Illinois

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Thu Jul 08 2021

2

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.

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Sun Oct 24 2021

1

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

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Thu Apr 15 2021

5

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.

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Fri Feb 26 2021

5

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.

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Wed Oct 06 2021

5

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.

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Tue Feb 02 2021

3

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

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Wed Oct 14 2020

5

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.

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Mon Jan 25 2021

5

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

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Mon Jun 21 2021

4

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

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Fri Jan 15 2021

2

Nothing special at all

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Wed Jan 13 2021

5

B e a utiful

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Tue Feb 02 2021

5

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.

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Thu Apr 15 2021

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.

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Tue Nov 02 2021

4

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).

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Tue Mar 30 2021

2

false

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Wed Sep 08 2021

2

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?

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Thu Sep 17 2020

5

<3

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Fri Sep 04 2020

5

Amazing

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Mon Dec 14 2020

5

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

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Fri Jan 22 2021

5

4 stars, would listen to again.

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Tue Mar 28 2023

5

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

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Tue Apr 18 2023

5

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.

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Thu Jul 22 2021

2

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.

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Wed Jan 11 2023

2

Christian rock for people who buy artisan maple syrup.

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Tue Apr 20 2021

5

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

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Thu Apr 15 2021

5

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

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Sun Dec 11 2022

4

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

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Fri Dec 30 2022

4

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

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Tue Feb 28 2023

4

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.

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Thu Mar 02 2023

4

It’s Sufjan Stevens being some top tier Sufjan

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Wed Sep 08 2021

3

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!

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Tue Nov 09 2021

3

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.

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Fri Jun 16 2023

1

Brrr

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Tue Nov 17 2020

5

Odd sound, but I like it. I like \"Chicago.\" good, solid album.

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Mon Nov 30 2020

5

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

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Fri Mar 26 2021

5

Love love love

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Wed Jan 13 2021

5

Very pleasant.

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Fri Feb 12 2021

5

A surprise

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Sun Mar 14 2021

5

2000-luvun alun merkittävimpiä levyjä, joka tulee löytymään pitkään klassikkolevylistauksilta. Jos Oasiksen (Whats the story) Morning Glory oli itselläni 1990-luvun kuunnelluimpia levyjä niin tämä on aika lähellä samaa 2000-luvulta. Lumoavaa äänimaisemien maalailua, joka pitää otteessaan levyn alusta loppuun.

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Mon Jun 21 2021

5

Still great after all these years

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Thu Jan 28 2021

5

Classic emo/indie rock

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Thu Feb 11 2021

5

AMAZING. One of my favourite albums.

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Wed Jan 27 2021

5

already loved it

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Tue Jan 19 2021

5

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

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Fri Jan 15 2021

5

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.

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Thu Jan 14 2021

5

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.

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Fri May 21 2021

5

Realmente único, creo es la mejor forma de hablar de este disco, no hay nada que se le parezca ni en su música ni en su concepto. Música muy variada y en todos los casos bien pensada y armada, sencilla cuando debe de serlo o elaborada y bombástica en otras ocasiones, sin sentirse forzado en ninguno de los casos. La orquestación realmente inventiva desde el inicio del disco no para de sentirse creatividad cambiante que mantiene un mismo concepto. La idea original de hacer un disco para cada estado de los EE.UU. y terminar con 50 discos obviamente era absurda, aunque al escuchar este en realidad termina uno con ganas de que fuera un proyecto real. Se siente el trabajo y la investigación sobre el estado que realizó, hay tantas referencias que más de una vez me lanzó a Wikipedia a investigar de qué hablaba, siempre terminando en algún tema que fue interesante y, aun así, terminé con muchas que me hubiera gustado entender. No conocía nada de Sufjan Stevens, de hecho en mi cabeza el nombre en algún momento se mezcló y confundió con Matisyahu (que no me agrada) y nunca puse su música. Que bueno que este ejercicio me ha hecho corregir ese error, con este disco y después de leer un poco sobre él me quedan bastantes ganas de conocer algo más sobre sus proyectos. Nunca creí que habría un disco concepto que hablara de Superman, Chicago, la esposa de Lincoln, avistamientos de OVNIS y John Wayne Gacy que pudiera ser tan bueno y cohesivo. Por cierto esa canción de John Wayne Gacy realmente lúgubre y con un final de mensaje un poco inesperado. En realidad estaba pensando en contras que ponerle para no dar un 5 y sería buscar minucias, la verdad es que la música, las letras, el concepto, todo me parece excelente y creo que a pesar de serme totalmente desconocido hasta hace unos días, para mí si se gana el 5.

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Tue Jan 19 2021

5

Super, complexe instrumentatie, van typisch singer songwriter tot hard

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Fri Apr 16 2021

5

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...

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Tue Feb 09 2021

5

love

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Tue Feb 02 2021

5

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

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Fri Feb 19 2021

5

One of my favorite albums. Love it!

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Tue Apr 20 2021

5

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)

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Thu Jul 22 2021

5

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.

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Sat Feb 27 2021

5

Una maravilla de disco, no he podido parar de escucharlo. Me ha encantado

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Tue Jan 26 2021

5

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

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Sun Mar 14 2021

5

Varsin megalomaaninen teos aina kappaleiden nimiä myöten. Sufjan on epäilemättä jonkin sortin musiikillinen nero niin säveltämisen kuin useamman instrumentin hallitsemisen puolesta. Hyvän kontrastin monimuotoisiin sävellyksiin tuo miehen hyvin rauhallinen ja miellyttävä lauluääni. Ensimmäinen itselle ennaltaan tuntematon artisti ja levy, minkä kohdalla nappasin koko levyn talteen myöhempää kuuntelua varten.

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Sun Feb 14 2021

5

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

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Sat Apr 03 2021

5

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

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Sat Apr 03 2021

5

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

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Sat Apr 03 2021

5

Prachtig album.

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Sat Mar 20 2021

5

Sufjan en estado primigenio. Mágico como siempre, folk pop maravilloso y melódico. Genial

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Thu Feb 18 2021

5

Muy bueno, me ha encantado

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Tue Feb 16 2021

5

none

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Tue Mar 09 2021

5

Fand ich völlig gile!

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Wed Mar 03 2021

5

muito show de bola curti bastante

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Tue May 25 2021

5

This album is a masterpiece.

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Mon Mar 29 2021

5

Amazing

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Tue Jun 01 2021

5

Well I've not really ever listened to Sufjan, but I like this so far and I'm only on song 3. As long as the rest of the album holds up, I can see giving this a 4 or 5. Ok I was told this might get depressing, yeah I can see it in song 10. I like the sounds a lot. Yes. A 5.

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Tue Apr 20 2021

5

very good and sexy

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Tue Jun 08 2021

5

Incredibly easy to listen to from start to finish. Had previously had a few Sufjan Stevens songs but the album as a whole was a great listen

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Wed May 19 2021

5

shockingly good. the third song and Chicago are great songs and the whole album is kinda a vibe. Definitely an album to come back to 4.5/5

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Wed May 12 2021

5

Humorous, heartbreaking, groovy, beautiful. Such an enjoyable listen. Really, really unique.

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Tue Jul 27 2021

5

I recognize there is some hypocrisy in praising this album when it hits a lot of the same criteria that I nailed Soundgarden to the wall for just last week, not to mention all the "psychedelic" rock I've lost patience with. Album longer than it needs to be? Probably. Tracks that run well past five minutes without much tonal distinction? Sure. Lyrics that are trying to be deep, but don't seem sincere? Very objective, but I could see it. I can't tell you what the difference is here. Maybe it's the exceptional production. Maybe it's the track titles that inject the perfect amount of levity and bring you in on the joke. Maybe it's more palatable to my Millennial tastes, alongside a recognition that maybe rock isn't an appropriate genre for every application. Whatever the case, this album worked hard for me.

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Fri Aug 06 2021

5

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.

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Wed Aug 25 2021

5

Awesome album, Chicago stands out.

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Wed Aug 25 2021

5

Epic tender melancholia with cheer creeping in

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Thu Sep 23 2021

5

Indie chamber prog? I’m a fan.

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Fri Oct 22 2021

5

Nice to listen to this again

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Sat Oct 23 2021

5

Was soll ich sagen ausser diesem Ding nahezu die Perfektion zu attestieren, die es anstrebt, aber dadurch minimal weniger verdient, als späteres und für viele zu viel überfrachtetes "Age of Ads", in welchem Sufjan beweist, was er in "Illionis" (wie auch "Michigan") geradewegs andeutet: statt Singer / Songwriter ist er ein wahrer Composer ! Sobald man das verinnerlicht und die early years ("Seven Swans") und aktuelle Anbiederung ("Carrie and Lowell") als umfassende Klammer ausklammert, wird hier schnell klar, was diese quirky Kreidestimme mit treuer Gefolgschaft zu schaffen im Stande ist. Klar, Repetition in der Struktur mag ermüden, aber wird nicht Schicht für Schicht draufgebuttert? Zu Traurigkeit & introspektiver Dunkelheit ("John Wayne Gaycey Jr.") viel Liebe ("Chicago") und Gottesfürchtigkeit vor der Allgegenwärtigkeit des Todes ("Casimir Pulaski Day") in die Marmelade eingekocht wird das Ganze eingemacht; haltbar, über Jahre, Jahrzehnte, vielleicht ein Leben. Ich mache bislang immer wieder gerne ein Gläschen auf, es hält mich lebendig, es macht mich immer wieder klar und auch wenn ich den Geschmack nur allzu gut kenne, mich fast dran überfressen habe...ich brauche es, um über jeden Winter zu kommen. 4.9

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Thu Oct 28 2021

5

Ambitious and sprawling. This one grew on me as I listened, so I went back for a second dose and it still felt fresh. Has to be considered a modern classic. Best track: Chicago

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Thu Oct 28 2021

5

Super cool album! Was initially nervous, but man, Stevens brings indie to a whole new level. Enjoyed thoroughly.

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Tue Nov 02 2021

5

This is already one of my favorite albums from Sufjan, definitely appreciate an excuse to listen to it today!

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Tue Nov 09 2021

5

Sufjan Stevens' Illinois(e) is an interesting musical journey through the core of a songwriter's beliefs. The Christian undertones are there without ever being in your face. Chicago is an amazing tune (a masterpiece perhaps) and the highlight of the album but certainly not the only song worth mentioning. The opening track sets the mood for the album. A beautiful ballad all played by Sufjan containing the haunting line "history involved itself" which for some reason gets me every time I hear it. Come on feel the Illinoise picks up the mood. It seems to be about the 1893 worlds fair in Colombia. Also could be about the divide between art and commerce. I could go on about the rest of the album but this would be a long winded review and the treasures on hear should be explored by the listener. This album needs multiple listens to fully sink in.

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Tue Nov 09 2021

5

Already one of my all time favorite albums. Have listened to it many times, was fortunate enough to see Sufjan in concert when he was touring this album. Saw him again on the Carrie and Lowell tour.

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Mon Nov 15 2021

5

Really nice melodies and pacing. The background chorus is really good.

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Tue Nov 16 2021

5

all my homies love sufjan stevens. i actually did not remember a lot of songs on this album and its very fun to revisit

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Wed Nov 17 2021

5

Liked it. Had heard it a few times.

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Tue Nov 30 2021

5

Testing.

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Mon Dec 06 2021

5

love it.

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Tue Jan 04 2022

5

Heard before

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Tue Jan 04 2022

5

Sublime album - somehow been avoiding it but it’s a masterpiece

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Sat Jan 15 2022

5

Never heard of this artist before. I knew the song Chicago but not who sung it. This is an excellent album and one I will return to and recommend to others.

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Tue Jan 18 2022

5

Genre: Chamber Pop 5/5 Sufjan Stevens put a lot of effort into this record, and it pays off big time, as Illinois is one of the best pop albums from the last 20 years. While I was certainly on my way to give this a 4, the album never got old, never got boring, and always sounded fresh and engaging. From the opener to the outro, this thing is chock-full of gorgeous pop arrangements, beautiful production, and immaculate songwriting. Although Sufjan certainly had some strings/brass help throughout this project, Sufjan pulls a McCartney and plays nearly every instrument completely by himself. His bass playing alone should give you all you need to know in terms of his playing prowess, the guy can play. Shades of the Beatles, Donovan, and the Beach Boys, Sufjan Stevens used all of his influences to knock this thing out of the park. Wrigley Field, I guess. Come On! Feel The Illinoise!, Chicago, and The Tallest Man… are some of my favs from my first listen, but I’m sure this will reward repeat listens, and a few of these songs will end up forever favorites. Really great record.

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Thu Jan 27 2022

5

Bom pra escutar trabalhando

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Mon Jan 31 2022

5

Uma-obra prima! Não achei outra forma de definir esse álbum. 1h14 minutos de pura contemplação. Pelo o que li, as músicas falam sobre o Estado de Illinois, contando acontecimentos marcantes do lugar. Os títulos são geniais também!

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Tue Feb 01 2022

5

listened to many times his best album, imo

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Sun Feb 20 2022

5

This is my current favorite album. Sufjan Stevens is a master of weaving history, emotion, place, and music together into an unassailable whole. His instrumentation is expansive enough to accompany his diversity in lyrical content and his use of melody rank him among the best. This album means a lot to me personally, but it’s the cinematic, suite-like, textured, ambitious whole that brings me back.

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Tue Mar 01 2022

5

Low 5, Really hit the mark for me, but not sure what the mark was

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Thu Mar 10 2022

5

Wow this album is amazing. It’s so different, but not “out there”. Honest music with a Bob Dylan feel. I don’t know what I feel, but I feel different listening to this album. Will definitely listen again.

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