the Lincoln state, Illinois weaves together history, personal confession, and detail-filled scenarios with chamber folk, expansive orchestral pop, and back-porch pastoral settings for a stunningly progressive indie gem that sound like Brian Wilson, Stereolab, and Neil Young holding hands in heaven. Remarkably, in its intricate, gorgeously crafted surfaces, Illinois lives up to its aims. In addition to its symphonic grandeur, the album also showcases Stevens's heartland folk, and some of the album's most shimmering moments are its most spare. "John Wayne Gacy, Jr.," for instance, is an absorbing narrative that features Stevens's sweet tenor couched by guitar, piano, and backing vocals. "Casimir Pulaski Day," similarly, rides a rootsy banjo and guitar groove while Stevens unfurls image-rich lyrics over a lilting melody. Witty, audacious, and moving, Illinois manages to be spiritual, entertaining, and educational all at once, resulting in an utterly unique conceptual and musical statement. (RAR)
his absurdly ambitious project to make a record for every state in America outdistances even 2003's superb Greetings From Michigan in scope and beauty. A sweeping paean to the Lincoln state, Illinois weaves together history, personal confession, and detail-filled scenarios with chamber folk, expansive orchestral pop, and back-porch pastoral settings for a stunningly progressive indie gem that sound like Brian Wilson, Stereolab, and Neil Young holding hands in heaven. Remarkably, in its intricate, gorgeously crafted surfaces, Illinois lives up to its aims. In addition to its symphonic grandeur, the album also showcases Stevens's heartland folk, and some of the album's most shimmering moments are its most spare. "John Wayne Gacy, Jr.," for instance, is an absorbing narrative that features Stevens's sweet tenor couched by guitar, piano, and backing vocals. "Casimir Pulaski Day," similarly, rides a rootsy banjo and guitar groove while Stevens unfurls image-rich lyrics over a lilting melody. Witty, audacious, and moving, Illinois manages to be spiritual, entertaining, and educational all at once, resulting in an utterly unique conceptual and musical statement. (RAR)
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