Illinois

Prefer Stevens’ later, more mature work. This can be a bit twee and repetitive.

This was kind of beautiful and kind of sad. I thought his voice and music were lovely, but the songs were kind of depressing.

It had a few interesting parts but the rest was bland and forgettable background music. I probably would have liked it more in my Wilco days but my tastes have evolved.

This was my first time listening to this artist, and I had a really good time. I even toyed with an idea of giving it five stars but the record started to drag towards the end (even though I absolutely loved the closing instrumental track). I usually have a soft spot for slower, folksy albums and this was no exception. For a concept album, this covered a lot of topics and felt really refreshing. I'm definitely going to check out more stuff from this artist. 4.5 stars

I hadn't heard of this album before. By song two I thought “oh is this the music from some play?” Because that’s what our sounds like- a second-tier musical your kid’s high school is putting on, that you are struggling to sit through. Turns out it’s just an artsy pop concept album. A long one.

It's big, it's long, and it's not bad.

1. 5 2. 7 3. 3- least favourite 4. 6 5. 5 6. n/A 7. 4 8. N/a 9. 6 10. 6.5 11. 7.5 12. 5 13. 7.5 -favourite 14. N/a 15. 4.5 16. 6 17. 6 18. N/a 19. 6.5 20. 6 21. N/a 22. 3 5.56/10 2.78/5

Good, bit long

This feels like an album that needs to sink in…I don’t feel quite ready to review after a day. I’ve come across Sufjan plenty and checked him out a bit - always thought it was fine but didn’t quite get the hype. But I’m enjoying a close listen of this. I like him best when being Maximalist and grandiose, as opposed to the sparser/folkier arrangements (more art rock, less indie folk). Melodies are plentiful from any instrument willing to sing one. Really covers a lot of instrumental ground here and the arrangements are varied and interesting. Still the album feels very cohesive. He’s got a fairly soothing voice too. Its not an instant classic for me, but something I’d like to explore further.

Heard this a couple times before but i don't think it ever fully clicked with me, and i feel the same now. Even though it's hard to find a flaw, except for maybe it feels a bit same-y as you get towards the end, but the songwriting and performances are all fantastic. I love Sufjan's voice, maybe it just needs more listens still, since it's a pretty big album. Still great to listen to despite that.

Maybe if your from Illinois this is a cool album.

Well this album deserves an award for the longest song titles. An independent concept album where the artist not only recorded and produced, but played most of the instruments as well. I should love this, but it fell kind of flat for me. I found my mind continually wandering whilst listening. It just couldn't hold my attention, with songs just blending together.

A sprawling indie epic. This album has so many layers to it. The sheer complexity of researching the history of Illinois and building an entire album around the state is impressive on its own. Throw in the fact that the arrangements are so imaginative and rich, and this thing is filled with catchy songs front to back. It’s a joy to listen to. I get chills whenever I hear John Wayne Gacy, Jr., Stevens captures the tragedy of that story so perfectly, and reflects it back on all of us. It’s a long long album, with long long song titles, but it keeps you engaged the whole time. Someone could craft a college course on this album. Really wish Stevens did continue the states series. This is a masterpiece.

Best album, Sufjan Stevens uses a lot of instruments and sounds to really full out the sound. This is all sad in the best way.

A coworker had this album on his default playlist for the office, so I was already somewhat familiar with it. I think the album concept is interesting, and there seems to be a lot of depth to the songs (both lyrically and musically), but wouldn't be excited about having a song about John Wayne Gacy appear in my regular rotation either.

I wanted to like this album much more than I did. I've heard many of the songs before, but had never sat down to listen to the album carefully. Positives: - Interesting instrumentation, particularly the use of brass - Interesting harmonies - Feels very cinematic (perhaps that's just the orchestral arrangements?) Negatives: - I don't care for his voice, which feels very boring to me - Feels disjointed; perhaps a thin line between experimental and just 'needs an editor' but this felt more like the latter to me From a genre perspective, this is exactly the kind of thing that should appeal to me, but in practice I just don't particularly like it.

The sounds were cool. I never thought I’d say this, but not every emotion needs to be a song.

I GET the Sufjan hype but I've never been able to get into his music.

Good

А чёт балдёжно. Волшебный альбом, очень нежный и приятный саунд, хор кайфовый санктус доминус. По ковер арту я думал что будет ЭЙНТ ДЭТ Э КИК ИН ДА ХЕЕЕЕД а оказалось прям волшебное путешествие.

Yeah, this is nice and all, but not really my jam. 2.5/5

Love this one

arranjos característicos das bandas fofas dos meados dos 2000

Cringe

Nice. Not really for me but some really great songs in there

Good

Like if a liberal arts degree became an album

I bet theater majors eat this up. All in all I think this is a fine album. It's got some pretty good songs and some snoozefests. I'm not a big fan of the soft, wordy, melodramatic acoustic songs on here. I think they're pretty boring. The whole album, which goes on for a bit longer than it should, feels like an art house indie film. Quirky and trying to stand out, but long-winded and a little pretentious. 5/10 Would I listen again? There's some halfway decent tunes that I wouldn't mind listening to again, but the whole thing is a no for me.

It was ok, a couple of tracks were approaching good. I doubt I'd listen to it again willingly, but I wouldn't turn it off if it came on the radio. I think 2 or 3 stars is about right.

didn't realize the state of Illinois needed an album... but here we are. never heard of Sufjan Stevens, or this album before but its oddly beautiful. i enjoyed having it on in the background while working. i am sure the lyrics are probably a bit deeper than what i heard, but all in all it was a pleasant listen.

This was a splendid gem. For album number 1002, this sort of thing will keep me going. Having lived in Illinois for four years, I loved all the references to its history. Perfect perfect perfect from beginning to end.

I don't have a single complaint about this one.

The internet keeps showing me ads for the new Broadway musical based on this album. Such a musical makes a lot of sense --- "Chicago" is a showtune if ever there was a showtune --- but I cringe at the thought of the forced earnestness that musical theater performers are likely to bring to this material. This album already works as a piece of theater with evocative imagery and complex orchestrations. It's an impressive piece of work. A favorite.

Yet another entry in the albums-my-ex-played-a-lot-that-I-should-have-appreciated-more files. I wish my state had such a fantastic album dedicated to it. There is so much to love here. Just the right amount of clever with a range of instruments and songs that never got boring - this is fabulous!

Funny that this album came up in the 1001 queue while I was visiting Chicago. I absolutely love this album. The song “Chicago” never fails to cheer me up while I’m feeling down, but paradoxically gives me a sense of nostalgia and melancholy if I was already happy. It’s my comfort song and my comfort album, something I can return to to revel in the brilliance of the human mind. This has been one of my favorite albums since I first heard it. When I first created a top 100 albums chart, it was ranked #4, and in over a decade since then, it’s remained in slot 2-3 while other albums have come and gone in the #1 spot. I have a vision of a film version of The Devil in the White City (the nonfiction story of the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair), or perhaps a musical or a ballet, which is set to the music of this album. The architects and engineers dance around their table to “Come On! Feel the Illinoise!” H. H. Holmes paces the hallways of his murder hotel to “John Wayne Gacy, Jr.” The first Ferris wheel is constructed to “The Tallest Man, the Broadest Shoulders”. Holmes reckons with his murders to “They Are Night Zombies!!! They Are Neighbors!! They Have Come back from the Dead!! Ahhhh!” Daniel Burnham surveys his great white city to “The Man of Metropolis Steals Our Hearts”. I guess the Illinoise musical will have to do, along with whatever film ends up being made by Leo Dicaprio since he has the rights to adapt The Devil in the White City.

Odd stuff lately. This one is a gem… a poop nugget.

I always enjoyed this when it came out but I didn’t appreciate it until now. It’s so good! It’s so DIFFERENT. It feels so big and grand, yet is so far removed from some big budget major-label production. Just a group of young people who were good at stuff just made this. I’ve really tried to think of similar artists/projects but nothing has come to mind, at least nothing on this level. Somehow the actual work got overshadowed by the “he’s going to make an album of all fifty states!” line that was in every article and review at the time, but no matter. This 100% holds up and has gotten even better with time.

Album has it moments of sleep and some interest. It’s a pretty interesting album though and somehow the americana nostalgia pulls me in.

I really liked this album, it had great sounding songs but what were the names??

been putting off listening to sufjan for awhile…… why i don’t know

Surprised by this one

Not my typical style. Soft & chill vibes. Good for reading/writing to.

Songs added: 6/22 Average: 3.5 Best: 5 (Chicago)

Good album, I enjoy this one a few times a year

Meh. Honestly not bad at all. Just felt like it outstayed it's welcome.

Ehhh this was pretty boring. I like the concept, maybe if it were 40 minutes instead of 80 I'd be more generous?

I can appreciate the concept but this type of music is just not for me.

Some of the songs I absolutely love. There are some absolute classics in there I have had saved for years. Very good album, not quite great. I did really enjoy the song about the wasp. Side note: it really annoyed me how the songs weren't capitalized consistently.

I loved this album in high school. It was really great to revisit it and discover that I still love it. There are a lot of standouts on this album, but they almost all come in the first half. "Come On!" "John Wayne Gacy, Jr" "Jacksonville" "Decatur" "Chicago" "Casimir Pulaski Day" are all so good. After those it feels like the album falls off a little bit. I love "The Tallest Man", but most of the other songs from 11-22 feel worse than the first half. "They Are Night Zombies" gets an honorary mention, I love the chanting section. The album is very creative, has amazing song names and showcases Sufjan's wide musical ability. If the album was 30m shorter, cutting out all second half songs besides the ones I mentioned, I'd give it a 5 enthusiastically. Unfortunately I have to give it an 8/10.

Like the musicality

That is an interesting album that feels like it should have been recorded 20 years earlier. It’s a long album and really needs more than one listen. The lyrics are interesting and the music is decent.

Actually, quite enjoyed this. Definitely not a bad album to have on in the background.

It took a minute, but I eventually started grooving with the concept. Overll good, but I won't comeback to it.

Had never heard of this guy before. Interesting, but found it pretty average overall except for the album length (91 minutes!).

Never heard this album or really ever heard OF this album. Interesting concept album I suppose. Glad to be made aware of it, but I don't expect to ever listen to this again.

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.

- i was so excited to see this one come up! knew i liked chicago and john wayne gacy jr. but had never listened to it dedicatedly - for some reason did not realize it was made in 2005. nearly 20 years old!! - just masterful - instrumentation is wonderful. orchestral but still varies through the album, but in a logical progression - obsessed with the feeling it invokes. such motion, in the city, it feels like watching scenery go by from a car or train window. - song titles are also hilarious. - 4/5 added to library.

Come On is best of the first half Sounds a lot like an opera/theater rock musical, cool Chicago highlight of the album and a classic Looses a bit of momentum after Casimir Liked The Tallest Man Enjoyed a lot, very much on my type of music. Would listen again. High 4, but don´t think is perfect 4/5

3.5/5

3.5 stars

Incredibly ambitious to base such a long album off of one of the most boring states. Unlike the real Illinois, Chicago isn’t the only highlight.

It's okay, just kinda boring. Chill background music though.

Kinda cheesy but enjoyable. If it had been the same quality and about Virginia, I would give it a 5. As I don't care for Illinois, let's go with 3

Totally inoffensive and completely......'meh. No edge, no passion....just ditties.

i did not care about this album. I did not like it. Pass

Sufjan was planning on doing an album for every state but has only done Illinois and Michigan. My favorite album by him. Illinoise has also become a musical. Almost as good as his Christmas music.

An incredible album.

Thoroughly pleasant experience throughout. Beautiful vocals and lovely writing. Didn't enjoy it as much as his latest or AoA, but I will definitely be returning to it.

Beautiful. Moving. Aligns with my biases. I don’t know if I would ever seek this out to listen to in future, but I can’t deny what’s going on in this album.

Haven’t revisited this one in years, but I was obsessed back when it came out. Still definitely holds up, love the sweet nostalgic lyrics married to the Philip Glass scores a Charlie Brown special arrangements. Need to break out the Sufjan more often.

This is another one I heard the sound of in my head when it came up. It really takes me back. It’s great, but doesn’t quite get up to a 5, though.

One of my favorites. Every song sounds the same but the whole album is just touching and memorable

kinda nice actually

Lots of great songs , lots of styles, great musicianship and great production. What’s not to like

Extremely pretty album with a grandiose sound, and a very fun concept tying in references to the state throughout the album. Really enjoyed it

I thought this was going to be twee, self-indulgent millennial bullshit, but damn it's so good.

i feel like sighing to be honest

That was awesome! Glad to add it to my rotation

Schön, beruhigende Stimme, noch nicht kitschig, teilweise orchestral. "Chicago" ist zurecht der Hit des Albums.

Some songs bounced off me, but the ones that grabbed me really grabbed me. Favorite Track: They Are Night Zombies!!

I'm not too big on the album as a whole. Mainly just a genre thing. The vocals are nice and I love the instrument choices throughout the album. I just don't like it much. But I do think "The Man of Metropolis Steals Our Hearts" and "Prairie Fire That Wonders About" are pretty good. Some of the other songs are also Little Big Planet-core AF.

this has so much more instrumentation than I was ready for. I'm used to sufjan just being a guy with a guitar but holy hell the choir and the flutes and the horns went on a bit too long (track 2) oh wait oh no it's the whole album maybe (track 3) OH I KNOW CHICAGO this one is genuinely so good it will probably carry the rest of the album for me (track 9) Okay the second half is way less overstimulating it's still painfully 00s overproduced but I can see why it's important

Neat vibes, very creative and sincere.

One of Sufjan Stevens’ greatest achievements. A portrait of a singular place, but with Sufjan’s complex arrangements and diversity of ideas, he makes that place as intricately detailed as any singular person could be

I've listened to this more than enough times to know that it's a 5 for me. Checking it out quickly, but besides the fact that it drags a bit towards the tail end, it's beautiful, fun, haunting, whatever it has it all while keeping a clean, consistent vibe which is a fantastic work of love tribute.

very good

This is definitely in my top 5. Have always loved Sufjan.

Great music, interesting. Let down by the lyrics in my opinion. I typically find interest in lyrics about experiences I haven't had, but I thought the ones here weren't interesting at all.

“Illinoise” - creative title 👏. Clearly a talented musician & song writer and I can see why Sufjan Stevens has a following. While the album didn't entirely resonate with my personal taste, there's no denying the appeal of tracks like "Casimir Pulaski Day” - which gives me Blind Melon “No Rain” vibes, along with tracks like “Decatur, Or, Round of Applause for Your Stepmother!" and “The Man of Metropolis Steals Our Heart” which bring vibrant energy and catchy hooks that stand out. Overall, Illinoise might be a perfect pick for fans of Indie Folk/Indie Rock, Electronica, Folktronica, etc. but it didn't fully capture my musical preferences.

5/5 This album was very dense to begin with. It has a lot of information and historical background that to the average listener would be lost in. After I overcame its beefiness, Each individual track was really enjoyable, and I felt rewarded diving into lyrics. As far as concept albums go I was really blown away with the care of the album. The album art and the order of track listing really built on a story of Illinois from the perspective of history and artist. TLDR: Dense album, tracks are full to the brim sonically and lyrically

Who would have thought that you could write an album about a state? While some of the lyrics and music were good, this album is not for me.

Beautiful background music. I could see myself sinking into this deeper.

Reminds me of Belle and Sebastian. I think the alternate universe me that stayed in high school theater would love this. A friend from a long time ago was super into this album, and I see why. I accidentally didn't leave this review until 1:45am on Monday 5/13, but I've had "Chicago" stuck in my head for an hour. This is an easy 5-star for me.

I love these song titles.

4.5

never have been and probably never will be the right flavor of gay for sufjan stevens, but i can recognize that this is almost objectively good, even if it doesn't really do anything for me. a begrudging 4

Pretty boring. Some melodious compositions but overall unremarkable.

Great album really good listen slightly too long

Not for me - one or two tracks were okayish, but the rest was dull dull dull

2 stars. One for Chicago and one for trying something different.

Stand out track Chicago aside, this album is dull and derivative. Lyrics appear to have been written by a 5 tear old.

Nice easy listening I've heard the name for years but only new the one song. Not really much relisten factor

Fine. Nothing special.

BOring AF

Not saying this album is unlistenable, but holy hell was it hard to get through. I have a disliking for singers with a high, whiney voice and Sufjan Stevens fits the bill. The instrumental parts were good at points but largely overshadowed by his annoying voice.

Very cool sound. Disjointed at times.

Pleasantly surprised 😊

It’s an interesting album. Chicago is my fav on the album. Overall great arrangements but not something I’d listen to regularly

sufjan my love <33 comfort music

A magnificent and wonderful album beginning to end. "John Wayne Gacy" is one of the most haunting songs I've ever heard. A perfect album.

You have to at least admire the craft and research. I grew up in Illinois and didn't even get all the references.

I remember buying this album in Adams Morgan in DC on a beautiful sunny day. I remember thinking that Sufjan was actually going to do an album about all 50 states. Amazing album.

Merke: Bei der sich dem nächsten Film-Noir-Fest anschließenden Diskussionsrunde wäre dieses Album eine passenden Hintergrundmusik: Experimentell - Abwechslungsreich - nervt nicht - lenkt nicht ab.

The music was pretty good, but nothing in the lyrics really got me going.

As someone from Chicago- immediately intrigued. This is such a silly little album, love. 4/5

This was an amazing album, very cohesive and well produced. Easy folky sound with electronic elements. It was quite long though. Stand-out: John Wayne Gacy, Jr.

Emotionally charged music with silly lyrics. Coldplay meets Owl city. Great swells and full sound. Really liked it though. Want to listen to other albums.

There are a handful of tracks on this album that with an immersive, full-orchestra sound to them that’s really enjoyable. But it’s also got some aggressively mid-2000s sad boy vocals and experimental mini tracks that hit just a little different in 2024.

Started out not minding it, but it was depressing in places, and enough trumpet to please Phoebe Bridgers. I started to feel like I was trapped in a never ending Broadway show.

I've complained in the past about overly long albums, but Illinois totally earns its running time. This is an easy five stars for me.

Wow: Cum On Feel To Illinoise Super Album, moins downer que Carrie & Lowell

Hard to listen to, in the beginning. But surprised about the few songs that I recognized.

Loved this one! The harmonies, the instruments.

Far too precious and self-satisfied to be enjoyable.

Good jazzy laid back album. I could see me listening to this one again.

Bizarre

So boring. At least didn't do all 50 states.

Pretty quintessential indie folk album. Not my thing but can appreciate what it is

I thought this album was really good. It was definitely one of the longest albums I've listened to all the way through with no breaks. Sufjan Stevens has a very calming voice and it goes well with the calming and festive attitude of the album. The piano carried this album though.

ok

Meh

Sufjan Stevens’ Illinois is an unsuccessful attempt at abstractness. The idea of painting the songs like Illinois is cool, but it means nothing to me, because I don’t know or care about Illinois. The songs feel dragged out, the music is weird, nothing makes sense, including the titles! My favorite is Come On! Feel the Illinoise! . All in all, Illinois is a mid album. Best Song: Come On! Feel the Illinoise! Worst Song: Decatur, or, Round of Applause for Your Stepmother!

Chaotic muchness. Esoteric and vast, the product of a bookish talker influenced by queer Christian guilt. I’m old enough to know that Sufjan isn’t the cottage-core, quaint songwriter teens today think he is. I’m fully aware he’s a product of the Keith Herrings of this world and the maximalism of the 2000s. I was the target demographic for Sufjan when this album came out, and I knew that, but I still hated it. I didn’t know how much I was the target demo — I still thought I would die in a small New England town, I still was deep in the closet, I still thought I was above this level of pretentiousness. Still, my friends, from the punks to the hipsters, always insisted Sufjan was great, I just needed to give him another chance, especially this album, if nothing else. And so I tried, multiple times over the years, and yet, though I did warm up to it gradually with each revisit, I always walked away feeling negative toward this album. Maybe Brooklyn has finally rotted my brain after 8 years, maybe I can finally see the queer themes now that both Sufjan and I are fully out, maybe I’ve finally accepted that I’m annoying, but, whatever the reason, I’m finally positive on this album. I’m not 100% convinced yet that it’s a masterpiece. I still find the filler tracks deeply annoying, even if they are melodically sound, because I hate songs that only work in the context of an album and nowhere else. I still find this a bit overwrought, and in the finally stretch, its sprawl goes from exhausting to grating, though never so bad that I want to turn it off. As a result, I do find the first half much, much stronger, and wish it had stayed with those first 12 tracks only, or maybe go up to 15 songs total and stop. I do find it annoying and a bit like “I took a bunch of Adderall, grabbed a encyclopedia, turned to the index, read every article under the ‘Illinois’ header, and here’s everything I learned, no filter,” and that’s a bit annoying. But when it works? God, does it work. There’s just this magic to Sufjan’s nondescript descriptions that gets at the soul of something deeply Millennial, deeply post-9/11, dare I say chronically online, but oddly early to it, like a Wikipedia article sprint in an attempt to make sense of the chaos around you. It’s this longing to be a capital-A Artist™️ in a world where that no longer happens often, and by naming everyone you want to be compared to from the history books, it clicks. Also, sonically, this is very good. I think this album definitely has a singular sound, and if you don’t like that sound, 75 minutes of it can get boring, but I think he plays around enough in that sound to push its boundaries that it warrants its length. I do wish he went further with it, but this man said he would make an album for every state, so I think the sprawl here feels minimal compared to whatever sketches he may have had on file. As I said, I’m not 100% sold here, but I’m pushed just over the edge enough to know that I’m basically a fan of this, and will grow more confident with that the next time I listen. It doesn’t sell me on Sufjan, though, and I think if this book was written today, he’d have a lot more representation, and that would make me like this less because I know I don’t like his latest indietronica approach at all, or even Carrie & Lowell. But if we’re only stuck with Illinois, I’m feeling that Illinoise, baby!!

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Not really my cup of tea, none of tracks stood out for me

Not a fan.

Cool

Beautiful music but I didn't think it was anything special.

My brother in law game me this album back when it came out. I thought it was ok but never really cared about it. Listening now with intent was very enjoyable.

Almost a Simon Garfunkel moodiness. 4/5

Bob Boilen used to rant and rave about this album, and I never gave it a listen. Very impressed.

Wonderful. I did nlt know this artist but rallye fantastic music. Good vibrations

Some of the best music listening experiences of my life have involved this one. I used to have to travel to central Illinois for work, and I listened to this album while driving between Decatur and Peoria in the snow and for some reason it was sort of a transcendent experience. This is one of my go-to road trip albums because listening to this album is a journey in itself. Chicago is one of my daughter’s favorite songs, Predatory Wasp is one of my wife’s favorites. I love it from beginning to end. I’d go as far to say it’s one of the great works of art from this century. It’s one of my favorite albums ever, but I think objectively the execution on such an ambitious project and the quality of the writing, the performances, and production make it truly staggering. It’s an album I’ve listened to dozens of times, and every time there are new nuggets I discover, both in the lyrics or music. I usually prefer shorter albums, between 30 and 40 minutes is my sweet spot, but occasionally an album’s long length can benefit the project and this is one of those rare occasions to me. It’s a midwestern epic, and should be considered an American classic.

I didnt think it could possibly sound as pretentious as those song titles indicated. I was wrong. I've never heard so many instruments sound so misplaced at once. Every song doesnt need some quirky glockenspiel sound. Hated it lyrically as well. Glad to know ill never have to willingly listen to it again

Didn't know what to expect. A nice musical journey, great instrumentation; what genre is this? 4*. Lots of great songs but also very long. Highlights: chicago, they are night zombies

This is making me feel things. I haven't listened to this all the way through for the better part of a decade, but it's transporting me right back to 2007ish when I first heard this. Was VERY into this and his other albums at the time. I haven't been able to handle his newer more somber stuff because, well, I can't handle how sad it make me feel. But this is joyous and/or weird throughout and it's hard to hate, at least for me. This one holds up well for me.

All hail Sufjan Stevens: King of the Twee Indie Artist! The engineering on this album is a tremendous achievement. Feels like you're in the room with the performers. The songwriting is stellar. The track names are deranged, but Stevens set out to do a thing, and what a thing it is. I get that this may not be everyone's thing, but this is peak "indie folk artist," for what it's worth. Casimir Pulaski Day is singularly melancholy. Breaks my heart every time.

I’m familiar with a few songs from this album, but have never given the whole thing a real listen. I didn’t realize it was a concept album about Illinois. (Seems obvious in hindsight.)I like it. The orchestrations with the childlike backing choir and religious references give it a slightly culty vibe that intrigues. 4.0

Jeremy Messersmith vibes. Soft and super precious. Reminiscent of Penguin Cafe in a couple places. I generally like it, but the convoluted song titles push me away. And 22 songs? ffs 3.5

Highly unique and nostalgic. Casino pulaski breaks my heart every time

Weepy

Least beautiful Sufjan Stevens album

Interesting listen while I went to the shop :)

I like the calm start with the light flute. These songs are either boring or even annoying(come on! Feel the illinois) for me so far, but lyrically I’m interested, and it had a nice flow. Maybe I’ll come back to try to understand the stories.

Amazing album, not quite perfect.

Maybe if I had been in the right mood this could have been better, but as it was this was mediocre at best

Da fuck. That song about the serial killer had the completely wrong vibe and should be stricken from the annals of music.

Absolutely love this album, 5/5.

lot of songa that are a little too soft but there's some great songs

71/1001 🌕🌕🌑🌑🌑

Relly rich and lush fully instrumental album, with very interesting and unconventional pop music themes. Its independent, alternative and pop all at once. The album also plays like a film, there is clearly is a concept going on and I'm not the smartest to pick it out. I love this album and artist, relatively a new find for me.

This album was wild in all the best ways! A fun time was had, the adventure was real. Favourite track: They Are Night Zombies!! They Are Neighbors!! They Have Come Back From the Dead!! Ahhhh!

I feel this is a love it or hate it album; however, that being said, I find myself mostly in the middle. Every time I thought it was getting airy and boring, or too weird, it would pull me back with a neat vocal melody or interesting musical part. Not at all what I expected. Fav tracks: John Wayne Gacy, Jr., To The Workers of The Rock River..., Prairie Fire That Wanders About

A truly wonderful soundscape. Sufjan explores excess and minimalism as an artist and often on the same album. Illinois is a large album, long and full. There are silent spots but there is so much volume as well. The album only fails in small parts and id argue from being too much. Some restraint would taper the album but it would also take away from the experience

a wonderful album

I actually enjoyed it way more than I expected. It has some very cool songs which touched me

Give me more stuff like this. Awesome. Gentle. Passionate. Sufjan Stevens found his place in the world of music. And I hope he keeps his style.

I got the invite, shame I took it up. Skipped almost all of the tracks, other than the short ones, to the end. The algorthym threw up Massive Attacks after which was much more to my taste. Yet another I didn't really enjoy.

Ez masterpiece

Really immersive soundscape, beautiful instrumentals and interesting lyrics. Maybe a bit long. Favourites: Come On! Feel the Illinoise! John Wayne Gacy, Jr. Casimir Pulaski Day The Predatory Wasp

Soft one minute, then a cacophony of sound. Enjoyable listen.

Pretty damn good

Was great listening to this literally in Illinois for the eclipse

Aika veikeetä, mutta hyvää. On vähän kaikkea. Rockia, bluegrassia, teatteria. Aika erikoiset kappaleitten nimet. Parhaat: Tuo eka UFO biisi, Casimir Pulaski Day, Jacksonville

Ik ben een beetje gebiased, ik vond Sufjan jaren geleden een suffe jan, en heb hem vermeden sindsdien. Maar ik sta open om het nog een kans te geven. (Chicago heb ik wel altijd een goeie gevonden) Het album voelt aan als een teder, orchestraal en introspectief werk van een nostalgische, hoopvolle en verlangende jongen. Het album verrast me echt, waar ik vroeger een enorme hekel had aan de ‘zachtheid’ van Sufjan Stevens, vind ik het nu fijne muziek. Veel highlights ook. Aangename verassing! Highlights: Come on! Feel the Illinoise, John Wayne Gacy, Jr. , Jacksonville, Decatur, or Round of Applause for your Step-mother, Chicago Ratinf: 9/10

Nadat ik de theatraliteit van een album als ''The Wall'' aanwees als grote reden waarom het nooit helemaal gaat klikken, is het toch wel ironisch dat het bombastische van deze plaat juist een significante rol in z'n aantrekkingskracht speelt. Het was bij uitstek een album geweest om in de diepte te analyseren, maar dat gaat me vandaag helaas niet lukken. Om direct met de deur in huis te vallen: dit is gewoon een 10. Het ontroert, het zweept op, het laat je nadenken. Het kan niet dat je ''Illinois'' luistert, en dat het geen één indruk achterlaat, die je mogelijk voor eeuwig bijblijft. Of het nou de waanzinnige chemie en dynamiek is tussen de sessiemuzikanten, de zielroerende penkunsten van Sufjan zijn, of juist de orkestrale explosies die je daarna weer opbeuren, deze plaat heeft voor iedereen een medicijn. Het neemt je in 75 minuten mee door heel de staat Illinois, wat in tegenstelling tot het vorige album echt voelt als een versnelde tour. De kleine intermezzo's vormen geen irritante en overbodige detours, zoals ze dat vaak wel doen, maar laten het album juist beter voortglijden. Één mini kritiekpuntje is dat de laatste 2 volledige nummers een beetje misplaatst lijken, en niet echt de afsluiting realiseren dat het album verdiende. Daar had echt een banger moeten staan van het niveau van de werkelijk waar legendarische reeks van 'Come On! Feel the Illinoise' tot en met 'Casimir Pulaski Day', een zestal indie-folk meesterwerken. Dat was echt even de ogen dicht en muziek in al z'n pracht en praal tot je op laten nemen. Maar waar veel platen leven op één sterke fase wat lekker doorvloeit, is dit album daar echt niet afhankelijk van. 'The Predatory Wasp', 'The Man of Metropolis', 'They Are Night Zombies', en bovenal 'Concerning the UFO sighting near Highland, Illinois' zijn allemaal op zich zelf staande steunpilaren. Het was pittig om highlights aan te wijzen in een Himalaya van een plaat, maar de song die m'n ziel altijd brandmerkt is 'John Wayne Gacy, Jr.'. Wat een hartverscheurend naslagwerk over een enorme engnek, op diepintieme wijze vertolkt door Sufjan. Waar ik vaak vraagtekens had bij de oprechtheid van Roger Waters, is deze vocale prestatie echt close to the bone. Griezelig echt. Aan de andere kant van zijn wonderlijke spectrum vind je 'Chicago', wat juist een baken van hoop is. De song waar de toch al bijzondere groepsenergie echt tot z'n kookpunt komt. 'Jacksonville' zit ook wel echt bij m'n absolute favorieten, en laat zien dat de bij tijd en wijle introverte zanger ook echt wel schwung heeft. De blazers excelleren volledig. 'The Man of Metropolis Steals Our Hearts' krijgt als laatste de stempel 'highlight' toegewezen, omdat deze dan weer laat zien dat Sufjan niet alleen kan ontroeren of kan zwingen, maar ook zeker aardig kan rocken. Achja, zelden was het aanwijzen van hoogtepunten zo'n momentopname als bij deze plaat, waar ik zeker weet dat ik morgen 4 andere had kunnen kiezen. De concurrent is moordend op dit betoverende kunststukje. Ik heb het innige en dieppersoonlijke 'Carrie & Lowell' ook zeer hoog zitten, maar dit album is mijn inziens volledig uniek. De cultuur-historische verhaaltjes, de orkestrale productie, en de verscheidenheid aan instrumenten laten zien dat folkmuziek geen eendimensionaal en passief genre hoeft te zijn. Een ervaring die ik in de bijna 20 jaar die volgde nog niet heb herleeft bij het luisteren van een ander album. 10/10 Highlights: John Wayne Gacy, Jr. Chicago Jacksonville The Man of Metropolis Steals Our Hearts

De sound van Illinois is zo uniek en herkenbaar, het voelt als thuis komen. De hele korte repetitieve melodielijntjes blijven onwijs plakken en zijn ook nog eens heel catchy (Come On! Feel the Illinois). Zeker als daar ook nog een blazers worden ingezet, nou heb je mij hoor. Illinois is een krachtige plaat door die alle geluidjes en melodietjes maar draait eigenlijk misschien nog wel meer om de sfeer. Zeker door het gebruik van blazers en violen krijgt de plaat een orkestrale laag. John Wayne Gacy jr. gaat al meer naar een song die op Carrie and Lowell zou kunnen staan. De meer ambient kant van de singer songwriter. Het prachtig en voegt een mooie laag toe in de plaat. Nu voel ik eigenlijk niks bij de staat Illinois en kan ik dus niet zeggen of Sufjan het juiste gevoel op roept. Maar als dit het niveau is had Sufjan wel 50 platen mogen maken over de US. Dat zal niet meer gebeuren. Dan zetten we Illinois of Michigan nog maar een keertje op. 9/10 Highlights Concerning the UFO Com on! Feel the Illinois part I John Wayne Gacy jr Chicago

Good listen. Much to enjoy!

Marvellous - a rousing epic of an album. More things should sound like this.

An hour and fourteen minutes of songs about Illinois can, no shit, feel a little monotonous. Although, if anyone can pull it off as well as Sufjan, that would certainly be an incredible feat. The whole thing was pretty good, but I felt disinterested the whole time based on the fact that it's entirely about Illinois. Almost feels like an educational album. It was good, every song was nice. It sort of feels like a waste of incredible production and arrangement for an album that's just so lackluster in design. Fun stuff. 3/5

Waaayyy too long, couldn't even finish. Not into this over done pop music.

Day94 - if avocado toast was an album

Too many songs. Some of it was fine, most of it was like the soundtrack to a movie I didn't like or understand

Sort of bland folk-pop, not my thing

I don’t really like this. His voice is too weak

The songwriting definitely shows talent, but on the first couple listens, I’m not connecting with it much.

It has bursts of interest, but then long cycles of putting me to sleep. As an album I don't know, definitely liked some of the songs.

Casimir Pulaski Day is one of the greatest songs ever written

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.

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…

i really liked it, peaceful

Reminds me of Donovan in the 1960's

Hm, interesting. I like Sufjan Stevens, but this is a bit... pretentious indie nonsense. A few good tracks, but overall disappointing.

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.

didn’t think i was going to like this at all, but color me surprised!

Uskomaton kokonaisuus kappaleita joista on tehty upea teos jonka teemana yhdysvaltojen osavaltio illlinois.. ymmärrätkö.. Soundi on vapaa mutta jokaisella äännähdyksellä merkitys.. KÄSITÄTKÖ.. Biiseissä on vapaata siimaa mutta koukussa ollaan.. Ei sätkitä karkuun.. Tunteet soivat oudoilla tavoilla pakko hyväksyö artistk viisaampi kuin kuuntrlelija.. välillä ymmärrä mitä haetaan ellei lyriikoiden kanssa aleta leikkimään..

Already a big fan of this album! Going to Illinois is December gave me a whole new perspective on the album. This work feels emotions like I do, big highs and big lows.

Loved this album. I love when artists are not afraid to go big! There were so many different instruments like strings and horn sections. They also had tons of vocal parts in each song. Favorite song was Casimir Pulaski Day. Added to my Spotify library.

I like a lot of the instrumentation, but damn this was way too long. Not enough songs grabbed me. Interested in giving this a re-listen at a later time.

gay little peanuts music

Some true bangers on here

4.5/5

Unique. 4

Being made into a Broadway show for a reason

Pretty bland and boring and so it’s just very average for me.

Just okay. Like a softer, more sentimental Fleet Foxes or Beirut. Sufjan is a bit too politely theatric for me, and the chorus parts of his songs can sound like seeing a small live stage performance. He's talented, but he doesn't do it for me.

A singular vision of complex and beautifully arranged songs, while often teeteingr on the edge of twee self indulgence, end up feeling like an immense artistic achievement. His hushed vocals could have been just that but he often adds a musicality to his lines imparting a richness that indie pop musicians usually don’t achieve. I think the album is startlingly varied and inventive. This helps keep it a joy to listen to even well into the album. The upbeat songs are so enjoyable I craved to hear them again.

His voice is grating. The music is like looking into a kaleidoscope: it’s colorful and the patterns are interesting, then after 7 seconds you never need to look at a kaleidoscope again…but there’s an hour and fifteen minutes of this.

I should have been expecting this album at some point, but it totally caught me off guard when I saw it. I really love Sufjan's music, and this has long been my favorite album of his (though Carrie & Lowell is fantastic too). Of course I listened to it in full again, and it's as beautiful as it's always been. The Sufjan 50 states project (this is the second and last part of it) was a pretty hilarious gimmick, but the depth of the Illinois-related songwriting here is honestly so impressive. He manages to take this incredibly niche concept (Illinois history) and create some absolutely devastating songs. I first came across Sufjan around 2013 when I was a senior in high school and I stumbled on a mashup of "Chicago" and Coldplay's "Clocks". This was fairly early in the days of my expanding musical taste (Coldplay was probably the first band that I really dove deep into the discography) and I really liked this mashup. I probably listened to this album around that time, and was just blown away by this weird concept album with the long song titles. It's as great today as it was 11 years ago. I've already touched on the lyrics, but I'm just always so impressed that he managed to create such incredible lyrics within the confines of the Illinois concept. I love so much of this album, but "Come On! Feel the Illinoise" is probably the most reference-dense song on here, "John Wayne Gacy, Jr." is so haunting (especially with the narrative turn at the end), and "Casimir Pulaski Day" is just a devastating story of a cancer death and questioning religion (which is something Sufjan explores a lot, and has been a big topic in contemporary Sufjan discourse). Beyond the lyrics though, this album is also just so good musically. It's one that I often just put on in the background while I'm doing other things, which is pretty impressive for an album that also has the lyrical strength that it does. There's just such a wide variety of instrumentation and the sound is so dense, and my understanding is that Sufjan pretty much records all the instruments himself. It also manages to stay consistently interesting over the course of a 74 minute album, which is rare. I obviously love this album, so I'll wrap up. Sufjan is such a unique voice in modern music, and I'm so glad this exists. An incredible work (the album cover is super iconic too) from an incredible modern talent. Favorite song: Chicago Other: Concerning the UFO sighting..., The Black Hawk War..., Come On! Feel the Illinoise!..., John Wayne Gacy Jr., Jacksonville, Decatur..., Casimir Pulaski Day, The Man of Metropolis Steals Our Hearts, Prairie Fire That Wanders About, The Predatory Wasp..., They Are Night Zombies!!..., The Seer's Tower, The Tallest Man... 3/27/24

This was so excellent and weird and I loved it. Can't believe I'd never heard of it before.

Weird, but I liked it

A largely well-executed concept album that is able to toe the line between the serious and the absurd with ease. While it isn’t something I’d want to listen to every day, this was a fun change up. Listened to: walking through prospect park to go to the doctor. Favorite tracks: The Seer’s Tower, Chicago

Has its good points. A little long, but some of the songs were pretty enjoyable.

8/10 I'm completely biased. Chicago is one of my favorite songs of all time. I listen to it often and still get frission every time I hear it. The only reason this isn't a 10 out of 10 is that the other songs, with the exception of John Wayne Gacy, Jr., are just good. 4-1-2024

this is not very good.

The only thing I don't like about this album is that you can only listen to it for the first time once. One of the greatest of the 21st century, so much to love about this and not just because I'm from Chicago. The stories are so layered that you can easily put yourself there. The instrumentation is unexpected. Watch the concert from Austin city limits and it's even better.

Good album that suffers from being a bit too long and repetitive.

Couldn’t even make it two songs in without hating this

L'he gaudit com pocs àlbums. Li hauria posat 5 estrelles si algun tema destaqués extremadament de manera positiva, i no sé si és perquè tots m'han semblat genials en general o perquè no n'hi havia cap que sobrepassés aquest punt, però m'ha encantat. Expected Lorenzo rating: 3

Extraordinary. I only knew Sufjan Stevens from trip-hop music compilations. I liked his pieces there. Illinois - funny name of the album - I like it, even if the music sounds different from what I remember from the mixes I mentioned. 4/5

This is really good. Better than I expected.. I added it and am going to check out his other stuff too

Gentle arrangement and very deliberate, despite it's relaxed sound. Mr. Stevens has certainly done a good job making this album sound effortless. The production lends itself well to this. That all being said, I don't know if this music is for me. I had a hard time differentiating songs and it was a bit too long.

LP

I found it grew to a point of real beauty upon multiple relistens. I had to pause this project for a fair while to have enough time to properly understand this album. Overall, I think the arrangements are quite Disney-esque which isn't really my jam but, I mean, you just can't not appreciate the majesty of the instrumentation none the less. It doesn't quite scrape 5 stars for me based purely on subjective takes but I have absolutely no problem understanding its placement on this list. I mean, some of the songs here... Casimir Pulaski Day? Fuck. Me. Just... utterly soul-crushing and beautiful. Sitting down to properly pour over the lyrics made me feel like someone was squeezing my fucking wind pipe. It's the way the lyrics so brilliantly demonstrate the narrator's youth and naivity. It brings to mind Bowie's Five Years and how the emotions of a tragic event is made so much stronger by having them described by someone young and ignorant. You feel such an aching sorrow for them. I also do appreciate that even a overtly religious song comes nowhere near to proselytising. It's just frank and earnest and beautiful and harrowing and therefore equally powerful for everyone, from a heathen like myself to a devout Christian. Oh what am I doing? Five stars. Has to be. Well done, Sufjan, well done.

On the fence with this one. Can't tell if it's shit or genius

Loved this album

The rhythms are intriguing but the lyrics become boring song to song. All in all, seemed to be a relaxed listening experience as background tunes.

Nog nooit van gehoord, maar wat een plaat. Heerlijk muzikaal met klassieke instrumenten en elk nummer (met allemaal bizar lange titels) gewoon ontzettend fijn om naar te luisteren.

This is a lovely album, with some really fun songs on it. I didn't buy into the whole concept I suppose, much of the actual history was lost on me but it's obvious that this is a passion project.

Honestly the only criticism I have of this is the length. He has a lovely voice, good lyricist, and great music. The flow between tracks is great, I love how hard it is to tell one song from another at times, definitely makes this feel like a more coherent immersive concept album. But seriously, this album could benefit a lot from being about half its current length. I have never listened to an album that drags on like this one does.

snoozefest... goes on for far too long, especially considering the songs all have the same sound. some of them are good tbf.

Soothing - didn't hate it

Good selection of instruments used here including banjo and glockenspiel!

Always loved Chicago but rest unmoving and a bit god bothery.

Great instrumentals, horrible singing... 2.5?

Such a great album and Sufjan is an amazing songwriter/ composer. This album was big for me when I was in college but it’s been years since I’ve listened to it through. Kind of heavy emotionally, definitely a lot of sadness in some of these songs. Favorite songs: Come on feel the Illinoise Chicago Casimir Pulaski Predatory wasp Pretty long album but feels tight and interesting through and doesn’t have any filler. Love the Steve Reich- esque minimalism at the end.

This really brought me back, loved this album in high school but was really nice listening with fresh ears. Total masterpiece and stands out among other indie folk records of that era. Somehow it feels really minimal while still being pretty orchestral. The last song feels very Philip glass inspired.

I really enjoyed this. It was very early in the morning when I listened and I found it pleasant and interesting. Would def listen again.

Today's album is like indie pop or folk pop or something. Hard to put my finger on. It sounds poppy and folky but has that weird sense about it like most indie. Not necessarily in a bad way, just.... You wouldn't hear this stuff on pop radio I don't think, but it's not bad. Sufjan basically did a deep dive into Illinois culture, and history, and made an album about it. Everything from serial killers to UFO sitings. Every song title looks like a fucking thesis title. He does a song about John Wayne Gacy which is haunting as fuck. Apparently he's done another of these albums with themes about a different state (the other being Michigan). Favourite songs: The Predatory Wasp of the Palisades is Out to Get Us, Jacksonville, "Decatur, Or, Round of Applause for Your Step-Mother", The Man of Metropolis Steals Our Hearts, "John Wayne Gacy, Jr.", Come On! Feel the Illinois! Part 1: The World's Columbian Exposition Part 2: Carl Sandburg Visits Me In A Dream, "They Are Night Zombies!! They Are Neighbors!! They Have Come Back From the Dead!! Ahhhh!!" Least favourite songs: "Riffs and Variations on a Single Note For Jelly Roll, Earl Hines, Louis Armstrong, Baby Dodds, and the King of Swing, to Name a Few", "Out of Egypt, Into the Great Laugh of Mankind, and I Shake the Dirt From my Sandals As I Run" 4/5

Not for me. I just can't get into Sufjan.

Not for me.

Easy listening rock. Great song writing surprised this has never been on my radar before.

A great concept album and requires multiple listens to get the full lyrical impact. Sufjan is not for everyone - can be very ethereal and noisy - but I appreciate most of the writing and music here.

Gear: Meze 109 PRO Mix: unendliche Liebe zum Detail Musik: Jeder Aspekt ist für sich großartig - Lyrics, Vocals, Orchestrierung, Konzept - zusammen einmalig. Wertung: 🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐/5

1. ufo - 0 2. black hauuk - 0 3. come on - 0 4. john uuayne - 1 5. jackzonville - 0 6. mary todd - 0 7. ztep mother - 0 8. pullman - 0 9. chicago - 0 10. cazimir - 1 11. rock river - 1 12. the man - 0 13. prairie fire - 0 14. dronez - 0 15. uuazp - 0 16. zombiez - 0 17. ztring - 0 18. temple - 0 19. touuer - 1 20. tallezt man - 21. riffz - 0 22. egypt - 0

A nice listen but waffly

Bought this when it came out. Played it to death. Got sick of it. This was a good excuse to revisit. Some of these are already on my Spotify but it’s good to hear it all together with the little 20 second bits in between where they belong. Like an old friend you stopped hanging out with and by the time you part again you remember kinda why you stopped hanging out. I can’t listen to this without being disappointed that, instead of doing more states, Stevens just released an extra long version of Illinois with extra tracks and remixes and then disappeared for years. Still gorgeous… still kinda self important.

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

Chicago, no sabía que era de él. Un poco largo el disco. Me gusta más al principio que al final.

Good album

so beautiful

Banger

Highlights: Jacksonville, A Short Reprise…, Casimir Pulaski Day, To The Workers… In a nutshell: “Wes Anderson vibes” (my first note when I heard the opening track) Abstract, spiritual and surreal storytelling, with music likely inspired by Neil Young, Bright Eyes, The Shins, The Polyphonic Spree and Elliott Smith (maybe Belle and Sebastian?) It’s an acquired taste for sure. Overall: 5/10

Nothing special, not bad either.

Absolutely stunning album. It's been one of my favourites for years and still grows on me with each listen. 22 tracks is a lot, but somehow the quality holds up from start to finish.

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.

All-encompassing

It was okay. Back end of the album was better than the early songs, which were much more experimental and odd.

No way

Fantastisch album, gek genoeg nog nooit geluisterd. Iets te lang

Interesting - I enjoyed it

Some songs were okay

Really great listen, really like it a as working music.

first few tracks have lots of piano, subtle use of strings, accordion? moving into slightly folky sound on track 8, then onto bells and more pronounced string sounds. almost into Lofi on track 11, into a much more upbeat crunchy sound that mellows out significantly on track 12 with some brass on the track. 13 is very melodic reminds me of a march. 16 has some funk the bass line got thicker on this track. 17 is begging to be sampled in a track, nice string arrangement. 19 the sustain!!! the first minor key song I noticed on the album. 20 back to upbeat, probably one of my favorite tracks on the album after my first listen. Great variety of sounds mostly jazz, folk, pop. Sounds very organic not really blazing any new ground but interesting enough to be appreciated for what it is.

Great, but too long to listen the entire album in 1 go. That's the only weakness. Sometimes the music is quite complicated, but it sounds very natural. Favorite song: the man of metropolis.

Thoughts before listening: Another of the 00s indie folk albums that has proven to stand the test of time and remains as a standout of that era. While Sufjan's overly ambitious plan to release an album about each state stalled at 2, he would go on to put out a wonderful body of work spanning 3 decades including last year's Javelin. Still, Illinois remains his masterpiece. Review: This is simply one of the most fun, joyful albums I've ever heard, even when the subject matter is dark i.e. a song about John Wayne Gacy. Orchestral pop ditties with thoughtful lyrics and melodies that get stuck in your head. This came out when I was 24 and has remained in my rotation for going on 20 years. Favorites from this album include "Come On! Feel the Illinoise!", "John Wayne Gacy, Jr", "Jacksonville", "Decatur, or , Round of Applause...", "Chicago", "Casimir Pulaski Day", "The Man of Metropolis Steals Our Hearts", and "They Are Night Zombies". My only complaint is that the instrumental orchestral pieces between songs can be a bit much, but they do help to tie all the songs together as a whole cohesive work of art. Easy 5-stars for me.

Gem 💎

This was surprisingly good actually. Didn’t know what to expect. Would listen again! Genreless, great lyrics, smooth. Loved it!

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.

Have listened to a bit of Sujan Steven’s in the past, mainly this album and the soundtrack to the film Call Me By Your Name (the one where Timothée Chalamet fucks a peach). Really like it, but it is a bit long. Simpsons: No

It's alright. Wouldn't want to listen to it again though. ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Too long. Didn't enjoy it, but on a positive note it could have been worse

I really liked this, got some Iron and Wine Vibes as well as Vince Guaraldi. Maybe a little long but loved the journey. Would love to listen again but would need to find the time with a glass of wine

I like concept albums, and this is no exception. Intricate instrumental and vocal arrangements, extraordinary lyrics, and a fitting production made this a joy to listen to.

A bit boring

Aw, I love this album and so does my kid. The hits are absolutely the Sound of the Indie Scene from its time, and they still hold up.

Frábært verk. Góðir textar, geggjuð lög. Sufjan er helvítis meistari.

Fullkomin plata í mínum huga sem hentar við öll tækifæri. Falleg og skemmtileg með mögnuðum textum. Hann spilar sjálfur á öll hljóðfæri, elska óbóið í lögunum enda er hann lærður óbóleikari.

This is a hard album for me. There’s lots of parts (it’s hard to even call some of them songs) that I really liked but there were still a good amount that I didn’t. The idea of a concept album never really resonates with me. I know people have been doing it for years but for some reason I just can’t get in to them. The actual “songs” on here are very very good but then I would be like 45 seconds into one of the other instrumentations or weird songs and I’d be like wtf is this?

This was like the Skyrim of albums that we’ve listened to thus far. 22 songs at an hour and fifteen minutes long. So much content, but there was also so much diversity built into the album. It was weird, for sure, but I was pleasantly surprised from the beginning on. Pleasant to listen to, not overly obsessed with itself. Great album.

I knew a couple of these songs coming into this album and knew the vibe I was getting into. The composition on this one is incredible, so many moving parts in each song and each song comes together so well. The songs have some very diverse topics, some of which are on the darker side, but the delivery is so calming and soothing. There are also a few moments where I felt like I was living out the Juno soundtrack. My drive to and from work was super peaceful today, and that is always appreciated. I don’t think it’s quite a five, but a strong four.

Ok, hear me out.... I think this checks all the boxes of a perfect album for me. It has an overall theme and sticks to it. The songs are varied and unique without feeling out of place. The lyrics can be funny while still tackling serious subject matter. I don't know who else could make a song both fun and haunting about John Wayne Gacy. It's well composed with clean audio and a voice that's beautiful and easy to understand. It even has a "big song"! It may not be a radio hit, but "Chicago" is used in Little Miss Sunshine, The Bear (S1E7 opening), and sampled by Chiddy Bang. This is the definition of an album working as a whole rather than a collection of individual songs. I didn't think an album like this could do it for me, but I think this is very deserving of 5 stars.

Very gentle vibe. Come down album. Nick Drake + The Shins? John Wayne Gacy Jr. is creepy AF... Decatur - Historical soft pop? Would give a 3.5. Not really a 4.

I already had listened to this album, like it, his voice is soothing

Oh man. One of the greatest albums of all time. Give this to me every day of the week.

It's quirky, but brilliant. A very surprising find

Took a while to listen to this album but it was a decent hour of tunes

Heb wel van deze artiest gehoord, maar echt nog nooit muziek van m geluisterd. Dit is meteen een flink album om mee te beginnen, met hele rare titels. Beetje gedoe om dan zo'n hele titel over te schrijven, omdat sommige halve boeken zijn joh. Maaaaar qua muziek klinkt het fijn, de stem van Sufjan is heel prettig. Ik ben iets later met dit album dan gepland, maar dit voelt nu al als een perfect maandagochtend album. Dit is zeker geen album dat ik elke dag zou willen luisteren, maar voor deze maandag is het echt dikke prima. Het kabbelt een beetje voort met hier en daar een soort explosie qua muziek. Best wel leuk! Ben alleen bang dat het album te lang duurt met ruim een uur. Merk toch dat ik dan vaak mn aandacht er niet bij kan houden. Voor nu prima, het is een beetje lieve slappe piemel indie pop. Soms is dat gewoon prima. Nadeel en beetje waar ik al bang voor was: Wat duurt dit album lang... Ik denk dat hier een fantastisch album van 40 minuten in zit, nu is het een ok album van 75 minuten. FAVO: Come on! Feel the Illinoisse pt1..., Jacksonville, Chicago, Casimir Pulaski Day, They are night zombies!!

1st album achieved! Enjoyed it ***1/2

A lovely listening experience, a bit of a classic of sad night listening for some of these songs. Some nice variety and some sad lyrics to cry to if you like. Much love for it.

Distasteful yet very listenable

Whiny

Ok, kind of middle of the road. I expected it to be better so it was kind of underwhelming. It improved in the middle and then ended on a low point.

Hela albumet gav perfekta sommar-vibes. Det känns som att den här musiken skulle passa bra i en A24 film!! Kommer 100% ha Sufjan Stevens på repeat i sommar!! Min favoritlåt från albumet var Chicago. Albumet får 4/5 stjärnor!

love sufjan

Not my style but I appreciate the musicianship nonetheless.

Not my style,

Wow this is an ambitious concept. I think he pulls it off well! Lots of diversity in the songs. The songwriting is great. I also enjoyed the instrumentals throughout. Reminded me a bit of Pet Sounds. I just wish the album wasn’t so long, but it sure does take you on a journey.

Tää oli varsin hyvä vaikka kansi antoi olettaa jotain ihan muuta! 3/5

Suuri aikansa indieklassikko ja loistava onkin. Ensimmäinen puolisko, eli Casimir Pulaski Dayhin asti kirkkaasti viiden tähden menoa, mutta sen jälkeen valitettavasti aika monta turhaa biisiä. Night Zombies jälkipuoliskon valopilkku. Olen nyt ankara ja sakotan lopusta, jääköön neljään.