Sufjan Stevens announced his first full-length record in five years this week. Above is the cover art. Love it. The album is called The Age Of Adz and arrives October 12th. Head over to You Ain’t No Picasso for a download of “I Walked” from the forthcoming record.
Alright. Let’s all just take a deep breath. Yes, Sufjan Stevens is rumored to be working with The National on a new album, the long-awaited follow-up to 2005’s Illinois. Yes, the past few years have seen Sufjan dabbling in orchestral pieces, production for other bands, and a short workshop tour that saw the debut of several new, long-form songs that focused on electrifying guitar work and more beat-heavy compositions. And yes, he did happen to drop a collection of new songs on the world last week with nary a warning.
But let’s just calm down here: this album, though consisting of 60 minutes of music, is clearly stated to be an EP, signifying that Sufjan doesn’t wish for the listener to take this release as serious as, say, his soon-to-come (hopefully) LP. As I was starting the download of All Delighted People, therefore, I was expecting maybe one or two new songs, with a few castoffs from previous studio sessions, maybe a remix or two.
What I got, however, was something different: I got 60 minutes of brilliant, if not brand new and redefining music. This is still the Sufjan we know; there are still quiet acoustic ballads decrying the loss of past love, there are still grand orchestral flourishes, there are still group chorus sing-a-longs. We’ve seen long pieces from Sufjan before, we’ve seen multiple versions of the same song existing on one album, and we’ve even heard the title track before, during his workshop tour of late 2009.
However, there is much on All Delighted People that is eye-opening and intriguing. Sufjan seems to be much more willing to stretch his voice past the normal hushed tone he has adopted in the past – the title track sees Sufjan using more melismas than Beyonce (give or take). Has he been listening to a little Joanna Newsom lately? Perhaps. But beyond the new vocal style, there are electronic drums, there are more fleshed-out string sections, there are fewer exclamation marks, there is a 17 minute long song. A 17-minute song. And it’s actually good.
“Djohariah,” the final track on this new EP, is closest to what I was expecting based on his 2009 tour. A freakishly long, electric guitar-heavy song that features a long build-up jam, a quiet vocal breakdown, and a big beat-laden ending: it’s all there. Sufjan manages to use the same four chords throughout the entire song, more or less, and yet it doesn’t seem repetitive, it always seems to be building; it always seems to be going. This may be the first song over 10 minutes that I actually listen to more than the shorter songs on the album. Between this and the 11-minute title track (and its 8 minute cousin, the “Classic Rock Version”), I’ve spent more of my last 5 days listening to Sufjan than I have eating. Or something like that.
Anyways, I don’t mean to spout hyperbole over and over. This EP isn’t better than Illinois, it’s not the greatest release of the decade, it’s merely a satisfying reminder that Sufjan is still around, and that he’s still at work. This isn’t a perfect collection of songs, this EP isn’t going to save the world. But Sufjan’s next full-length? It just might.
People camped outside the Majestic Theatre yesterday to ensure an up close opportunity to the recently resurfaced Sufjan Stevens. It’s hard to cast your eyes across the interweb these days without noticing the chatter of Sufjan’s new material he’s road testing in select cities on a short run of tour dates. I chose to ignore the trickle of new material in video form in advance of the show, and instead let it greet me for the first time in concert. If you’re looking for some good audio/visual of the new material I’d suggest checking out “Impossible Souls from Castaways” and “Age of Adz from Castaways” – both of which made appearances in last night’s set.
Sufjan’s almost complete exit from the music business after the slightly unbearable success of his album Illinoise was an important disappearance in my opinion. As much as I grew to love that album, the album eventually hit critical mass, and Sufjan rightfully closed things down for awhile.
To say that Sufjan Stevens was in a good mood last night would be an understatement. Donning a Wisconsin t-shirt and a camouflage hat, he guided his band, complete with horn section and including Nedelle Torrisi of the opening back Cryptacize, launched into new number after new number. Most of this new material is long in length, I counted at least 4 new songs surpassing the six minute mark. On many occasions throughout the night Sufjan reminded the crowd that the night’s material was a work in progress. He earned the audiences patience by sprinkling in Illinoise favorites like “Jacksonville,” “Casimir Pulaski Day” and the super creepy “John Wayne Gacy, Jr.” My favorite from that record, “Chicago” also made an appearance in the set as did “To Be Alone With You,” a gem from Seven Swans.
Overall, I walked away pleased with the night’s offering. I didn’t love all the new material as it tended to meander a little too much for my listening patience. However, a work in progress is just that. There are definitely some amazing songs amongst all the new material that was presented, and these live shows are the best way to trim them down and make them work. In the end, Sufjan fans have little to complain about. The material seemed very well received and whenever it is released officially, people will once again be eating out of Sufjan’s hand.
Discuss: Did you make last night’s show in Madison? What did you think of the new material? What were the highlights of the show? Drop a comment with your thoughts/reviews on the show.
Pitchfork just announced that Sufjan Stevens will embark on a new tour that includes a stop at Madison’s Majestic Theatre on Monday, September 28th. The last time I saw Sufjan in Madison he played a church above the old catacombs coffee house. Anybody else make that show?
Tickets: $15 On Sale: Saturday, August 15th at 9am Details: Tickets are WILL CALL ONLY and there is a 2 ticket limit. The box office will open the day of show one hour before doors to get people their tickets, and they must go into the building upon getting their tickets. There is NO print at home ticketing and there will be no mailed tickets.
Full Tour Dates:
09-12 Monticello, NY – ATP New York
09-21 Philadelphia, PA – Johnny Brenda’s *
09-22 Philadelphia, PA – Johnny Brenda’s *
09-23 Ithaca, NY – Castaways *
09-24 Cleveland, OH – Beachland Ballroom *
09-25 Pontiac, MI – Crofoot *
09-26 Champaign, IL – The High Dive *
09-27 Minneapolis, MN – 400 Bar * 09-28 Madison, WI – The Majestic *
09-29 Bloomington, IN – Buskirk Chumley *
10-01 Toronto, Ontario – Lee’s Place *
10-02 Montreal, Quebec – Cabaret *
10-03 Portland, ME – Port City Music Hall *
10-04 New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom *
10-05 New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom *
10-06 Brooklyn, NY – Music Hall of Williamsburg *
10-07 Brooklyn, NY – Music Hall of Williamsburg *
On December 9th, Asthmatic Kitty will release the Sufjan Stevens produced debut album by The Welcome Wagon. The record is a collection of covers and originals that “unveils a ramshackle sing-a-long enterprise of a Presbyterian pastor (the Rev. Vito Aiuto) and his wife (Monique) wrestling out the influences of folk music, religion, popular culture, and church tradition in a collection of songs that is as soulful as it is good-humored.”
It’s an intriguing listen, one that definitely demonstrates Sufjan’s influence/guidance. Grab a taste via the free and legal download of “Sold! To the Nice Rich Man.”
. Yes, the past few years have seen Sufjan dabbling in orchestral pieces, 
