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Sufjan Stevens Illinois Released in 2005 9.2/10 Styles Folk Pop Singer/Songwriter Song Highlights Come On! Feel The Illinoise! Jacksonville Chicago |
Being a wildly ambitious project with a notable gimmick, Sufjan Steven's planned "50 States" series (one album for each state of the US) has received a fair ammount of attention from the music press. 2002's Michigan was the series' first release, and was almost universally well received for its lush arrangements and clever songwriting. This year sees Stevens turn his attention to the state of Illinois. The dense multi-instrumental backing that made Michigan such a treat is still in full effect for this release, with dozens of instruments making appearances throughout the album. In addition to the standard guitar, percussion and keys, Stevens makes primary use of strings, horns and a backing choir, while occasional touches of organ, banjo, woodwind and a number of other instruments round things out. Stevens seems to have made the most of his status as a true multi-instrumentalist (a reading of the liner-note summary of what he plays might leave you more than a little impressed), but the good news is that he's also an extremely proficient composer. The music on each track is beautifully layered and impeccably arranged, and at no time does it sound like Stevens is indulging in excess for its own sake. To hear music so complex and multifaceted, which is completely devoid of superfluous elements, is really quite a breathtaking experience. At 22 tracks, there's a lot to get through here, yet remarkably the album doesn't drag for even a moment. As a concept album that requires strict start-to-finish listening, Illinois' feels remarkably undemanding, and you'll probably find its 70-minute mark ending arrives all too soon. This particular marvel can be attributed to the clever sequencing at work throughout - there are around ten mini-songs and instrumental interludes littered throughout the course of the album, which work well bridging the gaps between each of the more fully realised songs. All too often, a technique like this results in excess filler (and pushing the "skip" button a lot), but here the shorter tracks work perfectly, not only giving the album a smooth flow from start to finish, but even providing several of its highlight moments (several of the most pleasant tracks clock in at under two minutes). The start of Illinois is incredibly solid, providing five consecutive knockout tracks. "Concerning the UFO Sighting Near Highland, Illinois" (aside: not the longest track title by far), the album's brief, beautifully melancholy opener, flows into the very-lengthily-titled second track, which sees a distinct space-rock influence take place, complete with dramatic buildup, vocal harmonies and spine tingling finale. "Come On! Feel The Illinoise!" is one of the two main centrepiece tracks (yes, two centrepieces), shifting between jaunty 60s-soundtrack pop, a jubilant brass interlude (where Sufjan commits his only blatant piece of plagarism, stealing from The Cure's "Close to Me") and finally closing with a gorgeous, mellow comedown. Next is "Gacy," a more saddening than frightening account of the state's most notorious villain, which sees Stevens take the appropriate measure of stripping back the trimmings and delivering a starkly acoustic piece. "Jacksonville" is a personal favourite, with its combination of Neil Young folk, gentle string-picking, a memorable piano melody and an uplifting, horn-laden chorus making it an immensely enjoyable cut. The second centrepiece arrives with "Chicago," the album's first single, and likely to be most people's favourite track on Illinois. During the chorus sections, the backing strings surge to the front of the arrangement and just soar, providing what is arguably the album's most memorable and affecting moment. It's definitely one of the most likably uplifting songs you'll encounter this year, and is fuelled by the sort of majesty that sees songs like it dragged, kicking and screaming, into airline commercials. So you should certainly enjoy it while you still can. The highlights continue into the second half, with at least half a dozen other showstoppers, particularly "The Man of Metropolis Steals Our Hearts" and "The Tallest Man, The Broadest Shoulders." Illinois is truly a magnificent piece of work. Given how much of a moving experience I've found it to be, I can only imagine the effect it may have on those to whom the state holds any actual meaning. It's painfully beautiful, will leave the listener feeling elated, emotionally drained and completely satisfied all at once, and is without doubt a definite contender for album of the year. |