Two down, 48 to go. On Illinois, Stevens steps firmly to the mark he created with his first state, Michigan, and goes much further into his own awkwardly beautiful, naïve sonic wonderland. While on Michigan we were taken through the trailer parks, dying relationships and Kmarts Stevens knew so well, on Illinois we are giving the tourist radio guide to a state populated by superheroes, serial killers and late great presidents.
The obvious talent of Stevens is orchestration and it could be argued he doesn't have an effective internal delete button but on Illinois anything less than the grand rise and fall of many of the songs would have left the album limp. The first major suite is the title track and it's blustery like the state capital but much smoother and certainly more joyous. But Stevens leaves the arch, aching kick for the final, lilting third.
He pulls away the orchestra and leaves his own fragile voice at centre for the album's next song and the song of the year: John Wayne Gacy Jr. A morbid bass, melancholic piano and his gentle finger picked guitar fall away for a moral tale in tune with Johnny Cash or Pedro The Lion.
But when you have Illinois pegged as an occasionally mushy mountain of roaring strings and complex choral movements Stevens shows you how to rock. The Man of Metropolis Steals Our Heart is a controlled combat roll pushed along by a rollicking electric riff and a swooning choir. Lyrically he might be talking about Superman but he's most certainly tackling the faith that dominated his banjo album Seven Swans. Man of Steel, Man of Heart/Turn your ear to my part/There are things you have said/Raise the boat, and raise the dead/If you take us away/Still can we say/Only a steel man can be a lover.
The hot air of the Illinoisemaker Choir is what makes the album so gigantic - lead by Stevens they tackle his ebb and flow orchestration with a smooth and soul calming ease. Listen to them on the minor chord funk and gospel of They Are Night Zombies. "I L L I N O I S! Ring the bell and call or write us," not only justifying their cheerleader costumes but allowing Stevens to weave his soft focus, hushed vocals through their own chants. It's fun but if you allow it, utterly heart wrenching.
With rumours of Vermont being the next state, only Stevens' good Lord knows what the angel He sent to replace Elliott Smith is capable of.
4/4
Other coverage for this album
Opus 2005Reviewed by Jason MoreheadLet's get a few things out of the way first. Yes, I realize that the title of Sufjan Stevens' latest is actually Sufjan Stevens Invites You To: Come On Feel The Illinoise. And yes, I realize that the full song titles include such gems as "They Are Night Zombies!! They Are Neighbors!! They Have Come Back From The Dead!! Ahhhh!" and "Out Of Egypt, Into The Great Laugh Of Mankind, And I Shake The…The Phantom Tollbooth 2005Reviewed by Jonathan AvantsAs unimaginable as it is that I could eventually own 50+ recordings from a single artist, if Sufjan Stevens has his way (i.e. lives long enough), and if each of his state records manage to be at least as good as his newest one here, Sufjan Stevens could eventually dominate a great portion of my musical library. Jiminy! So here's the scoop with Illinois--or, Sufjan Stevens invites you to: Come on…The Phantom Tollbooth 2005Reviewed by Steve StockmanThe first time you hear Sufjan Stevens it might bring to mind a Bob Dylan phrase that I am sure was in no way directed to Third Way's editor, "Something is happening but you don't know what it is, do you Mr. Jones." Stevens belongs to a little triumvirate of artists, the others being the Danielson Famile and Half Handed Cloud; avant-garde performing songwriters who bring a slapstick musical humor…The Phantom Tollbooth 2005Reviewed by Jamie Lee RakeWhat's not cool about Sufjan Stevens? His Turkish first name is so cool that it's the only part of his moniker needed for his website's URL. He's an alum of one of the trippiest bands ever, the Danielson Famile. With Illinoise, he's 1/25 done with his 50 States album project (his Michigan homeland came first). If his 2004's non-geographically thematic Seven Swans gave him household recognition in…Similar sounding releases
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