New Sufjan Stevens EP available now

[u2popmofo]

ok, John My Beloved is now my favourite. I really like this album.

Omg I liek that 1 2 lol

 

[LemonMelon]

Why the fuck did punknews.org review this?

Unsurprisingly, one of C&L's only slightly mixed reviews.

 

[nielsgov]

The writing is awesome; Drawn to the Blood in particular is a wealth of great chord changes.

That one's my favorite. Fantastic album.

 

[u2popmofo]

I listened to this album while I did my taxes.

 

[Danny Boy]

Are you getting a blue bucket of gold back from the feds?

Hahahahahahaha... :rofl:

 

[cobl04]

Finally got the chance to listen to this. AFTER ONE LISTEN (I always feel bad reviewing stuff here after one listen, my old pal Imps always hated that) I liked it but was not as enamoured as most of you and indeed the world seems to be. It's certainly quite good, but a bit more variety would have been nice, I think. Highlights were Death With Dignity, Should Have Known Better, Fourth of July and Blue Bucket of Gold. I noticed quite a few of the tracks have extended instrumental outros. I think the best songs layer the instruments; there's some truly beautiful flourishes on a few of these songs that take them up a level. Lyrically holy fuck it's dark, like every song, but in particular The Only Thing and No Shade in the Shadow of the Cross. I look forward to getting to know it a lot better. Sufjan has been a (very) recent discovery for me but I've been rather obsessed for a couple of months; would likely be atop my Last.fm charts if I ever checked them or updated them properly.

What's everyone else thinking? Let's have some more discussion. Everyone seems to love it and yet we've got like barely two pages of thoughts on it. Cmon

 

[u2popmofo]

What's everyone else thinking?

I'm thinking you shouldn't be reviewing it after one listen.

 

[cobl04]

I've spent 10 years here doing exactly that. Not going to stop now. And I'd much rather put up a post and try and foster some discussion than follow the status quo around here of late of "this is really good" "yeah" *nothing for five months*

I know you're being facetious but I really wish people would vomit crap like I do sometimes.

Spoiler

The album will definitely grow on me and likely become a fav of the year.

 

[iron yuppie]

I noticed quite a few of the tracks have extended instrumental outros.

This is my favorite part of the album; it ties things together in an inventive way, much like that recurring poem in the new Kendrick album. I have a hard time articulating this, but the ambient sections feel almost like sleep after a day of mourning, as though the album is a series of days and nights in the aftermath of a parent's death.

 

[elevated_u2_fan]

I really wish people would vomit crap like I do sometimes.

You should probably see a doctor about that.

I've listened to this album many many times now and I'm thinking it may be my favourite of his. While I like a lot of his previous work there are always a couple of songs that don't seem to work for me on each of his albums, nothing on this one so far.

 

[u2popmofo]

You should probably see a doctor about that.

 

[u2popmofo]

I've spent 10 years here doing exactly that. Not going to stop now. And I'd much rather put up a post and try and foster some discussion than follow the status quo around here of late of "this is really good" "yeah" *nothing for five months*

I know you're being facetious but I really wish people would vomit crap like I do sometimes.

Spoiler

The album will definitely grow on me and likely become a fav of the year.

We must have bad communication, I was joking because of your initial blurb about feeling bad about reviews after one listen. You should have known better.

It iz an album that had to hear 2 or 3 times before it metaphorically exploded like fireworks on the Fourth of July for me tho. Deal wit dat, Age of Cobbz.

 

[cobl04]

This is my favorite part of the album; it ties things together in an inventive way, much like that recurring poem in the new Kendrick album. I have a hard time articulating this, but the ambient sections feel almost like sleep after a day of mourning, as though the album is a series of days and nights in the aftermath of a parent's death.

They all work really well, and I think add something to an album that doesn't stray much from its sound. Hushed, is the word I'd use to describe Carrie & Lowell. I had another listen this morning and found myself less than impressed. I hope the epiphany will come, as it sounds quite lovely.

 

[iron yuppie]

Hushed, is the word I'd use to describe Carrie & Lowell.

It is very much a mood piece. My favorite Sufjan album is Seven Swans, which also fits that description, so I guess it's no surprise I enjoy C&L as well.

 

[djerdap]

I know you're being facetious but I really wish people would vomit crap like I do sometimes.

Nobody else here can be that full of shit.

 

[cobl04]

My shit don't stank GFY ??

 

[LemonMelon]

The ambient portions of the album remind me of the outro of The Antlers' Two and a number of other tracks on Hospice (another album about death) that end with lengthy meditative sections. I find the production and atmosphere of this album really remarkable.

Get those lyrics out, Cobbs, and start reading. As with the new Kendrick, you shouldn't brush C&L aside without giving the writing a closer look.

 

[cobl04]

Yes I was reminded of The Antlers quite a bit as well. Bon Iver too. I shouldn't say this but I also thought of Coldplay's most recent album as well, the non-shit songs, that is.

I had the lyrics out on that listen. They were quite potent, so much so that I'll come back to them, but I still wish there was a little more variation in the music and vocals. He's got more to offer, I think. But I do like it. It starts really strongly, Fourth of July might be my favourite song, and I love Blue Bucket of Gold.

 

[gump]

I saw Sufjan last night at the gorgeous King's Theater in Brooklyn (which, incidentally, is a block away from Beverly Road, but I didn't see any goose). It was absolutely stunning. I've seen him a number of times, from banjo phase to electro phase, but he seems to have really reached a new level of maturity now, and is clearly knows exactly what he wants to do.

I expected his Carrie & Lowell show to be very somber and mostly acoustic, and it was that at times, but he reinvented some of the new songs in very creative and unexpected way. All Of Me Wants All Of You was processed through the Age of Adz machine and has acquired a cool, almost funky beat. Should Have Known Better has an ever better crescendo live. Same for 4th of July, with an incredible ending. And Blue Bucket Of Gold was simply fantastic, on par as a closer (of the main set) with Impossible Soul, and one of my favorite moments in any show, ever.

The pairing of the new album with Seven Swans works very well, as expected. He played 4 songs off it - In the Devil's Territory, Sister, The Dress Looks Nice On You (a top Sufjan song for me), and To Be Alone With You (which he actually sang as "to be alone with me"). Thematically there are obviously some common threads, and it works almost as a death-life pairing.

In sum: if you have a chance to see him on tour, go. He's incredible right now.

 

[cobl04]

he's only got Sydney shows here at the moment..:

 

[cobl04]

Okay so I might be flying to Sydney with a girl to see him... excited is an understatement.

 

[U2inUtah]

Haha didn't you just say you were trying to avoid Sydney for the rest of your life?

I would love to see him on this tour but I don't think he's coming anywhere near here

 

[cobl04]

I have never been quicker to make an exception

 

[gump]

So fucking good.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nw8Nzqq6kGY&spfreload=10

 

[cobl04]

Yep, definitely going

 

[cobl04]

Still listening. Death With Dignity is amazing. The record starts so strong with the first three songs, but really only Fourth of July has stuck with me from the rest. Blue Bucket of Gold too, I spose, but mostly cos of the lyrics.

One thing that I think is quite remarkable on repeat listens is that there is literally only one remote glimmer of hope/happiness on the whole album, "my brother had a daughter" on Shoulda Known Better. And the way he sings that, combined with the soft but upbeat synths in the background, really sticks out to me... it's like the whole album is engorged with this "black shroud", but then there's this one really positive part. Like a depression sufferer who has that occasional strike of clarity before falling back to depression.

 

[u2popmofo]

I think the contrast in direction / return to simplicity in this album is one of the most impressive points. That he's been able to go from massively overblown scope and sound of Illinoise to a different kind of massively overblown scope and sound in Ads, and now potentially his most understated album, and all three eras have churned out great songs is incredibly impressive to me.

This new one might be the most consistent album of his from start to finish for me personally, I think I I love every song.

 

[nielsgov]

I just love his falsetto, or more precisely his transition from full voice to falsetto. Death With Dignity is a great example of that. Another one is John Wayne Gacy Jr. One of the main reasons.it's one of.my favorite songs is the way he sings the Oh my God. Chilling.

Sent from my H60-L04 using U2 Interference mobile app

 

[cobl04]

I was hoping my copy of Seven Swans would arrive before the show so I could read along but it doesn't look like it will. Spotify will have to do.

In the Devil's Territory

 

[cobl04]

It's been a long time since I fell so hard and fast for an artist. Destroyer was probably the last one. "Sister" just warmed and broke my heart at the same time. Cannot wait for Sunday night.