From serial killers to apocalypse, Sufjan Stevens has taken his listeners through quite a journey over the last 5 years. His once dreamy and folksy sounds have slowly morphed into something entirely new with The Age of Adz.
Songs like "Vesuvius" and "Futile Devices" start off sounding more like the calm acoustic melodies of Sufjan's earlier work such as "Casimir Pulaski Day" and "Pittsfield" are known for, but as with most of the album gradually becomes more digitized and frantic.
Fans of Sufjan's earlier albums may be left lost in his new sounds and turned away at first listen, but for those welcome to electronic integration, this only adds to the beauty of the emotion within the lyrics and their intentions.
The album has been interpreted to refer to schizophrenic artist "Prophet" Royal Robertson, who's art and life was dedicated to his paranoid visions and biblical rantings of the ending of the world. This paranoia is captured phenomenally with the racing flutes and violent drum beats and emotional ups and downs.
He starts into his poetic acid trip epic whispering tragic "i love yous" in "Futile Devices," leading up to wailing his threats that "I'm not fucking around" while seemingly contemplating suicide in "I Want to be Well." "Get Real Get Right" is slightly terrifying in it's lyrics of "a ring of fire falling on your face" and "consider the danger" combined with up beat trumpets and choirs demanding you find the Lord, tracing the edges of Robertson's insanity.
Released August 20, 2010, it was left behind in the favorite albums lists at the end of the year, overlooked in a whirl of Kanye and LCD Soundsystem hype. This album is certainly not for everyone; the sound and lyrics are something more atoned to audiences looking for something unique and contemplative, like a book on tape recording of your cryptic late night ponderings.
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Released August 20, 2010, Sufjan Stevens’ once dreamy and folksy sounds have slowly morphed into something entirely new with The Age of Adz .
Songs like "Vesuvius" and "Futile Devices" start off sounding more like the calm acoustic melodies of Sufjan's "Casimir Pulaski Day" and "Pittsfield" are known for, but as with most of the album gradually becomes more digitized and frantic.
The album has been interpreted to refer to schizophrenic artist "Prophet" Royal Robertson, who's art and life was dedicated to his paranoid visions and biblical rantings of the ending of the world. This paranoia is captured phenomenally with the racing flutes and violent drum beats and emotional ups and downs.
Fans of Sufjan's earlier work may be turned away, but for those welcome to electronic integration, this only adds to the beauty of the emotion within the lyrics and their intentions.
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Sufjan's folksy sounds have slowly morphed into something entirely new with The Age of Adz, released August 20, 2010. Fans of Sufjan's earlier work may be turned away, but for those welcome to electronic integration, this only adds to the beauty of the emotion within the lyrics and their intentions.
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Sufjan's Age of Adz seems to be a new age for his music, blurring new digital harmonies with old acoustic sounds.
Love this post. I've only heard a few tracks off of this new album and have been wondering what it sounds like. I'm cautious of his more electronic stuff because he sounds so good acoustically or with a symphony.
ReplyDeleteI especially love your juxtaposition of the word "fucking" with Sufjan's name given his well-known conservative religious background.
I'm still not sure if i got what YOUR stance is. Great job covering all of your basis objectively for everyone else. Your right. The bulk of your review shouldn't be about you. However, don't neglect to let the reader in on what you think.
ReplyDelete