Illinois

Pleasantly surprised by this one. Wish more of the album sounded like those first few bigger arrangements. The "white guy that thinks he's clever and has an acoustic stringed instrument" sections lose me, but those orchestral/big band moments are so good. Almost a 4.

Definitely unlike anything I’ve ever heard before. I enjoyed it, but… you know that saying “there’s so much movie in this movie?” Yeah, I felt that way about this album. There was SO MUCH music in this music, to the point where it was overwhelming to listen to after a while.

Conflicted about that one. There are some good song. Some of them I found too chaotic and stressful. The best one is just way too sad

Liked the concept kind of all sounded the same

While it holds moments of brilliance, it felt lengthy and somewhat too pop-centric for my taste. Stevens' vocals, though initially captivating, became somewhat monotonous after the first few tracks. The album's rich and intricate instrumentation certainly showcases Stevens' talent and creativity. The unexpected twists and turns in the music can be quite engaging, adding depth to the overall experience. It's clear that a lot of effort went into crafting this sonic journey. It's worth noting that, in the right context, "Illinois" could work beautifully as a background soundtrack during family road trips, providing an enjoyable and unobtrusive musical backdrop for shared moments.

Kosi kvöld.is

Sehr angenehm, aber nicht aufregend 3.5

Artistic

I was vaguely aware of Sufjan Stevens given he was referenced on Snow Patrol's Eyes Open album, but hadn't ever listened to his stuff. Pretty folky stuff, I can imagine a lot of it being written around a campfire with an acoustic guitar. I didn't really get into it

Theatrical.

Meh

Cool introduction to Sufjan Stevens and makes me want to listen to newest album that egghead liked. Some moments sounded very pleasant, soothing, and satisfying while others felt bland, repetitive, or drawn out. Overall immersive and would listen to in a lot of contexts. Felt like it could give me nostalgia for things I've never experienced. 7/10

Very unique album. I liked the artistic quality of the songs, but I won't go out of my way to listen to any of these songs again.

Jeremy Messersmith vibes. Soft and super precious. Reminiscent of Penguin Cafe in a couple places. 3.6

Notables include Decatur. Chicago, especially, which is a 2006 ipod shuffle nostalgia vibe. Casimir Pulaski Day, To The Workers of...,

Good, but too damn long

Litt mye til tider

Hyvä levy!

Strange and interesting. Not really sure how I feel about it. Was a fun listen, but probably won’t go back to it anytime soon.

Unusual, but nice.

It was fun, but did not blow my mind. Definite talented artist though.

Not what i wanted/ expected

Would've been better as an instrumental album

Meh, nothing special.

Did not listen. But should.

Спокойный и расслабляющий альбом, но композиции не запоминаются. Моя оценка - 6/10

Good! Interesting

Didn't really get this at the time it came out, and don't really get it now. Chicago is a good song (but absolutely does not need to be 6 minutes long), there are a couple of nice ballads in there but it all gets a bit twee after a while (and definitely after an hour and a quarter). Gets a 3, because it's beautiful easy listening music if you don't really concentrate on it, and is interesting when you dial your attention in for a track or two at a time, but it's too much to last a whole album.

Remember that Drama Teacher who wrote a musical and had aspirations of making it on Broadway? That pretty much sums up this album. I like the concept but clocking in at over a hour it wears thin. Chicago is an epic and enjoyable but some of the other tracks are nothing more than superficial filler. I would love to give this a higher score for the songs I love but as an album this falls short

Another album I have known about for a long time, but never listened to. I didn't mind it, a little too self conscious for me (I think the Wes Anderson references in other reviews are spot on), but there are some good moments.

The one song I recognized (Chicago) was very good. This rest of the album is fine but didn’t make a huge impact on me.

Great concept and would have been cool if he finished the series. BUT, this was a little too long for me and I do think a few songs could have been cut.

Felt a bit on the long side but not terrible

Feels like I've listened to a movie. Interesting idea, but bit boring in execution

Yeah listened to this enough and I'm not gonna right now. It's good, it's really good.... But just don't thrill the way it does when I was 20 and trying to connect with a girl who liked it.

fuck me i wrote a whole long review as i was listening through and it deleted. here's what i remember writing: - i generally like the calmer ones over the experimental ones which is unusual for me - with the exception of chicago which i didn't like too much i generally like the bigger ones better which is also unusual for me - conflicted feelings about feel the illinoise, can't tell if i'm intrigued or annoyed by it. feels like something i'd listen to with my partner - really like mary todd, who's surprised, i love a bit of instrumental - thought i liked night zombies more than i do it just starts with cool guitar okay that's where i got up to, i had some more points but don't remember them. i really really like the seer's tower (radiohead-esque) and i liked the two short instrumental pieces before it too. i was working while listening to the last three songs and none stood out to me. overall i like what the album was trying to do but i'm not sure if i'd choose to listen again, i think it was a little too long.

Not bad

Wanted to like but and the well known songs are great but the rest just seemed wishy washy, horn arrangements and sound was lovely tho

Pleasant and inoffensive, but ultimately kind of boring for me. Despite being a morose young adult during the hay day of the 2000's indie singer-songwriter era, I never really liked most of this sedate stuff. I don't think it's bad, it's just not my thing.

Good sad album

good for a caffee shop but i did not finish. slightly boring...

Pleasant. Reminds of death cab for cutey, bright eyes, Jason mraz... Can't quite put my finger on the exact artist I'm thinking off, but stuff my ex listened to in 2005-06

Oh Sufjan prachtige muziek maar niet zijn beste imo.

Surprising: really not sure how to feel about this album as it wasn't what I thought. For starters it was quite long but nothing unreasonable. I found that it lost my interest at parts but at the same time I loved the riffs and guitar in other tracks. I wouldn't say this album is bad, it is a little abstract to me though. Would I listen again: maybe, feel as if it needs the time to be appreciated. I won't be doing that very soon. At the end of the day it wasn't 100% for me at the moment but definitely widened my music knowledge.

I never completely forgave him for abandoning that 50-state album cycle he was going to do, so I haven’t listened in a while, but it’s got some good songs and the titles are great.

Very grandiose. Great instrumentation, interesting lyrics although the concept got lost for me a few times. Some songs feel a bit dragged out, and album doesn't have a great pacing although the "interludes" between the longer songs stop the album from being outright tiresome. 3/5

Different & Good! Not sure about the JWG song?!

Really would have thought I'd like this more. Love Chicago, that's a real standout. However, the rest was just a bit over the top for me? I dunno, I'm surprised I didn't like it more lol, low 3

Jazzy but folky and ambient at times. A unique album that definitely needs multiple listens 7/10

One of only two Sufjan albums I enjoy. Carrie and Lowell is the other. It’s good but it’s kinda over long. 2.5 rounded up.

Pretty chill and good vibe but nothing memorable, especially with 5000 character long albums titles Rating : 3 / 5

Listenable

6.5

Obviously very good music. None of it clicked for me at all. Just felt like I was watching it happening rather than experiencing anything.

I want to like this a lot more than I did. The production and musicianship are wonderful. There are some really great songs. But overall, it just didn’t grab me. The music is gorgeous but it all felt the same to me, which ultimately dulled everything. It was all a little too sweet.

I feel I need to give this another listen to. Feel’s like Sufjan’s ‘The Wall’ with repeated musical motifs and themes. 3.5 stars at first listen but I might rate it higher after a few listens.

Creative, grandiose, lovely and weird, mildly pretentious. Enjoyable, but really too long. Fave Songs: The Predatory Wasp of the Palisades Is Out to Get Us!; Come On! Feel the Illinoise!; Go! Chicago! Go! Yeah!; The Tallest Man, the Broadest Shoulders; To the Workers of the Rock River Valley Region...; The Man of Metropolis Steals Our Hearts

Starts great but then just goes on for so long! Cut 10 songs and I would love this one.

Not bad for that type of music

I enjoy some of Sufjan Stevens' music. His 2015 album Carrie and Lowell is devastating in all the right ways. This album was a little too experimental, too all over the place, and way too long. 3.

Really torn on this. Yes it is not that exciting, but also, it is done really well for what it is....

Unless yours is hollowed out and use it as a place to keep your sex toys, Bibles are a big turnoff. However, once I was able to get beyond that, I was good with this one.

This album was really good, but kind of hit or miss. If they had cut some of the lesser songs on here and shortened the overall length it could be a 4 easy

Kinda atmospheric. Like the piano, very floaty. It starts off strong with the first 3 tracks but gets more boring/generic after that. Picked up a bit in the latter half of the album. It was alright I hesitate to give it a 4 because the highs did not make up for the lows. The lows of the album weren't as drastically bad as others though. This is probably another 3 for the books 3/5

Some great songs but it’s also a snoozer of an album at times

A pleasant Sunday afternoon chilled vibes kinda album, interesting orchestration.

I never got exactly all the hype on Sufjan Stevens, and after listening to this album, I still don't. However, it's impossible to do not to admit it has a bag of qualities on the instrumental part. Some songs are catchy. In summary, I'll not join any fan club of Sufjan Stevens or something like that, but I'll sure look with more attention to his new albums to check if it's me that is losing all his geniality (high probability, I guess 🤣)

I really respect his musicianship, creativity and authenticity, but the album feels like it drags on forever and no song keeps me engaged, gets a little dull quickly.

Some good songs 🎵

Lots of ostinati/layering—nice for ambient environments.

Surprisingly solid, enjoyed it more than I thought I would

Heard it before?: No Enjoy it?: Yes, he has such soothing and melancholy sounds and vocals which brings the genre to life Favourite song: Track 7 - Decatur, or, Round of applause for your step-mother!

For many years I've really wanted to love this album, it ticks so many of the boxes of things that I love. Concept album, check, indie darling, check, dense and varied orchestration, check, long rambling and overly complex song titles, check. Its so overly dramatic and I love that in an artist, I love how committed he is to the concept and how confident Stevens is about who he is as an artist. It also sounds really big and bold which is great. But it just doesn't do it for me, it annoys me that I cant put my finger on why but for almost 20 years I've revisited this occasionally trying to see something in it, examining it from different angles and trying to see what I am missing. The only thing I can confidently say is I find it sonically quite grating and overly pretentious. The second of those confuses me because I love overly pretentious and highly literate music. I figured out at some point its easier if I don't think too hard about it so I've listened to it, and I think its better for my stress levels if I don't think about it again for another 5 years. I'm going to give it a 3 but only because I cant bear to put it in the "Bad categories" of 1 and 2 but ultimately at some point I need to admit to myself that this album is just not for me.

I’m in two minds about this one; I enjoyed some of the tracks and it was good background music to what I was doing whilst listening but I wouldn’t seek it out again. Consequently an average 3*

Now this I liked

This album has really beautiful soundscapes that blend seamlessly from track to track. However, none of the individual tracks really stood out to me, but I could definitely listen again (especially on a road trip). I've always been told to listen to Sufjan, but I've never gotten around to it. I hear how it reverberates through later music I'd heard (e.g., San Fermin's eponymous debut), maybe a variety of "chamber pop" - and love the brass horns.

3.75

Didnt know what this was about, a range of eccentric film score sounding songs. Odd little refernces and whimisical soinds but very enjoyable

I found this a bit dull, the interesting parts (there were quite a few) got a bit lost by the end

illinoisesque konsepti... herra laittanut maantieteellistä tutkimusta musiikin muotoon, meikä tykkää heh... vitunmoist orkesteria, sävellystä prykänny pystyyn.. valitettavasti indie biisinumerot heittää alas kahdella pykälällä. ei voi muuta tehdä kuin valituksen, sufjan siis...heh the workers of the rock river valley region

Oh god. I saw this album come up and I knew I was in for it. I know a bit about Sufjan Stevens, but I mostly know about his song from this album, Casimir Pulaski Day, otherwise known as one of the saddest songs I have ever heard. That song struck me as profound the first time I ever heard it, and it has stuck with me for so many years through no attempts of my own. While not as sad, turns out much of the rest of the album is plenty melancholy, too. I guess that's indie folk for you. Still, this album is incredibly peaceful in parts, and without being boring; it comes with intriguing vocalizations and lyrics on Sufjan's part that make the whole thing fairly whimsical. Bizarre instrumentations also dance across the already strange sounds -- horns often stand out, which is a unique and odd decision. At times, this feels like listening to a classic poet, but in song form. The real rub for me here is that it drew on too long and started to get old.

At first I thought it was slow, then there were some catchy lines here and there. Third time through I sat and read the lyrics of the songs. So much better now. Interesting songs, nice orchestral interludes. Standouts: Go! Chicago! Go! Yeah!, Casimir Pulaski Day, John Wayne Gacy Jr. 3.5/5

Weird but beautiful, recognized a few songs

As soon as I saw those song titles I was apprehensive. They’re so long and pretentious, and I am no longer a 13 year old Panic at the Disco fan who likes that. But anyway, I was mostly pleasantly surprised. Musically, this was so interesting and I can definitely see why it was so well-received and considered so ambitious. I did a little reading on the concept which helped me understand it a little too. It was enjoyable enough, but nothing really “stuck” with me or perked my ears up, besides perhaps the second half of the second track which was very poppy. Chicago is also a great track. I was also way too long for me. But if I hear it playing in a coffee shop (it has big coffee shop vibes) at least I’ll know what I’m listening to.

It was boring.

Calm jazz-folk, interesting and weird song titles.

idontknow

Not my vibe but enjoyed it

Yeah it’s good but not as good as men on hinge make it out to be.

вроде ничего, но не привыкла к его стилю, надо долго вслушиваться

Listened Before? N This seems like an art project for this guy. Of course, I'm a sucker for a concept album, but I prefer mine to tell a story. I just don't really know what to say about this music. Parts of it are unique and charming, parts of it are droning and unremarkable. I do love the cover, as a former Chicagoan as well. I think we're just going to go with a confused 3 and call it good on this one. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: Chicago

couldn’t finish this one… not that it sounds bad just that it’s sad and a bit boring. sounds kinda like music from coralline mixed with music from a sad hallmark movie. thought the song about the girl dying of cancer was anti religious, turns out it is religious didnt like that. liked the one about john wayne that was kinda cool and the writing was rlly good. second time in a row i’ve encountered religious albums don’t like that. overall got a bit more than halfway through and don’t know how i’m gonna rate this one tommorow, depends on my mood.

First time listening to Sufjan Stevens given I was 17 when this album came out that is a surprise to me. Maybe Iv been living under a rock or he wasn’t that big in the U.K. On first listen this one kinda just got lost in the background. A few more and Iv started to appreciated it a lot more. But still not fully clicked with me. But has now intrigued me to want to listen again, so this may be re rated in the future.

Based on the album cover, name, art, and track list I was expecting humorous parody but not looking forward to it. I was wrong. It is an earnest and pretty concept album about Illinoise. Bursting with ideas, charm, and cinematic energy. I wish I liked it more than I actually do. Extra star for the tracks, like track 11, that remind me of Rockford Illinois' own Phantom Regiment.

Tedious, so tedious. Wouldn't mind it in the background, though.

An album that a music nerd would love, why the long titles Sufjan, the music itself is very beautiful, but too many songs, so the listening is difficult in one sitting, his voice is good and the songwriting is nice so i did walk away with a few tunes Fav songs John wayne gacy Chicago Casimir Pulaski Day The Predatory Wasp 6/10

Chill pillrat

Vissa av låtarna är väldigt fina och bland det bästa jag hört, vissa är överdrivet storslagna och tråkiga, vissa bara okej. Michigan är mycket bättre!

So his plan was to write an album about each state. I wonder if anybody who isn't  American thinks that's a good idea.  We all had school assignments requiring us to write about people and events that we researched in history books, but getting an A on a school project is not the same as being able to write song lyrics about the topics. He does this brilliantly. The music on the other hand is a little too dreamy for me. --

This was pleasant and pretty interesting, though I probably wouldn't listen again.

The quintessential indie album. It has that uplifting, life-affirming feeling that good indie albums are known for Favorite was probably The Tallest Man, which was in 11/8 incidentally. I actually thought it was a great and interesting listen, but I don’t know if I desire to hear it again, so I’m not sure what to rate it.

Liked the instrumentals, not so much Stevens’ voice.

Started out a bot weird and eventually o connected with the vibe of the album. A grower. Kinda wanna see if it grows more on me.

I think I've always liked the idea of Sufjan Stevens more than the music. There's a song on Michigan that I really love. Chicago and John Wayne Gacy, Jr. are standouts on this one. But in the end, it always fades into the background and sounds samesy after a while.

I can't help but applaud the scope and vision Stevens demonstrates on Illinois; it bespeaks of a winning restlessness. The big problem here is that Illinois could do with some pruning. Over the course of seventy-something minutes I could be charmed, but also bored. I think of other concept albums I like, and how they are often unfairly maligned as sprawling or lacking in discipline. Often that's not the case - but the charges stick here, to a degree. I wish the whole 'one album per state' bobbins wasn't a joke - would've loved to have heard Stevens taking on Kansas.

Buena sucesión de canciones pop con ritmos relajados y voz tranquilizadora. No pasará a la historia, pero es bueno para escuchar en momentos en los que queramos algo de relax

The first song is my favorite.

I imagine this is what a Musical Theatre Kid’s favourite album sounds like.

Soft, cutesy, quirky album. A lot of it sounds like it would fit in during the final scene of movies like Little Miss Sunshine or Juno, where all the conflicts are resolved and everyone is content. If Jessica Day (from New Girl) had a favorite album, this would probably be it. Long album (1 hr, 15 min). Not sure what to give it. It’s not bad by any means, but it just doesn’t really fit the soundtrack of my daily life I guess.

Sorry lads but I liked this album. I’ve not really heard anything like it before. I listened to it twice because on first listen nothing really clicked but I found it interesting enough for another go. I enjoyed it.

som bem produzido, mas não empolgou tanto

good

It was cool

Good background music.

Varied and interesting.

Interesante... por momentos super "Beatles", por momentos medio jazz, sinfónico... se deja escuchar muy bien para trabajar. Va generando diferentes climas a medida que avanza el disco.

A 21st century singer-songwriter! Wow, so recent. - Concerning the UFO Sightings Near Highland, Illinois – It’s got a nice lo-fi feel, and he’s not singing as off-key as many indie singers, so I’d digging this so far. Piano and flute is a unique combo. This doesn’t overstay its welcome either. Is nice. - The Black Hawk War – An instrumental representation of the wars between US and Native Americans, and the atrocities therein. It’s not a pleasant listen with the dissonance and weird instrumental combos. Later parts of the song once the brass and drums come in are better, but still not my fave. - Come On, Feel the Illinoise – A 6:45 track in two parts. Piano and drums make this a peppier song. First part is about the World Fair in Chicago, and the tension between art and commerce. A decent concept, but not really something I’d go back and listen to. Part II (“Carl Sandburg Visits Me in a Dream) is a reflection on his own art and commercialization. Overall, it’s a conceptually interesting track, that isn’t quite to my taste. - John Wayne Gacy Jr. – The story of a Chicago born serial killer and rapist. Messed up, but interesting. In particular, the attitude is very much “but for the grace of God, there go I”, showing the banality of his childhood and the contrast between the upstanding image he had in the community and the horrific nature of their crimes. Another interesting track, though there are parts of the writing I don’t like, and much like Nirvana’s Polly, it’s not at all a pleasant listen. - Jacksonville – An ode to Jacksonville, Illinois, a major stop on the Underground Railroad, location of a school for the deaf and blind, and somewhat ironically named after Andrew Jackson, who himself was simultaneously a figure of generosity (providing cheese and alcohol to the public) and oppression (with the Trail of Tears). It’s kinda boring to listen to, though. - A Short Reprise for Mary Todd, Who Went Insane, but for Very Good Reason – An instrumental track, dedicated to First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln. - Decatur, or a Round of Applause for Your Stepmother! – An ode to both Decatur (where Lincoln lived) and his stepmom, who he hated as a child, for no particularly good reason. The connection is that she took them to Decatur on a trip one time. It’s decent. - One Last “Whoo-hoo” For the Pullman – It’s 7 seconds of clapping and a woohoo for planned community Pullman - Chicago – A somewhat autobiographical song about hard times he experienced in Chicago and New York seeking freedom. It’s a pretty good song. Too long though by a bit. - Casimir Pulaski Day – Depiction of the death of a close female friend and the crisis of faith it caused in him. It’s an interesting track that is both a celebration of a loved ones life as well as touching on doubt and belief. This is an odd one to place, because I think objectively it’s the best song on the album, but it’s not one I think I’d casualliy listen to? - To the Workers of Rock River Valley Region, I have an idea concerning your predicament, and it involves an inner tube, bath mats, and 21 able bodied men – Yes, that is the title. It’s a decent instrumental. - The Man of Metropolis Steals Our Hearts – It’s about Superman…or something??? The contrast between the intro/chorus and verses is jarring. I don’t get it. Some people apparently take it as a gay song, btu I don’t see that at all. - Prairie Fire that Wanders About – It’s an ode to Peoria Illinois. No lead vocals, just choir. Not my fave. - A Conjunction of Drones… - Ok, no way am I writing that title out. The title says it is simulating an existential crisis. Sure, why not. - The Predatory Wasp of the Palisades is Out to Get Us – Depicts painful childhood memories of a close “best friend” (probably a lover from the rest of the song) who he lost. It’s a really nice song. Really complex juxtaposition of the romantic attraction to a male friend and the religious experience of a Methodist camp. Probably the best crafted song, though not quite my favorite. - They are Night Zombies… - What are these song titles, man?!?!?! I don’t get this one. It seems to be about Illinois’ past, but I don’t get the tone or message or whatever it’s conveying. - Let’s Hear That Strong Part Again – Short instrumental - In this Temple As in the Hearts of Man For Whom He Saved the Earth – Short instrumental - The Seer’s Tower – Seems to be talking about the Apocalypse. Whether it’s literal or literary isn’t quite clear. Very artistic. Too artsy for me in fact. - The Tallest Man, the Broadest Shoulders – Another two-part track. Part 1 is “The Great Frontier”. It’s a much more lighthearted piece than much of the album. Almost has a Peanuts feel. Mostly seems to be about the attitude of the frontier that drove early America, and the subsequent settling and commercialization of American life. Part II is “Come to Me Only With Playthings Now” and seems to be an ode to all the great events and figures of Illinois. It’s overall a pretty good track. I like the build up in Part II quite a bit, though I’m less fond of Part 1. - Riffs and Variations on a single note… - Short instrumental. Not my favorite. - Out of Egypt… - Another instrumental to finish things off. Not really my thing. An interesting and artistic album from a singer-songwriter I’d never heard before. Explores a variety of interesting themes from faith and doubt, to lost loved ones, to romantic attraction, to seeking personal freedom, family, and more. I like the more personal/autobiographical songs a lot better than the ones that are just generally an ode to Illinois, cause it ain’t my state and I don’t really care about it lol. Many of the instrumentals aren’t particularly good either. This feels like an album that could have used a really good haircut and shave to trim down the fluff and scraggle. Still, there’s some good stuff on it, and even much of what I don’t like that much, I can see what he’s trying to do. Lots of it isn’t my thing, and there’s some worse parts, but I’d give it a solid 3/5. Top Tracks: - Concerning the UFO Sightings – neat lo-fi track - Chicago – Centerpeice of the album and nice autobiographical/personal lyrics. - Casimir Pulaski Day – It’s a bit drawn out, especially the end, but it’s a very beautiful and personal song. - Predatory Wasp… - Really interesting exploration of young love.

No llegué a escucharlo entero. No es mi género favorito

Like chamomile, it's not exactly my cup of tea, but sometimes it does hit the spot.

Really beautiful indie pop with lively orchestrations. I feel like cutting it to a 45-50 minutes album would have given it much more impact, but maybe a few more spins and I'll get why it needs to be one hour and fifteen minutes long.

Really interesting and melodic beats.

Well this seem very pleasant, interesting musically, intricate things going on with the time signatures and I have zero desire to get to the end of the album. Maybe just a bit wet? Three stars I guess?

Melodic, interesting, lots of instruments. Vocals are quiet, some back up singers on a few songs. Interesting concept songs about people and places in Illinois. Overall good, may have to give it another listen

nice mellow background music, doesn't totally draw you in but also doesn't distract if you are working on other items.

Never heard of this album but it feels like it belongs to a musical. Music was fun and light. Some great songs that I will probably break out with people from Illinois. 1. Come On! Feel Illinois! Part I: The World's Columbian Exposition Part II: Carl Sandburg Visits Me In A Dream 2. Prairie Fire That Wanders About 3. The Night Zombies!! They Are Neighbors!! They Have Come Back From the Dead!! Ahhhh!

Quite long. First I was jamming, then I was sad, then bored, ended with a few more jams though. Could see myself listening again

3.5 All I knew about Sufjan Stevens going in was that he's a folk musician, which isn't usually my go-to type of listening. I was really impressed by the versatility on this record though - in some ways, it almost felt like a rock opera of folk. The album did grow on me more as it went on, though towards the end I thought it might have gone on just slightly too long. Above all I found it to be an enjoyable record. I probably won't find myself returning to it too much, but I could definitely see it getting spun again on a quiet, relaxing night. Favorite songs: John Wayne Gacy Jr., Chicago, Casimir Pulaski Day

I like this series of records. An interesting artist

Some very lovely moments on this, a fun listen. I feel like I need more Sufjan in my life.

I don't know how I feel about it. Certain parts were good. Other parts felt like they were trying way too hard. I don't need to listen to it again, so I guess I'd lean a little more in the negative direction.

Now this was truly bizarre. I had some interest in it since I live in Illinois and the music was quite curious as well as the themes of several songs. I might actually return to this to listen more closely to some of the lyrics. Weirdly fun!

Chicago is magnificent.

Dooodeeeee dooo dooo dooo

Somewhat enjoyable

Really interesting - I don’t love it, but there are a variety of styles and interesting songwriting techniques.

People hated this when Van Dyke Parks did it, so I guess that’s progress. Not my cup of tea, but I definitely admire the cheek and the intricacy of construction on display here.

3 i want to like it more than i do

The quenticential sound of the 90s. I haven't listened to this album in about ten years and forgot how good it was. You don't get many concept albums in this age of single-driven music. 3.5/5

Some great songs with great storytelling. Probably could have been trimmed by half a dozen songs though, it dragged in parts.

Chyba wylosowalo album z najdluzszymi tytulami trakow jaki mialem okazje widziec na oczy, Illinoise pana Sufjana Stevensa to potezny konceptowy krazek, jak tytul wskazuje beda nawiazania do illinois, a jest gdzie nawiazywac, bo plyta to az 22 traki na 74 minutach, dodajac do tego styl w jakim jest utrzymana, czyli folk zmieszany z nutka popowa, ale dodatkowo jest cos lofikowego, bo plyta pochodzi z 2k05 i wiekszosc instrumentali oraz pracy na produkcji naleza do pana Sufjana, ktory jest utalentowanym multiinstrumentalista, ktory potrafi zapelnic tak duze polacie winylaka kompozycjami, ktore nawac wylacznie popowo folkowymi byloby przeinaczeniem prawdy, bo niektore utwory brzmia wrecz chamberowo, ze wzgledu na wykorzystanie stringowych grupek, ktore dodatkowo sa wykorzystywane jako klaskacze, czy tez chrokowanie, chociaz jak dla mnie najbardziej pasujacymi do wokali i typu opowiesci jakie snuje na plycie pasuja kompozycje na samych kosciach akustykowych, jak casimir pulaski day czy john wayne gacy, polska mentionem alert, ale jedynie tytulowo, bo pierwszy utwor opowiada o dniu z zycia gdy dostaje sie wyrok smierci w postaci bialaczki, natomiast gacowy trak stara sie opowiedziec w ciekawy sposob historie zycia i odbierania zycia przez pana gace, a to wszystko zwiazane z tak pieknym stanem jak illinois, jest to jeden z tych materialow gdzie pomimo tego, ze rozumiem liryke czuje, ze sporo z niego nie wylapuje, czy to przez referencje miejscowe, czy tez nawiazania biblijne w ktore obfituje plyta, od tak oczywistych jak cytowanie ksiegi wyjscia, czy tez bardziej subtelne jak w traku o seryjnym mordeca rozwazanie nad grzechem i odkupieniem, wiec dobrze pan Stevens zbalansowal liryke pod wzgledem tego co mozna sprzedac dla szerokiego grona sluchaczy, a jednak zostawic w tym swoj charakter, bo takie traki nie sa pisane pod cos tylko z siebie i to sie czuje, wiec odsluch ciekawy, ktory jednak czasem bywa ciezki do przesluchania przez zbyt abstrakcyjne realia illinosowe i dlugosc calego krazka, na plejke dodam dwa wspomniane wczesniej utwory, glownie za to ze sa prostymi kompozycjami, ktore najlepiej akcentuja delikatne wokale pana Stevensa

Was interesting even when it was weird. Think I enjoyed!

Man this album is long...

singing aba serial killers is not the vibe

They really do sound like the Stone Roses, and I haven't seen that on our list yet.

Strange album. Lyrically, pretty heavy and complicated, and it certainly seems the focus with some less interesting folk music holding it all together. I listened to this while driving across Illinois... didn't help too much. The most interesting items are the variety of words chosen to rhyme with Decatur as well as a song (that is as successful as they are on the album) where the core of it is spelling the word Illinois. Unusual and interesting.

I think I like the idea of his states project more than I really care for the music itself

Interesting with some really fun songs.

Too long for such similar songs, seemed like some cult shit.

This was alright, kind of slow and empty, but in a cool, artistic way. I did have higher expectations for this, and they were not really met. Overall, it is just everage.

Not my favorite album by Sufjan. I find it pretty annoying actually. Bit it's still Sufjan.

Some of the songs were really cool, but the end of the album dragged out a bit for me. 6/10

C'est presque de l'ambient.

Don't get me wrong, I don't hate all double albums, there are a few I've given five stars to, but just because you can make a 75 minute album doesn't mean you should. There's some great stuff here, "Jacksonville," "Chicago" and. "The Man of Metropolis Steals Our Hearts" stand out. I'm gonna have to give "John Wayne Gacy, Jr" another listen or two; Stevens says we're all capable of what Gacy did, speak for yourself dude. I know this album is beloved by a lot of people, I just like some other of his stuff better, "Carrie & Lowell" is his real masterpiece, here he could've used an editor or even made "Illinois Part 2."

a few good tunes and lots of meandering, like his other work

I feel in listening to this album, I'm missing a lot of context regarding very, very specific references to the state of Illinois. This album gives off a carnival vibe to me, perhaps it's the vast array of instrumentation and whimsical nature of it all. But my god, it's such a looooonnnngggg album! And the song titles aren't lacking in length either! Best: Jacksonville Worst: Come On! Feel the Illinoise!" (Part I: The World's Columbian Exposition – Part II: Carl Sandburg Visits Me in a Dream) 2.5 Stars.

Nice sound but low energy

Sometimes I like Sufjan Stevens a lot, other times I get a bit bored of him. Giving this a good listen, it's definitely an interesting album with some great moments. It could have benefited from a good edit to get it down to 45 minutes of phenomenal music as opposed to 74 minutes of hit and miss music. Overall though, good stuff, unique and interesting. 3 stars.

Pleasant enough I guess but way too long

Really enjoyed a fresh inheard album. Upbeat, makes for lovely chill music. Happy calm songs. Favorites, Chicago and Jacksonville with nice tempo.

Opening song a lil boring but this second track feelin a bit epic The beginning of the Third song sounds like Charlie brown, BRUH THIS THIRD SONG SLAPS Heavy castelia city vibes from this album Wth this track is called John wayne gacy jr. i remember watching a serial killer doc about that guy, spooky

Interesting sound, esp when I only know Sufjan from compositional works rather than lyrical. Nonetheless it still sounded like him and there were some certain bangers on here.

Whimsical

I was pleasantly surprised. I actually enjoyed it.

First off, the album cover seems to have the title Come on feel the Illinoise (thinking ‘noise’ is a little play on words). The title song Part 1 was interesting. Dug Jacksonville. Was hoping for some lyrics for Mary Todd. Found myself bopping along to Decatur, or, Round of Applause for Your Step-Mother. Not sure why but Chicago was emotional for me. Enjoyed the plucking on Casimir Pulaski Day. Loved some of the mish mashed of jumbled lyrics in The Predatory Wasp of the Palisades is Out To Get Us! ‘Oh how I meant to tease him, Oh how I meant no harm, Touching his back with my hand I kiss him…’. Don’t care for zombie movies too much and apparently song titles with Zombies in them either. Only 40 seconds long but the title Let’s hear that string part again, because I don’t think they heard it all the way out in Bushnell gave me a chuckle. Not sure who Emmanuel is from The Seer’s Tower and not one of my favorites. Last 5 tunes not much to talk about, some interesting lyrics in The Tallest Man, the Broadest Shoulders but the music sounded like something out a Charlie Brown special. Now let’s talk about John Wayne Gacy, Jr. Can we all agree just friggin’ creepy! I know we can’t just sweep everything under the rug and look away but I don’t know if a song needs to be written about such a thing. Also, what’s with the lyrics ‘…and on my best behavior, I am really just like him, look beneath the floor bords, for the secrets I have hid’. We all have secrets we don’t share with the world, but nothing like JWC Jr. Hope not anyway because he was just fucked. I don’t understand why someone like this would be on death row for 14 fucking years. Sentenced to death on Thursday? Should be dead by Friday! At first, I thought yeah, no, 2 stars. Maybe when I was younger and little more melancholy and kookier than I am now, I totally would have been into it. But it grew on me and I can appreciate the eclectic of it, and there are a lot of deep underlying meanings I’m too naïve to fully understand. Although definitely got some of it. But the album grew on me. At one point I was thinking maybe even 4 stars, but the last 5 tunes dragged it down to a 3. Again, if there were half stars, would have been 3.5. Added to my library though and I may have to give it another go even.

Not really my cup of tea but an interesting listen. Certainly a masterpiece of a concept album, I feel like I watched a movie about Illinois. John Wayne Gacy made me pause both times I played it thru. Loved the orchestral sounds & esp the trumpet on this album!

i've spent time, on and off, in this state, and in the big city in particular. most of it i liked well enough at the time. the song chicago is easy to like, of course - and oh boy was i surprised, seeing the name of the very next track on the album, that THIS guy, of all people, was covering big black (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=erquHwc8f0c). i must confess to feeling slightly disappointed to learn it was a different song entirely. anyway, this one gets another...y'know, fine.

This album has a lot of feeling... At first I was worried I would not like it at all but after a couple songs I settled into the mind of the artist.

A bit slow and gentle for my taste. I'd struggle to be able to sing any of the tunes. The arrangements and instrumentation were nice though.

Un bon album qui s'écoute bien, mais ça fait plus bruit de fond que de la musique que je mettrais pour vraiment apprécier.

not really my thing and to be honest I found it a bit boring, but it's fine

I'm questioning the quality of my taste. iI was nice, but I just struggled to really enjoy it, didn't finish it because I wanted a different vibe.

Occasionally irritating

Ok, credo ci sia dell'ironia, almeno sull'Illinois e non riesco a coglierla. Però le canzoni non sono male. No seriamente: 'John Wayne Gacy, Jr.' ha sia piano, che voce, che chitarra e tutto l'accompagnamento, che sono sia armoniose che tecnicamente perfette. Per quanto rimanga un senso di straniamento per via delle parole che si capisce descrivano storie e luoghi relativi all'Illinois, la voce e i diversi strumenti utilizzati si sposano molto bene. 'The Man of Metropolis Steals Our Hearts': WOW! La lunghezza però si fa sentire. Bello ascoltarlo una volta, non lo rifarei, ma mi segno molte canzoni. ***

Good song writer. Not really into it.

Experimental, cool but hard to listen from start to finish

Children's show melodies with nonsense lyrics. Meh.

It's fine - not my style.

Oh, wow - direkt die ersten Klänge versetzen sofort in die Nuller zurück. Hatte ich tatsächlich ein bisschen vergessen, das alles! Naja, und wie damals geht es mir auch heute: Respekt vor dem Handwerk und der filigran ausgearbeiteten Ziselierung - allein: es kickt mich nicht so wirklich. Die neue Whimpigkeit zu der Zeit, da musste ein alterndes Kind der 90er sich erstmal dran gewöhnen. Eben noch Grunge und Bratpop und Big Beat und die Strokes, nun plötzlich Sufjan und Connor und Elliott und Win mit ihren zittrigen Männerstimmen, ihrer Emphase, ihrer Theatralik und ihrer Niedlichkeit. Hm. So richtig hab ich mich auch bis heute nicht damit angefreundet. Über die weite Strecke (schon wieder so ein anstrengend langes Ding!) ist das niedlich und musikalisch manchmal anspruchsvoll/ambitioniert und immer wieder auch schon - aber auch etwas ermüdend. Was mich zB immer wieder überrascht, sind die Steve-Reich-Zitate, z.B. deutlich hörbar in "Out of Egypt, ...". Also ja: ganz schön ist das schon.

Zzzzz

Ett mycket bra konceptalbum om olika personer, händelser och företeelser i Illinois. Det är en fröjd att lyssna på Sufjan Stevens lena röst och noggranna produktion. Det kan dock ibland kännas lite för "snällt". Hade önskat att Sufjan tagit ut svängarna ännu mer, och skapat något mer utstickande. T.ex. "The Man of Metropolis Steals Our Hearts" har några instick av mer upptempo elgitarr och trummor vilket gör lyssningen mer dynamisk - fler sådana rockiga inslag hade höjt betyget! Hatar också att många av låttitlarna är korta noveller, betackar mig från sådana "quirky" fasoner. Sammantaget är albumet ett väldigt bra "konstprojekt", men det har svårt att väcka några större känslor i mig. Det mer avskalade låtarna, "John Wayne Gacy, Jr." och "Casimir Pulaski Day", när det nästan bara är Sufjan och en gitarr, är fantastiska. Av de instrumentella låtarna är "To the Workers of the Rock River Valley Region..." den bästa, mycket för att den påminner mig om "If You Have a Heart" av Bear Quartet. Bäst producerad är den mörkare "They Are Night Zombies...", vars lite rockigare approach hörs direkt i basslingan i introt. Spyr dock på låttiteln. Bästa låt: They Are Night Zombies!! They Are Neighbors!! They Have Come Back from the Dead!! Ahhhh!

OK, from 10 seconds in you're thinking 'this is a concept album'. Really needs heavy focus and listening. There is a lot going on, and need to revisit and reassess. Not sure if i'm been harsh or overly generous.

Some great moments but about twice as long as it should have been

Sufjan Steven's fifth album is about all things Illinois - a Midwest state in the US. As an indie rock/folk album it has a specific sound that is warm, soothing, and fun. The lyrics are beautiful and show that Sufjan is a great writer. The musical arrangements were over the top most of the time, meaning the songs had an orchestra type vibe to them. This album wasn't just recorded by a single band, but by many people playing lots of instruments. I really enjoyed this unique album and it was a calming start to my day.

I tried this album out back in the day and wasn't a huge fan (other than the instant classic "Chicago"). I've grown to really love his more recent music since then and was excited to revisit this. Sadly, it still didn't quite do it for me.

It was ok

Chill and introspective. Kind of odd. recognized one song

A lot of people love Mr Stevens but I don't really get it. There's a couple of good songs and ideas here but generally I'm not fussed. Also I really hate the long song names thing, literally just done for the sake of it and to make people think they are witty and talk about the long songs names like I am now.

Interesting. Not bad, but not really good either (or at least not my thing). I could see this growing on me but not too interested in giving it the chance.

Lugnt melodiskt

To me the cover of the album also has something to say about it, and this one so incredibly hard to look at that I have to bump the score down a little. And I have personally absolutely zero affiliation with Illinois and couldn't even tell you if it's closer to the west or the east coast in North America. It is quite a beautiful sounding album though, but with such intricate orchestrations and lyrics, and titles that you can barely read, it's hard for me to grasp what feelings Sufjan Stevens was going for, and trying to portray, through just one day of listening. 3\5 but might've changed it if I got to know it, and if you could do that on here.

I've heard this album Maybe dozens of times. I don't understand how some artists I love, admire this guy. He seems so College radio.

pretty good. reminds me of badly drawn boy for some reason. Good songwriting, good broad production. I like the horns etc Like the softness of the voice

Better than I expected. Didn’t pay attention to lyrics, and his voice bores me, but the songs, arrangements. Etc, are quite enjoyable, varied, complex. Is prog-indie-hipster a thing?

Ok alt singer-songwriter.

A little annoyed to have to listen to this whole album because it was prett long and I’m not a huge fan of his. But I’m glad I did, there are some classics on here, and there is no doubt that he makes beautiful music, his vocal style just misses a bit for me. Found some other greats of his off the radio ssssion though.

I enjoyed this for a Monday, it was very chilled and sounded like it should be over a movie. Not too sure I get why it's on this list

Sounds like every other Sufjan Stevens album.

Pleasant background music for working, reading, etc.

i think i tried some songs by this artist a couple years ago and it wasnt a vibe, lets see now. okay its longgg. interesting song titles. hmm this piano so far, i predict this will be boring. his voice is okay. another whispery type but its better than the whiny ones. lyrics are well written but i realllyyy dont care about the topics. i really liked the instrumental only tracks though and i love long songs with parts so track 20 was a win minus the chorus... the last instrumental track was cute. so, im done: it was quite pleasant overall but at times i was put off by the lyrics and the rest of the time it didnt make me feel anything except maybe calm?? it was pretty interesting. i doubt i'll come back to it but i think it was pretty good still.

Marching band folk music for people who like Ben Folds and Ben Gibbard.

i see he likes his instruments (especially trumpets) (so do i), these song titles are so unique i love them, each song tells a story perfectly i could write scenarios to these, i will listen to this album once again with my full attention on it closing my eyes

Album is over an hour long and most songs have long, zany titles.

Sounds like it might be interesting.

One of the most up and down albums I've had thus far. Some songs were so beautiful that they could take me to another place, while others were annoying and prattled on, or were straight up filler. Favorite songs were Jacksonville and Chicago, in that order.

3/5 there are some happy/interesting songs in this album, but...

Good album if a bit too long

This album was nothing at all like I expected it to be. That album art has a lot going on and I thought it was going to be a weird funky album but instead I found an indie-pop sound and I enjoyed it. The sound is really smooth and calming and I really liked most of it. My favourite tracks from the album: John Wayne Gacy Jr. Was my favourite. The Man of Metropolis Steals Our Hearts, a cute tribute to Superman was a cute little song. The Seer's Tower.

Sleepy hipster shit but solid

Very pleasant, would listen to again. Want to give it 3.5

it was alright

Calming background music. I think I used to listen to this while studying in law school. Wonder how Sufjan’s ambition to record 50 albums named after all the US states is going?......

Disco complicado, música compleja llena de detalles. No me atrapó lo suficiente para revisar las letras con detalle y lo largo no ayuda. Me gustó mucho su uso de los coros en canciones como They Are Night Zombies.

Album folk très intéressant. On reconnais ANDY shauf

Bien

Alguien mas notó ese sampleo de 'Close to me' en 'come on feel de illinoise'? Se escucha interesante el querer hacer un disco por estado pero cuando te das cuenta de cuantos son y el tiempo que tomaría hacerlos ya se vuelve un sueño guajiro cada canción es diferente y tiene su sello particular ya que está muy metido en su onda conceptual por el estado de Illinois y creo que podría hacer mejores cosas pero los artistas son raros

3/5 | Muy difícil decidir con este disco. Por un lado, es muy largo y de una temática de la cual jamás pensé que habría un disco completo: Illinois, pasando por John Wayne, Lincoln, ciudades, etc. Pero no por eso es malo, de hecho tiene canciones que suenan muy bien: ' Come On! Feel the Illinoise' por ejemplo. Me gusta que varía de estilos y no es siempre el cantautor con su guitarrita y hace que el disco no suene plano. En conclusión, hasta buscaré música de este fulano, que por cierto, el nombre no me hace pensar que iba a cantar algo así.

Not bad, but nothing that I loved or that really caught my attention musically

It was nice, though I didn't feel like the album had as much variety as I'd like

Eclectic mix that sounds great in the background. I really wanted to love the album, but could never find time to power through it. Not sure if that means the album is no good or if I'm just too simple.

nice. conheci a terrivel historia de john wayne..

This was a nice listen, there's a lot of different kinds of song going on that keep the interest up, though it did start flagging here and there. It was easy to listen to, required no thought, and was quite relaxing.

I enjoyed the instrumentals more than the lyrics

Unexpectedly chill stuff. Liked it very much.

Used to like this album around the time i first went to university, chicago is a great song the rest of the album is a bit too long and off beat for me now a days.

Helt ok men på tok för långt.

Pretty musically complex and proficient but just not my thing

fun album,good lyricism ,nothing super special though

sounds like badly drawn boy, also the whole 50 states of albums was a bit of a marketing gimmick

Hienoja melodioita ja sitten taas vähintäänkin outoa menoa. Haastava levy kuunnella.

There was a lot going on. I think Sufjan got better with age

Pretty good

Enjoyed it but it’s a bit slow for me and thought it went on for way too long

Fine folk pop like album, some songs feel the same with nothing interesting, however there are some standout hits that some people might found enjoyable

A hipsters dream.

This feels a bit like a cross between light folky pop, not too far away from First Aid Kit and the Flaming Lips. It is not at all what I was expecting, but that is because I grew up in the UK and when someone says "come on feel the noise". My Instinctive reaction is to sing back ""Girlz grab the boyz" in a glam rock style. But you have to hand it to Sufjan Stevens, I doubt anyone has sung a more beautiful song about a famous serial killer. (

i hate musicals

Long et globalement chiant

Ok'ish

Please make it stop

What if TMBG were a folk indie band

trying to be chutney by mandril but cant soundds like something youd eat after u get braces or oral surgery

is ts tuff in illinois

Not a fan, I appreciate what he’s trying to do but it really felt experimental for the sake of being experimental. The John Wayne Gacy song wasn’t haunting to me like other reviews but just weird for the sake of it.

-First impressions soft kind of music -Too soft I didnt really like it -5.5/10

mid

Essentially what this album suffers from is being very, very boring. I first heard Sufjan Stevens when a track from Michigan was included on a CD with a music magazine - I loved it and was hooked immediately. I then pounced on Seven Swans, which remains my favourite of his even if it is all a bit Goddy. I was excited by the prospect Illinois, and intrigued by the idea that he was planning something similar for each US state - the record came out in 2005 and I must've played it about three times. To my ears, it just fell completely flat and I can only assume he felt the same as he didn't bother with the rest of the states. No bad thing, either.

A slog to listen to, does not catch my attention at all

Avec la liste de Robert Dimery, on tomber souvent sur des albums qu'on n'aime pas et ils existent essentiellement en deux catégories : - ceux qui sont vraiment nuls, - ceux qui ne font rien de mal, mais auquel tu accroches pas parce que c'est pas ton style. Le premier est moins pire que le deuxième, parce que tu peux rager dessus et ensuite écrire un avis un peu salé. Le deuxième ? Tu vas juste t'ennuyer et mettre un trois en disant que ça ne te parle pas, mais que tu vois les qualités. Et ça fait des jours que j'ai que ça (à part M.I.A., qui fait au moins preuve d'originalité), donc ma patience commence à se réduire. L'instrumentation ne me parle pas, j'ai trouvé que ça n'allait nulle part, le chant me déplaît. Mais d'un autre côté, c'est vrai que c'est original, ça a de la personnalité, c'est plutôt varié... Mais je me suis ennuyé, bon sang et je commence sérieusement à manquer de façons de le dire jour après jour. Je pense qu'il faudrait peut-être mettre trois, mais c'était tellement barbant ! Et en plus, l'album se permet d'être long ! Bon, après l'album de trois heures de The Magnetic Fields, je suis un peu blindé, mais non hein, y'en a marre un peu. Ouais, ça sera sûrement mon avis le moins construit et le plus bordélique, mais je pense que je mettrai un deux, parce que j'en ai marre des trucs complètement osef. Au pire, Robert, donne-moi un truc bien pourri, que je rigole un peu, quoi !

A couple songs stood out and the rest fall in the 'fine' category. Maybe if I was from that shit hole country I'd be more into it. Did not need to be a double album at all.

I like the guy but album-wise it’s hit or miss. Or maybe I am more into songs of his than his albums.

I always thought Sufjan Stevens would be doing retro indie rock'n'roll, and I had always pictures him to look like a young Elvis, or at least Mark Ronson ... so I was completely unprepared for whatever this is. It has its charme, and I really like the 3rd song, but overall it is too much of an abstract mess (read: "concept work") to be enjoyed as an album.

My brain is having a hard time processing what I just heard. There is definitely something here...

I listened to it a bit and I must say that I pretty much enjoyed songs with only instruments. I wasn't expecting this kind of music from the album. I can't really rate it because I just don't listen music like this.

Wtf is this cover. I like the vibe though. Okay, I kinda lied. I don't like it, I'm sorry.

2/50

Kind of intersting but feels like it takes a long time to do nothing. The compositions/ instrumentations are cool.

No me gusto :(

Some good stuff on here but I just hate the twee vibe

Felt much longer than 1h13m. Would've given it 3* if it was shorter.

An album that simply doesn't need to exist. Never needs replayed. Deserves to fade to nothing. It doesn't feel like anything new or interesting, and it's far too long too. Would have been twice as good at half its length.

I’m all over the place on this one. If I were born ten years later, I could see myself thinking that this is genius and have listened the shit out of this album when I was in college. There are parts that are interesting and build well that I can still appreciate now. But the whole thing is just so twee. The song titles are pretentious. Some of the songs sound like they are being played on toy store instruments. It just puts me off the whole endeavor.

If brunch was an album. It's pleasant, easy listening, but it never reaches great heights or gives you much. I liked it as background music but I wouldn't put it on to listen to.

Listen to it on Friday and can’t remember anything about. It didn’t stick with me.

the most twee thing i've ever heard but i didn't haaate it it's not interesting or varied enough to get away with being this long tho

I don’t know what to say about this album. It left me perplexed. I’ll give it 2.

I can totally see why some people will love this but for me it dragged in a lot of places, I'm not into that sound, and maybe only one completely solid track in Jacksonville

Nice music to fall asleep to.

too instrumental idk

Too folky and care free sounding for my liking.

A bit twee

Good instrumentals but a little slow for me, unique sound though!

I'll revisit this album to hear more of the Illinois stories

I remember when this came out and I didn't like it then so I ignored it. Point of order: I don't really care for baroque pop. Too many notes, as the saying goes. This coming up gives me a chance to listen with fresh ears and guess what, I still don't like it. It's a buffet of the mid 2000s sound and it's pretty technically accomplished, which is probably why it was so well received. BUT! of course the but! It grates on me. First, it's self-consciously twee and wimpy, shit I just hate. I'm reminded of Orson Welles' quote about Woody Allen being arrogant because of his timidity. "He hates himself, he loves himself, a very tense situation." Describes a lot of this album. Part of this reveals itself in the lyrics and breathless delivery, but also in the songs that are supposed to sound kinda ramshackle (Decatur, Casimir Pulaski day) that ring so incredibly hollow given how tight the rest of this stuff is. Pisses me off in its groveling at the alter of authentic emotional exposure while being so inauthentic So I'm not the target audience, though I can respect the musicianship. But then there's the music - it doesn't go anywhere! It's a shaggy dog story! The song titles are long, the album is long, the motifs are long and it always just peters out. Fuck me, it gets stale. I hear a lot of stuff from the 2000s, but in incomplete phrases and it just makes me want to listen to something else. How can something so competent miss the mark? I dunno, seems to hit it for other people. For me? What a drag. This isn't as bad as the 2 I'm giving it (again, musically, it's on solid ground), but it's so incredibly not for me that I can't give it the coward's 3.

I don't know why this album is even on this list. It's an insult to all elevators. I'm only giving it to sorry because they know how to play their instruments at least.

Very belle and Sebastian- not my thing

1,5

Endless.

So boring

He has a pleasant voice, and the instrumentation sounds carefully arranged. I have not heard his other stuff, but to me this one lacks hooks or it’s too difficult to distinguish one from song from the next. It just didn’t grab me. However, I feel like there’s more there and I need to spend more time with it and the lyrics and themes etc. I did hear too much religious preachiness, which knocks it down a star for me.

Can’t get into this album

His voice sounds like he’s about to be Me Too’ed

Very unique album - In my honest opinion, this is a very fun and new sounding album to me however it felt a tad dragged out with a total of 20+ tracks which could be overwhelming to new listeners Best song - Casmir Pulaski day or John Wayne Gacy, Jr

Illannoying

It was truly beautiful but not for me

An interesting collection of songs. The songs are simplistic and at times the lyrics seemed to be whatever the vocalist was seeing at the time of singing with no eloquence or elaboration, just repetition. …and the song titles would support that theory. The arrangements included a number of different instruments (trumpet, banjo, violin, etc..) and I was impressed with that, but overall this was a sub par listen.

Parece el soundtrack de una película. Está bueno, pero no hay nada especial. Tiene relleno con pistas sin letras.

Cool, this album. I know Sufjan Stevens is a well-respected artist among the people who really know their music, with this widely being considered his best album. I also know that this album cover originally had Superman on it, who was evidently removed from later issues of the album. After looking it up, the original album cover was released without authorisation from DC and somehow made it through an entire record label without anyone raising an eyebrow. Seems like the legal department went out to lunch. I honestly don't know what they were thinking. The label either threw Superman in there with reckless abandon or they somehow walked into the biggest, most avoidable rake known to man. In any case, Superman is wasted on this album cover. It looks kind of ugly. Enough bloviating about shit which doesn't matter. I have no clue what genre of music Sufjan Stevens belongs to. I'd reflexively go with indie folk when taking into account the year of release and singer-songwriter status, but the artwork makes me think of something less pretentious and minimal. I'll hedge my bets on a mellow rock album with a prominent psychedelic influence and/or a heavy emphasis on digital effects. Here goes. Indie folk. I'm such a fucking idiot, DOOD. I was right on the money with my prediction, yet I changed it regardless. This was a vapid listen. Stevens is clearly the successor to Elliott Smith with his hushed vocal style and relaxed songwriting, which is a sound I'm immensely apathetic towards. Fortunately, this album is more than just a boring vocal performance, as the instrumentals have some life to them. The horns have an interesting sound when layered on top of another and played in that strained sound. The country banjos add a nice, if unremarkable finish to these songs and the acoustic guitars have an archetypical, if vacuous, folk sound. The other embellishments are fine, if unremarkable, though that's about where my praises for this album end. The music is competent and listenable on the whole, but man if it doesn't overstay its welcome. The sound and style of this album can adequately be described as nondescript, which makes me want to kick this album's teeth in when looking at how much time it demands of me. I'd gotten my fill from this music at around 20 minutes in, with the rest of this album being a complete haze. Overall, this album was a one trick pony and an incredibly dull listen. I don't need to check the book for this album. As I've mentioned in some of my other reviews, indie folk was a prominent genre in the mid-to-late 2000s, with it appearing to have had somewhat of an influence on early-2010s pop music. Given that this is likely the most prized album from this specific time/genre combination, I'm favourable to its inclusion. Sufjan Stevens could probably do with two list albums given his track record with the critics, now that I think of it. For the time being, however, I cosign this inclusion.

Not my style

Fine for what it is... but what it is is same-y indie mope with a pretentious affect, didn't hate it as much as that sounds like, but I don't know when I'd choose it over something else

Fun but long

Un álbum muuuy de soundtrack, cada canción parece un episodio distinto. Lo conocía al loco por el de Call Me By Your Name. Es considerado uno de los álbumes indie más importantes de los 00s. Se llama así porque el loco quería hacer un álbum por cada estado de los EEUU. John Wayne Gacy Jr. fue mi fav, pero no creo que lo vuelva a escuchar al álbum.

Good music words not so good

i was hoping this was gonna be a great album because i am a sucker for singer songwriters, but it just didn’t stand out as anything special at all :(

Dull. Dull. Dull.

I found this album to be incredibly boring, didn't offend, just didn't entertain.

A real struggle to listen to. I enjoyed the first 2 or 3 songs- a compliment to his impressive and well-done song writing- however hearing the same song a further 19 times made Illinois a difficult listen. I understand the love for Steven’s as a song writer, and do not discredit his work such as Carrie & Lowell, however Illinois lacks the ability to pull on the heart strings like Carrie, and leaves you waiting for a big finale… for an hour and a half. We see many long albums that can keep you drawn in and awaiting the final few tracks, however here Stevens left me bored by 30 minutes, and nearly unable to finish the record by an hour. For such an interesting concept, I wished Stevens could have delivered with interesting music, though he failed to do so. Overall an unenjoyable listen, with hints of creative writing, but for the broader experience, left me wanting something that was never delivered.

Cool music, but not quite my kind of vocals (too folky)

eh, cool in theory but i dont think i liked it

It was okay, didn't finish it

I don't know if I'm doing this guy a disservice. I keep listening to his music and I feel there's something deeper there I just can't reach. My understanding of Sufjan remains superficial. Maybe I'm missing out. Maybe it's just pretentious postering.