This week's artist of the week is probably one of the greatest songwriters of our generation. His music has matured to such an extent in recent years, that not only can he dazzle critics with his spectacular production, poignant lyrics, and gorgeous melodies, but he's been able court commercial success as well, and just recently he played one of Toronto's most respectable venues, Massey Hall. The artist of the week is...SUFJAN STEVENS!!!
Truth is, Illinoise was brilliant, but the kind of album I would rarely come back to. Though it managed to delve into some great humanitarian questions while being entirely about the state of Illinoise - its culture and its history - that novelty proved a buffer between the listener and the artist, at least for me, which is my one and only problem with it. (Otherwise, it's pretty perfect). One of the things I really, really like about Age of Adz is that we're finally getting some serious, emotional face time with the Detroit-born maestro.
Age of Adz is a masterpiece. I like it more than Illinoise for a number of reasons:
1) It's tighter at a concise 11 tracks vs. Illinoise's 20, even if one of those tracks is 25 minutes long.
2) It feels freer, more experimental, and (somehow) more ambitious. Sufjan's arrangements astoundingly manage to incorporate glitchy electronics, swooping brass and orchestral flourishes, and impeccable choral embellishments into a seamless and coherent musical vision. In the grand finale of "Impossible Soul" Stevens seems to throw everything he can at the listener, including auto-tune, vocoder, guitar solos and choral climax upon choral climax. Though it is a bit of a mess, it's a perfect mess, and maddeningly engrossing.
I've only heard one other artist attempt (and succeed brilliantly) with similar electronic-orchestral synthesis, and that would be Owen Pallet on his own incredible Heartland.
3) Like I said before, Age of Adz is exploding with boundless emotional sentiment which makes for ridiculously gorgeous music. There's way too much to go into right now + I still need to spend more time with the album, but I will say that near the end of "Impossible Soul", after the chorus proclaims "Boy, we can do much more together" over and over, the song closes with Stevens and a couple acoustic guitars as he intones, "Boy, we made such a mess together..." as the music fades out. The optimism and grandiosity of the previous segment and its proclamation as it moves to this one mirrors the plight of failed human relationships, filled at first with such hope and lustre, they fade out in quiet, solitary disappointment at their end.
2010 has been one of the best year's in recent memory for music. Amidst great albums from Broken Social Scene, The Arcade Fire, Wolf Parade, Owen Pallet, Beach House, Deerhunter, No Age, The Besnard Lakes, The Morning Benders, and a host of others, Sufjan Steven's Age of Adz is a serious contender for the best of the year. For relz.
1 comments:
Found this artist today. I listen in awe; nothing to express...
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