2010 Music Year in Review: Sufjan Stevens

#3

Sufjan Stevens – Age of Adz

Release Date: October 12, 2010

My Rating: 9.7/10 → 10/10 (depending on day)

Pitchfork: 8.4/10

I was introduced to Sufjan Stevens as a freshmen in high school with his album Illinoise. At that time, he was two states into his project of making an album for every single state (Greetings from Michigan was his first), and one of his songs that really caught my ear was his song Chicago for its beautiful usage of the trumpet and strings. After scrapping the whole 50 state project and staying out of the limelight for four years, Sufjan released Age of Adz, which is nothing like the beautiful story-telling of Illinoise. Instead, it is more like the volcano of thoughts (Vesuvius reference) that is Sufjan's mind that is about to explode with the chaos of his emotions and desires. His main inspiration for the album was the artwork of schizophrenic artist “Prophet” Royal Robertson, and throughout the album you are definitely aware that this album must have been inspired by a schizophrenic with its change in emotion and instrumentation. Futile Devices begins the album sounding similar to the beauty of Illinoise, but once Too Much begins you are thrown into the chaotic electronica that is Age of Adz. Sufjan contemplates about love in Too Much and I Walked (“But I got nothing left to love” in I Walked), battles the fact that he is aging in Now that I'm Older, considers death in Vesuvius (“Vesuvius / fire of fire / follow me now as I favor the ghost.”), ponders complete paranoia in I Want to Be Well, and finally reaches peace of mind in the magnificent work of art that is the 25 minute Impossible Soul. In Impossible Soul, Sufjan constructs a symphony with electronic blips, AutoTune, horn sections, choir backup vocals, and even what sounds like cheer section to end the album with the beautiful lines of “Boy, we can do much more together / Boy we made a mess together”. After listening to that song, you agree that you did help Sufjan make a mess, but a spectacular mess indeed.

Key Tracks: I Walked, Vesuvius, Too Much, Impossible Soul
I Walked: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xq9uuiC92Xk
Vesuvius: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wa9NwiIklLU