As 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 feel the ILLINOISE--he's hiked back up the mountain from the sparsely composed valley of banjo-picked melodies that was Seven Swans to the heavily arranged, deeply layered compositions more akin to his first state recording, Michigan.
The songs on Illinois are expansive, soaring, delightful musical pieces that tell of the culture and history of the state through story-like, wordy lyricism that just oozes legwork and close study--it'll take you many, many listens and a careful reading of the lyrics to catch each and every minutia of detail trapped within this record. But thanks to the poetic and wonderful sounds throughout the disc, you aren't required to do so; here's an historical, cultural and geographical lesson that's available for the exploring, but if you wanna sit back and just enjoy it, be Sufjan's guest. Illinois is as fun as a theme park, yet as rich and cultivated as a museum.
I loved the stark simplicity of the melodies within Seven Swans, yet found myself a little disappointed on the first few spins of Illinois. This is primarily a jumpy, brass-and-string filled, choir-loud recording, only a few tracks really devoted to the more quiet concepts from Sufjan's previous work. But after giving the record a fair chance, I've come to realize that this is a gorgeous recording, a work of serious beauty even within its precocious conceptualization.
"To the Workers of the Rock River Valley Region" (whose full title is actually about twice as long) and "The Black Hawk War" (whose full title is actually about five times as long) are stunning instrumentals, full and magnificent and inspired. More traditional songs such as "Chicago," "Jacksonville," and "The Predatory Wasp of the Palisades is Out to Get Us!" rank amongst his most effective work to date, overflowing with striking melody lines and instrumentation that wraps comfortably with Sufjan's signature heart-tugging vocals and lyrical narratives.
Sufjan presents his Christian faith in Illinois in ways that, though relatively subtle, feel natural and honest. The "great I Am" tells him to appreciate his step-mother in "Decatur," the fact that all have fallen short of the glory of God is presented in "John Wayne Gacy, Jr. ("And in my best behavior / I am really just like him / look beneath the floorboards / for the secrets I have hid"), and numerous other Biblical references and symbolism are scattered throughout. Nearly every song has multiple angles and themes playing off each other, be they historical, moral, or spiritual, but amazingly they never clash or feel overdone.
Though not the first entry into Sufjan's "The 50 States" concept, Illinois feels every bit as ambitious as Michigan--he announced the concept some time ago after the release of that project, and while most everyone wished him well (some, including myself, with the shade of a smirk), we now truly know that he's serious about it. He's actually followed through. Rumors of two more entries into the series are already circulating: a possible Christmas record and an EP of one of the smaller states, both supposedly coming by the end of this year. Hopefully I won't be old and deaf by the time he treks across to the West Coast and covers my home state, but for now, best wishes from the Pacific to Sufjan, and here's eagerly awaiting the rest of the series.
4.5 tocks
Other coverage for this album
Decapolis July 2005Reviewed by Peter VenessTwo 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…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 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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