Illinois

Wow ok, not what I was expecting - I've always thought this guy was a guitarist's guitarist (but one of those ones that fly under the radar cause they write pop songs, kinda like John Mayer or something) - but I was WRONG. This is "big concept" indie pop from the mid-2000s that we didn't ever need, kinda like arcade fire. This shit all follows the same pattern: it goes absolutely fucking nowhere, but takes forever to do it. Just sickly sweet, repetitive, modern easy listening tripe. I'm sure it gets called "ambitious" a lot, but there's no real ambition here; by the 10min mark you've heard everything it has to offer, but it just keeps on fucking going anyway and you start to gaslight yourself and assume there must be more to it that you're not "getting". But in reality it's just art school hipsters turning like 2 motifs into an hour and 15's worth of album, and then the wankers at outlets like Pitchfork act like it's groundbreaking because they are either a) fooled by the length, b) know pretentious art rock is fucking annoying and talk it up to piss normal people off, or c) both. I'm wondering where you'd be most likely to hear this: one of those hipster cafes where you have to sit on chairs they stole from a primary school? a tiny house owned by a girl who mostly wears a combo of overalls and doc martens? at a local theatre before a reinterpretation of Hamlet from Ophelia's perspective? 2/5.

This sounds like what a Wes Anderson movie would sound like if it were an album.

Honestly just the blandest thing I've ever heard. If a yogurt made a sound this would be it.

Songs as delicate as a gossamer spider’s web. But wait, spider silk is tougher than kevlar and stronger than steel. And so we come to the artless metaphor of my review. Sufjan’s finely crafted songs appear whispy and delicate, ephemeral things - but a closer listen reveals the rock solid songcraft, astonishing lyrics, transcendent beauty and strength.

One of the greatest albums ever made. Forget the lyrics and concept for a second, just the music alone is incredible. I love how you can hear each individual instrument coming together, but they become something greater than the some of their parts. \"They Are Night Zombies (...)\" is the perfect example of this. And the concept is super creative, and is explored in an amazing way. Absolutely flawless album, easily a top 5 album of all time for me.

LOVE LOVE LOVE. I love Sufjan and I love this album. From the epic joy of Chicago to the quiet tragedy of Casimir Pulaski Day to the eerie fun of They are Night Zombies!!, it's delightfully weird, wonderful, joyful, and diverse. I'm so glad he wrote an album for Illinois and I want to go back to Chicago listening to it.

crazy this dude still has 48 states to write an album for. also kinda pissed I was trying to study and spent 45 minutes reading about John Wayne Gacy instead

Love this album, one of my favourites from the last 20 years. Not a bad track, quite impressive considering its length.

This was a fantastic album in my opinion. It felt so familiar yet so new and refreshing. The lyrics were beautiful and the instrumentation was lovely. I totally get the hype now.

What a fantastic album. Even more amazing when you learn that Stevens played most of the instruments on the album. Loved the interludes between songs as well. The grandness of the compositions reminded me of Pet Sounds. Ambitious, but pulled off perfectly.

we are nothing, if not a mosaic of the places and spaces we inhabit; history is a documentation of the skin we shed on our journey to purpose, and the ground we walk on is filled with the dust of the bodies of previous generations now long decayed. Sufjan Stevens’ Illinois, a bombastic musical extravaganza about its titular state, is a beastly museum where the personal and historic collapse into, and inform each other, and are woven into a pointed take on the human condition. the second (and last) of Stevens’ purported 50 states project, Illinois soars because the titular area it highlights is merely a backdrop for more poignant tales on love and loss; innocence and regret; faith and death. Stevens’ songwriting is laser sharp, almost deliriously so, that reading through his poetry is to pierce your own heart and bleed out. you think of a song like “Casimir Pulaski Day” and feel the emotion of losing a loved one in death (and the grappling with faith that immediately follows it), but Sufjan’s strength here goes beyond just the words: his lush orchestral instrumentation is ethereal and moving — it evokes and complements the largeness of his stories, sure, but there’s a paradoxical intimacy in the compositions too. every sound is so perfectly placed, tied closely to the sound before and the sound after. you combine the sounds with the words, and what you have is a juggernaut: songs that sound like life itself, that trace the very idea of being, from birth to love to death and even beyond. this is such a human album — challenging and complex and difficult to digest, but also light and jovial and ultimately rewarding. it is a tribute to the spaces that make us who we are; and just like a literal geographical location, it is vast in scope and scattered, but also raging with passion and romance — a glass-stained cornucopia of details and people and laughter and tears and bodies and monuments and buildings that, at its very core, just sounds thankful to be alive.

B e a utiful

Christian rock for people who buy artisan maple syrup.

<3

Did it allay my suspicions that he's a poser whose experiments with fey grandeur via cutsie-pie rhymes and honeyed vocals don't liberate him from the thrall of easy listening? Yeah, pretty much. That stuff is sorta there but with less pretention, more whimsy and, most of all, melodies that are too full-bodied to ignore. In truth, I heard this as two stars but have bumped it to three as I could see that happening with repeat listens.

Nothing special at all

Lot of things to say here. First of all, so glad to see this included, Sufjan Stevens is one of the most incredible songwriters I’ve ever heard, and to this day I’d say that seeing him at Red Rocks remains my favorite concert I’ve attended. This was album two in the fifty state series (after Greetings from Michigan). Suffy, if you’re reading this, there’s still time and demand! Take us to Arizona or something next. Jokes aside, this album is an elaborate tapestry, woven with a level of care that most humans just don’t possess. It’s weird to talk about a musician like that, but Sufjan seems to have a reverence for minutiae and the ordinary, the kind of guy that literally couldn’t kill a fly because he’d see the fly as a provider for its family or lost in love or something. He devoted that compassionate meticulousness to making an ENTIRE album about Illinois, and if a sympathetic song about John Wayne Gacy isn’t an indicator of how rare this guy is, I don’t know what you’re looking for. The writing on here is top notch, and the production is so varied and impressive, lots of bright, clear percussion and unorthodox instruments. Sufjan was dialed the fuck in. Near the center of this album, back to back, lie two of the most powerful songs ever: “Chicago” and “Casimir Pulaski Day.” Powerful for different reasons: the former is a simple, euphoric song of transformation and moving on, moving forward. The latter is a devastating portrait of a childhood friend (maybe first love) taken too young by bone cancer. No idea if this is fiction or autobiographical, but I don’t care because either would blow my mind. Anytime I hear Casimir Pulaski Day, I play it a second time, and then I get distracted listening through all the other Sufjan songs I love. In other words, it took me a while to get through this album. I looked ahead and I’m afraid that Carrie and Lowell, his masterpiece from 2015 (and one of my absolute favorite albums ever), might not be on the list. Know that I would add it in a heartbeat over so many of the humdrum British rock wafers we’ve received, and go listen to that pronto. This one stands as tall as Seer’s Tower on its own. I expected to give it a 4.5 but we bumping that up today. I’m relishing a lot more than I had before on here. Favorite tracks: Casimir Pulaski Day, Chicago, Concerning the UFO Sighting, John Wayne Gacy Jr., The Seer’s Tower, The Predatory Wasp. Album art: Illinoise, spelled for the dummies. You got Al Capone, some UFOs, what the hell else do you need? It’s perfect for what it needed to accomplish. There’s a cool variant with a Chicago superhero flying around, I think that’s the vinyl I’ve got. 5/5

Yay, another one I've already listened to! Love this album very much. :)

Amazing

I was bored by this. Lots of people love sufjan and never really given him a chance, maybe this was the wrong place to start?

false

If you're going to make an album that's over an hour long, you need to be a lot more interesting and dynamic than this.

How can a song about John Wayne Gacy Jr be so beautiful? This was a mix between The Eels and other 90s surf pop, The Divine Comedy and The Penguin Orchestra. How can you not immediately love a song called “The Predatory Wasp of the Palisades Is Out To Get Us!” ?! The instrumentals were a bit too jazzy for me, but overall loved this album.

So just spitballin’ here, but an album about things from the state of Illinois does NOT sound like a recipe for musical goodness… I was also fascinated by the fact that this was voted the best album of 2005… No offense to Mr. Stevens, as a multi-instrumentalist – he is certainly very talented, but I would argue that “Illinois” being the best album of 2005, says more about the lack of quality music in 2005, as opposed to how exceptional this album is… If this came out in 1977, it’s not even in the Top 500 of that year… I would argue that 70%+ of the albums on the 1,001 list SHOULD be coming from the 60’s & 70’s… Artists created music for the love of their art and craft back then, as there really wasn’t a lot of money in music at the time… Once that changed in the late 70’s and early 80’s – everyone subsequently got in it for the money, and the corporate formulas took over… I’ve listened to a handful of self-made albums (i.e. where the artist plays every instrument for the most part…), and this was probably the best… Most of them just have a weird sound, like there wasn’t enough diversity in the playing, but this one sort of escaped that… Mr. Stevens is very talented, and definitely has a unique and original sound – so points for that, and for what he was trying to accomplish, the album is fairly well-done… My main complaint, is that after a while, all of the songs sorta just sound the same… Enjoyed the piano-based songs better than the banjo ones – but that’s just me, and never thought I’d hear a song about “John Wayne Gacy”, but that’s “Illinois” for you…

Not something I would normally listen to, and with good reason because it was rubbish. Only song that got anywhere near grabbing my attention was The Man of Metropolis Steals Our Hearts, and even then it was not because it was actually any good but because it was the only track that didn’t sound identical to the others. Everything from the track names, to the songs, to the album itself is boring, too long, overly complicated, and trying too hard to be clever (haha Illinoise - do you get it?). This gets a 2 only because it’s not quite as terrible as some others on this list.

Geeze. Someone give this bastard a hug and a cup of strong black coffee. It's nothing but a stack of sad-sack, hipster, pseudo-deep lyrics that are utterly lacking in perspective or passion. The only saving grace is that the musicianship and production are absolutely stellar.

Never heard of this album or artist before. I'll be blunt. I hated every track. The creepy, breathy, wimpy vocals were the worst part. The rest of the music had nothing exciting or memorable. One song that said Lincoln is known as the great emancipator sounded like something a kid would write for extra credit in his high school history class. I'd be embarrassed to listen to this in front of anyone. Did not listen to the bonus CD tracks. I can guess what they sound like.

This sounds like someone has mashed together the Flaming Lips, Neil Young, Super Furry Animals, the Polyphonic Spree and the chorus of a musical. What comes out is unlike anything ever, and quite brilliant. Big, orchestral, great melodies, with unusual and interesting lyrics. All complimented and contested with Sufjan Stevens' quiet, breathy vocals. A triumph of song writing and recording. 5/5.

I know every nook and crannie of this record. It was something that was played heavily in the tour van when Those Transatlantics were traversing the Eastern U.S. 2004-2006. We used to play the song about Chicago when we pulled into town for a show. It's a record with a lot of emotional weight on its own. Add the nostalgia for those times and it feels almost inappropriate to listen now. Like I'm an outsider to my own memories. Musically, this is so interesting. And his voice is beautiful and sweet. Sad he only made it through a couple states in his quest to write a record for each in the Union. But I'm happy Michigan was one of them (it's good, but this is his peak in my opinion).

This is why i like 1001

Landmark in indie folk of the 21st century. Each track is beautifully arranged with carefully crafted instrumentation and introspective lyrics that draw from classical compositions and great poets. Subject matter is focused on Illinois topics and his own Christianity, making for a very personal experience. I could point something that stuck out to me on each track. For example, "Come on Feel the Illinoise" has a distinctive Chicago sound that reminds me of the musical. It's feels like a classical arrangement divided in movements, still cohesive, but flows naturally. In "John Wayne Gacy Jr", we see inspirations of his Christianity to humanize one of the most infamous serial killers in history, an individual who has a soul just like everyone else but grew up in circumstances that unfortunately led him down this past, teaching us that we can make the difference to prevent further massacres or redeem them as productive citizens. "Jacksonville" and "Decatur" remind me this is indeed a folk album with instruments like the banjo and a clear focus on the vocals. Oh and while I'm at it I love all the back vocals. You can tell there are different people on each track and it helps give each of them an identity. But then we get back to "Chicago" and the mood shifts from small time folk to big city feels (more like indie pop) with busy instruments and loud vocals, inviting the audience to sing along. And again it feels like a musical (Chicago) with the focus on the narrator given those momentary soliloquies about his personal experiences. Love the coda but I'm not sure it fit with the rest of the song since the rest of the song didn't feel particularly holy. This is followed by "Casimir Pulaski Day" which is another favorite of mine, for its simplicity and all-over-the-place story that reflects youthful grief and confusion. "The Man of Metropolis" is probably the next most complex song after "Chicago", fusing many different genres, especially rock. Love the distorted guitar sound at the end. "Prarie Fire" to me starts out sounding like it has a mystery theme turning into some holiday-themed Eastern European folk song between the chorus vocals and strange Christmas-like instruments in the latter half. Again, I could talk about the rest of the songs, but the point is that each shows Sufjan's creativity and masterful display of how to use the limited tools at his disposal to the full extent, playing with instruments and vocals in a million ways that doesn't sound experimental or repetitive, making each song stand out while still putting emphasis to his poetic lyrics. From start to finish, this album is a masterpiece to show indie musicians just what is possible with pure talent.

Was pretty gutted when this ended. Will always love this.

i listened to this album a lot in high school. sometimes i'm not feeling his style but today it was hitting me right

4 stars, would listen to again.

I love concept albums and while I'm not an expert on Illinois history, I know enough to appreciate and recognize many of the references and homages. The range of music fits together seamlessly using certain interludes and intermissions between certain tracks that get the listener ready for a shift in tone and style. Listening to the first track, I was worried it was going to be a basic pop/folk album. I was anticipating a 2. Not that that style would be bad for an album, I just usually expect those albums don't push the boundaries very much. By the time I got into the second track I knew I was completely wrong and was then just along for the ride, not knowing what to expect. Things never really get out of hand in this album and while there is a difference in style among several tracks, there's a consistent sound. Overall, the biggest downfall to this record is that it's too long. That's significant considering it's not actually an overwhelmingly long album when looking at the runtime. It sits on the longer side of the spectrum at 1hr and 14 mins but there are longer albums. This is an album you have to dedicate that full hour and 14 minutes for. Listening in episodes would be like stopping a movie every 15 minutes or so and then coming back to it later. It's definitely somewhere between a 4.0 and a 4.5. It's lack of replay value hurts the score just a little bit but it's definitely an ambitious and important homage to a state and country's history.

This is so f*cking precious I can't even. No more, please.

An excellent album, but the song titles are so long that by the time the song is finished, the full title still won't have scrolled all the way across the screen, Or, the song is 16 seconds long so even if the title is shorter you can't see the whole thing, Or, the song is so long that the 35-word title can scroll all the way through the screen 10 times before the song ends, Or...

Such a great album. I listened to this so many times in high school and college. It holds up so well.

Ich bin heute in Illinois in Chicago. Da war ich besonders gespannt, welcher Soundtrack von einem mir unbekannten Sufjan Stevens geboten wird. Nach den ersten Tönen merkt man, dass es jetzt gehobene Kost mit wunderschönen Melodien, Gesängen, Chöre und allen möglichen Instrumente gibt. Harmonisch, kein Ton zuviel, kein Ton zu wenig. Zum Weinen schön. John Wayne ein berühmter Westernheld, wird hier sensibel und zärtlich besungen. Von wegen Illinoise, hier stimmt das Zusammenspiel, auch der Dialog zwischen Blechbläser, Banjo und Geigen, selbst die Chören passen auch unangemeldet. Und Chicago? Was geht ab? Meine Frage stellt sich: Gibt es eine bessere Hymne? Ich verneige mich vor Sufjan Stevens und bedanke mich für die beste Hymne, die je über Chicago geschrieben wurde. Natürlich kenne ich kaum Hymnen über Chicago. Aber was ich heute gehört habe reicht. Alles andere kann jetzt nur verlieren.

Certified Sufjan classic

I don't know why, but I had the mistaken impression that Sufjan Stevens put out "romantic" bubble gum pap. I was really wrong. This is really good. Very very interesting song titles (e.g., "The Black Hawk War, or, How to Demolish an Entire Civilization and Still Feel Good About Yourself in the Morning, or, We Apologize for the Inconvenience but You're Going to Have to Leave Now, or, 'I Have Fought the Big Knives and Will Continue to Fight Them Until They Are Off Our Lands!'") There's a lot of complicated things going on here. And a significant amount of creepiness. Oddly and inexplicably, I am experiencing a sense of dread. This is not background music. It requires that you devote an hour and 14 minutes to paying attention. Is it a symphony? The Sergeant Pepper of the 2000s? Although I don't particularly LOVE every song, I enjoyed the listening experience very much. There's just so much going on (did I already say that?). Vocals (lead and background), instrumentation, everything together... very nice. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ __________________________________ 🎧 LPs reviewed: 40 🎧 LPs left to review: 961 🎧 LPs I found great/relevant enough to be mandatory listens (5): 10 🎧 LPs I *might* include in my own list (4): 14 🎧 LPs I will certainly *not* include in mine (1-2): 10

Fand ich völlig gile!

Muy bueno, me ha encantado

Prachtig album.

Really a nice surprise for me. Recent (younger than me) music that’s right up my alley.

De orkestrale composities, en de vrolijke noten in dit album hebben mij positief verrast! De korte instrumentale intermezzo's zorgen voor leuke afwisseling. Zeker een album om nog eens opnieuw te beluisteren

Even if he never finished the other states in this Grand and ambitious project, this is a beautiful loveletter to the time and place.

Great album! Can't believe I hadn't heard it earlier.

One of my favorite albums that helped get me through a lot of my emo highschool days. I still listen to it every so often when I am in the right mood. Fave Track - Decatur (or something something step mom)

One of my favorite albums. Love it!

Love this album, specifically Chicago, feel the illinoise!, and Casimir Pulaski day. The experimental nature and samples feel intimately eccentric, like reading a journal.

love

I've listened to this album before once or twice maybe, and it never really grabbed me, but paying more attention to it this time around and it's _wonderful_. Gorgeous music, poignant lyrics, amazing stuff. Fave track - "Chicago", although I can imagine that might change with a few more listens...

Super, complexe instrumentatie, van typisch singer songwriter tot hard

Absolutely a perfect example of the Genre. Many songs I've heard before, but have never listened through the album completely. Definitely worth multiple listens.

The greatest Sufjan album ever. I was a jr. in high school when this album came out and it was like nothing i'd ever heard.

There's something special there, despite the overuse of children's choir.

already loved it

AMAZING. One of my favourite albums.

Classic emo/indie rock

Still great after all these years

Love love love

I really like this album. It is a soothing listen even with some heavy concepts.

👍

First time hearing this album. Very unique and hard to categorize. Kind of have to be in the mood to listen to it, but then it really works. Definitely better as an end-to-end album that something you'd shuffle into your playlist. Don't really need a song detailing the life and times of John Wayne Gacy popping up just any random time.

a few good tunes and lots of meandering, like his other work [edit: I spent a bit more time with this than usual over a weekend, and found it to be more complex and complete than I previously understood. Bumped up a point for quality. Jacksonville and Chicago are legit bangers, and some of the more oddly-titled ones are good fun. Could still lose about 15 mins]

It’s Sufjan Stevens being some top tier Sufjan

This album did not sound at all like I was expecting based on the cover art.

A really fun one. It's totally all over the place lyrically, but sonically it really makes the most of using a similar sound for much of it. The lyrics are really beautiful and silly at times which keeps it very interesting as well. 7/10

Ce pâle clone de Cat Stevens nous offre un album long comme le sexe nouvellement dressé de Muddy Waters (voir review sur Hard Again), cela ne prend malheureusement pas avec moi.

OK, this is going to sound really bad. But I thought Sufjan Stevens was the lead singer from System Of A Down. Oops. Definitely not. Yeah, so this isn't bad. But it is a bit.... different. It's a bit noodle-y in places. Experimental music has (to me) sometimes the feel of pretentiousness. "Look, I can put together anything and package it and people will buy it." I get the point of the concept album, and maybe if I was from the midwest I could appreciate it more. As it is, it just didn't hit me like I was expecting. Not something I will revisit.

Wow this was well confusing. I've never known how I feel about Sufjan Stevens tbh, and this confirmed this .. again. I really loved some and utterly hated others. Strange place to!

Not my thing. I enjoyed some of the musical compositions but the lyrics felt...juvenile? A second album in a row that I'm having a hard time connecting with. While I try not to get.too critical about others' opinions on something as subjective as music, reading some of the critiques (both professional and not) the first thing that came to mind was pretentious hipster music. I think I'm actually more frustrated with reviews of the album than the album itself.

I remember when people were telling me about how Carrie and Lowell was one of the most beautiful albums of all time. And on this album about his mom he talks about jerking off. And that’s when I decided that the soft ass album was not for me. Sufjan Stevens is the absolute worse voice to tell me an in depth history of Illinois because I love the ideas here! I love that the song about genociding the natives is this ironic triumphant symphony. I love a song about the white city at the world’s fair, John Wayne Gacy, all sorts of great subject matter here. BUT! BUT!!! We gotta make it so twee and ironic. Teehee, all the titles are like 30 words long! Isn’t that cute? Listen to these woodwinds! My voice is breathy and annoying. It’s one of THE most frustrating albums I’ve ever listened to because there are parts I really like! All let down by ol’ captain asthmatic’s gasps for air. FUCK. Only a weird fucking Christian artist could be like teehee I’m just like John Wayne Gacy! I’ve done some bad things! Secrets under my floor boards! Like my man, nah, you’re good. Just because you stole a Twix bar once doesn’t mean you’re a serial killer. If I wanted sad vaguely Christian folky indie I have the Mountain Goats for that tyvm. And fuck, they also have an album about Illinois.

Interesting album… I would describe this as folk more than alternative. Although I say that more because of the vocal stylings. Musical arrangements for to Intricate and layered, The guy knows how to put a song together! At the end of the album, though, not my cup of tea.

Yeah, maybe on a different day this could’ve gotten 3 stars. Just could not vibe with it.

Huh not sure what to say about this one. the fact i can't remember a single song after it's finished is not a good sign.

A bit boring

I remember when this came out and every hipster was spewing in his/her/their pants. This album marks the beginning of the pussification of the USA. Can't give it a 1, since there's some good orchestral moments.

This is so fsking precious I can't even. No more, please.

No

Holy fuck he must hate Illinois

This is bad, just unashamedly bad. It's boring, redundant, and self indulgent crap I could not finish this mess

Ég á ofboðslega erfitt með Sufjan Stevens - þykir stöffið hans meira og minna allt tilgerðarlegt drasl. Það á meðal annars við um þessa plötu.

Brrr

Illinois is a masterpiece and I am an absolute idiot for only having listened to it once prior to this day.

Yeah, I mean. Millennial classic. So sad, so wild, so parade-y, so fey. Horns and orchestra. Andrew Bird always wanted but could never. Just a fun time all the way through.

An amazing album! One that I loved when I first heard it in the 00s and still love now!

A treasure to the whole world, not just Illinois!

Man, what an incredible album. The lyrics are strong (although imo too cute at times (looking at you, Decatur)) and you can tell all the references are well-researched. The star of the show is the composition, I was blown away the entire album. Favorites are Come On! Feel the Illinois! and The Predatory Wasp of the Palisades Is Out to Get Us!

Goat

Astounding. This is an utterly unique achievement, combining winning song-craft and especially beautiful piano with an intriguing concept (the history of Illinois?!).

WTF, where has this guy been all my life? I feel like this album dropped from space straight onto my eardrums. Instant add to my playlist.

Jag vet inte varför men det är bara bra. Chicago är en av världens bästa låtar och resten av albumet är en enda stor härlig vibe! ❤️

I've heard of Sufjan Stevens, but I haven't heard his music until now. He's a singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who has worked in various genres, including electronica, indie-folk, and baroque pop. He's released multiple albums since his last semester at college, including starting the rather ambitious notion of writing an album for each of the fifty U.S. states. Though thus far, he's only made an album each for two states - Michigan and, in the case here, Illinois. Lyrically, Illinoise draws from the imagery and iconography surrounding the state. From the UFO sighting in the town of Highland on the opening track, to the World's Fair expedition in "Come on! Feel the Illinoise!", to the state holiday of Casimir Pulaski Day in recognition of the Revolutionary War cavalry officer, to even Superman as the fictional town of Metropolis is based on Chicago. Even if I haven't been to Illinois yet, Sufjan gives a well-detailed look into the landscape and historical moments that resonated with him about the state, while also interweaving personal stories into the narrative, such as a memory of summer camp on "The Predatory Wasp of Palisades is Out to Get Us!" and especially on "Chicago" drawing on his time spent in the capital. I also can't help but notice the Christian undertones on tracks like "Casimir Pulaski Day" and "The Seer's Tower" that gesture towards a higher deity without being entrenched in biblical references. In conjunction with the intricate detail of the lyrics, the instrumentation and backing choir add are well-ornamented without sounding overbearing for the listener. The horn pickup and chorus reprieve of "Chicago" to the sung-duet segueing into the choir with hand-claps on "Decatur, or, Round of Applause for your Stepmother!" to the juxtaposition of distorted and acoustic guitars with the choir and trumpet accompaniment on "The Man of Metropolis Steals Our Hearts". There are a great deal of refined and layered arrangements centered about Sufjan's banjo playing and soft crooning, in a manner that reminded me of Nick Drake without the backing band being as busy as it was on Bryter Later. If I had to nitpick, Illinoise is a rather long album, clocking in at 74 minutes with multiple less-than-a-minute interludes. Yet paradoxically, it also doesn't feel as long, as the variety of ideas and arrangements kept it engaging through the runtime, with new sonic details rewarded on subsequent listens. Not to mention, the interludes are meaningfully connected between pieces while having referential titles that further added to the iconography of the state. I was not expecting to be genuinely impressed with such an elongated album about a state I haven't visited yet, but Sufjan Stevens did just that with Illinoise. I know he stopped focusing on the 50-state albums project from the looks of it, but it did result in this wonderful experience.

YES! This one is special and will be a 5. It's one of a kind, really. John Wayne Gacy, Jr. is a favorite, as is Jacksonville. Too many favorites, Chicago, Casimir Pulaski Day. Interesting music and cool harmonies throughout the album. I love it!

Makes me wish I had grown up in Illinois to appreciate this even more! Great album to relax to.

A collage of vibrant vignettes that swept me away. I honestly was prepared to be this album's biggest hater but it completely turned me on my head. Excellent.

First album to pop up in this listen that I already know and love, and listening to it all the way through only reinforced that love. One of the most intricately crafted, dense, gorgeous albums I have ever heard. Even if it’s not your style (it’s certainly very theatrical at times) you can’t deny the pure talent and effort that went into it. Not to mention all the research put into the Illinois lore. Truly a one of a kind album

Some of these song titles are the wildest I've ever seen. On first listen, I really liked Feel The Illinois, Jacksonville, Chicago, Casimir Pulaski Day, Predatory Wasp, and Tallest Man. This version of Chicago sounds different from the one I've listened to in the past but I'm into the added strings and chorus towards the end. Still probably my favorite song on the album. I read in the global reviews that this felt like listening to a Wes Anderson movie and I've never read a truer statement. This was an album that took a few listens to fully digest but I enjoyed the music quite a bit. There are deep-rooted themes, intricate song structures, and a variety of different styles of music here. Even with juggling all of that, the result is a beautifully produced album. I feel like this deserves a 5. I plan on coming back to this one for sure despite it being pretty lengthy.