theundergroundjukebox

Sufjan Stevens

He is Indie's newest little plaything. And he's really making waves around with his new album Illinois (2005). He is... Sufjan Stevens

Now if you have'nt heard of him, well, you ought to be ashamed of yourself. Coz this young man is touted to be the next Big Thing. ( think James Blunt big). And he has become an even bigger sensation since his sixth album, Illinois (2005),picked up the coveted Best Album of the Year award at this year's Plug awards and later also won the award for Best Male Artist at Plug. And there's been no stopping him since.

Ater listening to Illinois you pretty much feel as though you've been there and back. For the song covers almost everything under the sun! People, places, the atmosphere that makes the state; Sufjan manages to capture the entire essence of Illionois and blend it together in a manner that makes his tunes a pleasure to listen to

Incidentally the arrangement has also been done by the man himself -who is proficient in the keyboard,proficient on the oboe, recorder, banjo, guitar, vibraphone, bass, drums, piano, and other instruments too numerous to mention. Talk about talent.

But the real beauty of his songs lies in the fact that you can work to them, sleep, read or just chill out to them without getting bored. (as is the case with Jack Johnson- no offence JJ. ur awesome).

More about the record :The second installment in his extremely ambitious 50 state series is one helluva deal, outstripping Michigan (2003)by miles, Illinois is a 22-track masterpiece that includes favourites like, " Concerning The UFO Sighting", " Casimir Pulaski Day"," "Jacksonville" and "John Wayne Gracy Jr".

My personal favourites however, are not on this album - being For The Widows In Paradise, For The Fatherless In Yipsilanti -which some might find familiar. (Yeah you've heard it before, on The OC Season 3 episode where Johnny dies?) and To Be Alone.
Dont be stunned when you get a hold of tracks like The Black Hawk War and realise that it has no lyrics ; coz that's actually Sufjan's forte. Musical arrangement. His first few albums were filled with deeply melodic tunes that became his signature and were inspired by the 12 chinese zodiacs, the legend of the 7 swans, The Nine Planets, The 12 Apostles, and The Four Humors. These concept albums were what made his step-father, Lowell, decide to creat the homegrown label : Asthmatic Kitty Records which now releases all of Sufjan's work, along with other off the wall artistes. ( see : [url] www.asthmatickitty.com[/url] )


All in all, i think he's a great find. Good, solid music, genuine originality, great experimentation in his sound - with a nice overall effect. Quality with mass appeal ;)

listening type: melodic and easy
lyrics : Highly original.
Overall: 8.5/10

posted by kayjal sandya @ 11:28 PM