Sufjan Stevens - Illinois
(Asthmatic Kitty, 2005)

     Born in the home of Motown, Sufjan Stevens is a grassroots prodigy with an ambitious goal—to create an album based on each of the fifty states in the US. After the July release of Illinois [buy], the follow-up to Greetings From Michigan [buy], he now has only 48 states left.
While Stevens’ ambition may give the initial impression of self-aggrandizement, he is more self-deprecating than egotistic. In his music, he does not imitate the angsty archetypes of Omaha and Seattle. Rather than penning abstruse verses on the mantras of life’s futility and other personal heartaches, he writes and sings almost plaintively about family, faith, and local heritage. Earnestly, his voice relates anecdotes and observations through poetry that is minimalistic, influenced by the efficient modernism of Illinois-native Carl Sandburg. He gives the impression of a “starry-eyed” dreamer with the vitality and idealism of youth but tempered by a lingering sorrow personified by the sleeping streets of his hometown Detroit.

     Sufjan’s fourth studio album is a majestic undertaking, a voyage as dizzying as its ridiculously long song titles. It is resplendent with deceptive simplicity, ethereal folk music complemented by a comprehensive collection of musical styles. The musical contributors are phenomenal from the sophisticated drumming of James McAlister to the indispensable string quartet. Stevens is himself a musical genius who plays a wide variety of instruments on the album including the banjo—as the album sleeve says about Stevens’ multi-instrumental ability—“O Lord, help us”.
     The tracks within the album encompass anecdotes from Illinois history, famous and infamous residents/natives, and little-known trivia as researched by Stevens. He even focuses a song on serial killer John Wayne Gacy, profoundly declaring: “And in my best behavior/I am really just like him/Look beneath the floorboards/For the secrets I have hid.”
     Not all the tracks are as ominous. “Come On! Feel The Illinoise!” shouts the zeitgiest of the Colombian Exposition of 1893 which celebrated the modern age and the maturation of America from an agrarian frontier to an industrial giant. The irony in the song is evident as it demonstrates that the fair’s promises for world unity and utopia were visionary but naïve.
     In “Decatur…”, a curious narrative about a step-mother, Sufjan demonstrates his lyrical wit, with such rhyming couplets as "Steven A. Douglas was a great debater/But Abraham Lincoln was the great emancipator." He proceeds to reference Chickenmobile, the locally famous restaurant in the town of Decatur, Illinois. [Decatur residents swear by Chickenmobile’s scrumptious ice cream floats and burgers; though its reputation had eluded me until now.]
     Similarly, not many remember the father of the America Calvary, Count Casimir Pulaski. “Casimir Pulaski Day” refers to the first of March as celebrated by Hoosiers in honor of Pulaski. The song deals with a more intimate subject than Stephen Douglas or wild alligators, the death of a close friend on March 1st, and that sorrow contrasted with the blinding glory of spring.
     A marching drum, fuzzy guitar riffs, and choral harmonies comprise “The Man of Metropolis Steals Our Hearts”, a piece about Superman, the revered “Man of Steel” from the fictional city of Metropolis. Not so coincidentally, this city shares its name with a real city in Illinois. Sufjan speaks of the inspiration and hope that Superman represents for humanity, especially to the real-life town in Illinois who are obsessed with the action figure. Sufjan even alludes to Superman being a parallel to the archetypical Savior of humanity. In the chorus, the choir sings the riveting lines “Only a real man can be a lover/If he had hands to lend us all over”.
     The song’s melody and accompaniment enliven these lyrics. The arrangement is at first a bright, animated introduction that suddenly transforms into subtly beautiful ballad. It takes the listener’s hand like a child with big eyes pleading the listener to follow up the slope of a scenic, green hill. At the apex, where it is impossible to climb any higher, the voices and instruments collide in a profound climax. Despite this intricate musical arrangement, the piece still retains its heartfelt melody; it is a fine exhibit of Steven's adroit balancing act between flawless technique and accessibility.

     Between many of the lyrical tracks, instrumental interludes serve as fitting transitions. While they are often brief flourishes, they are magnificent flourishes, sometimes haunting and sometimes soothing. They all have an atmospheric quality that conjures up images of the vast prairie horizon with its wandering fires, its people’s sorrow, and its twilight serenity. Bringing Illinois to life, the interludes and the songs combine to create a seamless, elegant whole.
     Whether or not Stevens will ever attain his grandiose aspiration of fifty concept albums, Illinois is outstanding in its own right, rightly receiving enthusiastic praise from many critics and publications including Pitchfork Media who selected the album as the Editor’s Choice for Best Album of 2005.
     So, buy Illinois as soon as possible, and if you enjoy the unsurpassed vibrancy that analog offers, by all means, get the limited edition vinyl pressing of the album with the inclusion of Superman on the cover artwork, which will be allegedly removed from further pressings due to legal issues.