Illinois

Quiet, worth a try

Great album

Interesting concept album, not something you bump in the car with the homies but it does manage to tell an interesting story with most of the expression coming from the minimalist vocals and overwhelmingly diverse instrumentation. There is room for improvement but a solid 7 for sure

What a strange album

zajímavé na poslech

love this lol

The names of the songs are so long but everything was really sweet

Blown away by the album. That John Wayne Gacy song will haunt me.

Actually really enjoyable.

evident that a story is being told with the carefully crafted tones and nostalgic melodies

Calm and listening concept album. Sounds is consistent but varies in a way that keeps you interested

Nice. 22 songs is a lot of whimsy. Listened 18/1/21

Excellent - soft

Quite chill and good to work by

So many standout songs I love by the always worthwhile Sufjan Stevens, though for me the very long album falls slightly short of the highest tier by an element of self-indulgence exemplified by its ridiculous song titles.

The jazz infusion is really well done. Not overwhelming but helps tell the story.

Nice instrumental and voice. Some songs a bit odd and too instrumental/long instrumental breaks

Yes be listened before, he is a great musician, and the album is great. Maybe a few songs too long. But great

Probably my favorite album that I've been introduced to on this so far. Some of the songs are really good. I particularly liked Chicago. Overall, the album is melodic and ethereal. Love his voice. Relaxing.

Obwohl alles drin ist, die Arrangements und Kompositionen ganz groß sind, verfängt das Album bei mir (noch) nicht recht. Dennoch: zu gut für drei Sterne.

Pretty good. Chill voice and a pleasant listen.

It’s no Carrie and Lowell but still so very good.

I like the sounds of this albums, between the band and the smooth vocals to the piano and chimes. At the heart of this album you have chicago and casimir pulaski day. Both songs deal with care for fellow human beings. The one negative to Sufjan Stevens is the heavy religious undertones, specifically for christianity.

Pretty great album. Folksy feel, but also some more experimental sounds. It's the kind of thing I would expect to hear in a non-chain coffee shop, and is appealing to me today (he says as the dulcet banjo sounds come through on "Casimir Pulaski Day"). I'd listen to it again. Solid 4 stars.

Tight af. Can’t believe I put off listening to it for so long, I think I’m not as into the individual songs as I am the cohesion of the whole album.

Very good

super mellow. some catchy stuff. 1000 to go

Solid album overall. Would listen to again.

Great album, I really love the strings, horns, and other accompanying additions

Like his voice but liked only 2 songs ig i wasnt in the mood for the vibe idk i will try again

It's great but it's far too long

Inventive, interesting, wish he would have done Missouri and Florida as well. "Chicago," "Decatur," "Jacksonville," "Casimir Pulaski Day" are all great. I think the album runs out of gas about 2/3 of the way in but Sufjan is unique in his sonic soundscapes. Wish he had done a song about my hometown, Olney, and their white squirrels, LOL. Missed him in STL in 2006 touring this album because we had just moved into Bella Luna, our home. Love his first Christmas collection and recommend it to everyone.

to be honest i was on hold while listening to it so sufjan was intercut with lulling elevator music. it was a nice album though but not my typical cup of tea.

um bocado noisy, não consegui ouvir tudo. por vezes, vibe de Bruno pernadas

Not terrible, but at least 25 minutes too long

catchy!

332e32

5.5/10

Hmm very indie boy, as someone that likes indie music

Sözlerine bakarak daha dikkatli dinlemem lazım

Didn't know what to expect with this one at all. 75 minutes of an indie folk album featuring 20+ songs with crazy titles ranging in length from 6 seconds to 7 minutes? I went in with tempered expectations thinking that Illinois(e) could be a chore to get through. Pleased to say that I enjoyed my ride with Sufjan Stevens. Most of the album is pretty pleasant acoustic music with soft lyrics and some background strings and/or horns. There's a pretty wide range of instruments involved but I can't say that I clocked a majority of them. The album is nothing earth shattering but also not too bad for some background music. Each song appeared to have some reference to an Illinois-specific historical event or icon which I can appreciate as an approach for an album. 75 minutes was admittedly too long, but it was a lot more manageable than many of the other long album entries elsewhere on this list. I would have loved if Sufjan followed through to produce one of these for each state even if it was only said in jest. A good middle of the pack entry that I won't come back to but am glad I put in a listen. 2.55 stars

It was upon listening to this I confirmed I have in fact been conflating and confusing Sufjan Stevens with Cat Steven’s/Yusuf Islam. This wasn’t my kind of thing at all, but my girlfriend loves it and that’s enough for me.

This is very strange music. I like some of it; it isn't what I expected from the song titles.

Very long but there is also a lot going on here. At best it’s good and catchy songwriting. At worst it’s self indulgent ego fluff

It's okay, but it didn't leave much of an impression

A few stone-cold classics on here but overall, this is a little too emo for my tastes.

Ok. Liked a few songs. Didn’t finish

Give me Concerning, The Black Hawk, Come On, Jacksonville and Chicago and you have a 5 star set of songs and musical ideas which are right up my alley. Give me an hour more of meanderment and I'm less impressed. Some amazing songs with an unmatched vibe here (I'm not buying the tepid Christian rock/indie narrative), just a poorly curated product with a questionable attachment to the theme, and an identifiable degree of pretension that prevents this being higher than a 3.

Hey this isn't a noise albun! But nonetheless, never heard of, and liked.

It was unusual, not quite like what I always listen to. I especially liked Come on feel the Illinois, p. 1. In general, I liked it, but I wouldn't listen to it all the time, since I'm not an amateur.

Based on the name of the album, I hoped it would be better. It was OK.

Sufjan is absolutely not for every one but I kinda like him and that's ok.

His voice is so calming, but I don’t like this album much compared to some of his other albums. Very unique music, every song is different from the last. This is a very long album! Fav song is ‘Jacksonville’.

I absolutely hated this album when it first came out. Couldn't stand it. Just annoyed the hell out of me and I bounced right off. Coming back to it years later, I'll admit, it's grown on me somewhat. There are a bunch of songs that still annoy me to listen to, sounding twee Charlie Brown's Christmas outtakes, but there are a number I quite liked. "Jacksonville" admittedly is a real banger. I also liked "Decatur, or, Round of Applause for your Step-Mother!" and "Casimir Pulaski Day". Pretty decent, I'll say, but an uneven listen for sure.

I don't love this. It's too gentle and dramatic. Cool melodies and instrumentation though. I think his voice just doesn't do it for me. Too whispery.

Not really feeling it

Schmatlzy, definitely the Sufjan Stevens sound we've come to know and love. I think he's too much of a good thing for me at this point but boy does Chicago rock.

Met 73 minuten is het een iets te uitgebreid album, waarbij niet alles helemaal raak is voor mij. Ik vind vooral de rustigere nummers fijn om te luisteren. Goede productie, een prima zangstem, fijne arrangementen. Bij de wat drukkere nummers worden er soms iets teveel instrumenten bij gepakt wat mij betreft. Ik ben eigenlijk ook wel benieuwd naar het verhaal wat het album te vertellen heeft, maar ik heb niet helemaal de tijd om daar voor te gaan zitten. Typische 3,5. Ik kan er niet geen 4 voor geven want ik vind het toch wel echt een lang album.

Fun album

An interesting and nice album to listen to. A solid 3 stars.

Too long of an album. It was not bad, but nothing I would listen to again.

As someone from illinois, the lyrics were so cheesy. Just not good at all. But the instrumentals were great. Not something I'll listen to again. But I'd compare him to current day Noah Kahan which isn't my thing either

Ma suhtusin sellesse albumisse alguses skeptilisusega, sest temas ei pasitnud olevat midagi erilist ja tead ei olnud ka. Siiski kuulasin ma albumi läbi ja isegi ei pannud õppimise kõrvalt tähele, kui laulud juba spotify poolt edasi genereeritud olid. Jah ta ei hakkanud kõrva, aga tegu oli meeldiva taustamüraga. Mulle meeldis kohati, kuidas oli kasutatud erinevaid helisid, mis erinesid laulust laulu ja ma usun, et kui oleksin võtnud aega süveneda lüürikasse oleksin leidnud, et see on ka osa sellest, miks too album on nende 1001 seas, mis siin veebileheküljel on. Ta on nagu mõni kursakas. Nüansirikas nagu kõik inimesed tegelikult on, ent elu veereb nii kiiresti, et ma ei süvnene ja pinnapealselt ta ei paelu mind.

Not hugeee on his voice but amazing musically like i was entertained but didn’t add anything to my playlists bc it’s just not my thing

I've listened to a bit of Sufjan Stevens and found it enjoyable. Immediately notice an album that is 1 hour and 14 minutes long and I wonder if it's going to pay off. While I wouldn't say it benefited from the length, I don't think it overly suffered for it either. Even with Sufjan's multi-instrumental talent a lot of the tracks do come across as samey. That said it is the kind of same that I enjoy so for me that's less of an issue. Casimir Pulaski Day remains my favorite track on the album, but I'd give this more rotations.

A gently meandering concept album about… god and Illinois ? It’s not unpleasant but it’s quite long

Not sure what all the buzz about this album was all about. Didn’t do much for me.

Despite the album branding the album is quite relaxed in its sound

lowk didnt listen to all of it but it was chill just too quiet for me

Pleasant album but in not sure I’ll go back to it

A three-star album with some five-star tracks (Chicago, Jacksonville). Long, drawn out, boring at times but very creative. Also nostalgic for this millennial here

not my vibe but it is a good album as a whole

Yllättävän bängeri taustamusa

John Wayne Gacy, Jr.

early 2000s' softboi bullshit / 5

musical heavy

I used to like this album quite a lot, but listening to it again it feels a little meandering and low energy. The lyrics are still the highlight for me, but the whispery vocals don’t convey much emotion.

Rarely has an album grown on me to quite the extent that this one did, where it started as a 2, and ended up almost being a 4 by the end of the day. This album was a whole ass great vibe. The singer has a very simple but effective singing voice that for sure I had to get used to, but by the end of the day I was singing along to a good bit of the album. Having 22 songs and being an hour and 13 minutes is pretty rough though. I’m only going to remember like 3 of these songs, and some of them are pretty hard to get through in general. That being said, having this play on loop when I was working got me into a flow state so effectively that I almost want to give this a 4 and make it part of my official working music. I won’t do that, because there’s a lot about it that’s not great, but what is great is really really good and stands out. It was actually a surprisingly difficult toss up between 2 songs for my favorite on this album. I added 3 of them to my usual rotation, which I wasn’t expecting to do at all during my first listen, but that’s exactly why I always listen to the complete albums several times in general, it frequently helps me appreciate them more. Works about 90% of the time as well. Honorable mention goes to “Chicago”, which I unbelievably recognized from an old abridged series on YouTube called None Piece. I was seriously not expecting to have heard of any of these songs before, but that one specifically has been used in a few shows and movies I’ve seen as well as the YouTube vid, and most importantly it’s just really peaceful and good. Second place song goes to "They Are Night Zombies!! They Are Neighbors!! They Have Come Back from the Dead!! Ahhhh!". It does an effective job in being a bit creepy and ambient, but also has a sick beat, and the singing is extra on point. It’s just a phenomenal song with cool violin riffs and background vocals interspersed throughout. Was tough not putting it at number 1, because even when I was working, I always got excited when it would play again. First place, and it was really really close, goes to “Jacksonville”. I hardly ever give a song the gold metal for being beautiful, but this one actually got me. The trumpet chorus is catchy as hell, the singing is pretty, and the entire song in general is a fun time. It’s been stuck in my head all day. What’s funny about my favorites selection this time is that 2/3 of them are some of the shortest song names on the album. It’s such an oddball choice having song names this long. I don’t know if he’s just trying to be quirky and interesting, artsy, or what, but it’s rather annoying. This album surprised me a lot. I would return to this one, and I actually just might. Never heard of Sufjan Stevens before, but this is a good first impression. Album 300 tomorrow. I’m moving through them, but still have such a long way to go. Still though, 300 reviews is pretty good. Many more to come.

very sufjan stevens. cool flute. album cover is sick asf. i love the goat on the cover.

No sabía que lo conocía pero sí, algunas canciones ya las había escuchado antes

A better idea than a realized album. The songs are awfully . . . twee, and the instrumentals are uninteresting. Far too long: a good editor might’ve shaved 20 minutes off. But there are enough pleasant moments to keep the listener going.

Im not sure if this is racist or not. I was a fond Cat Stevens enjoyer, and when he chose to go by Yusuf I greeted the news with indifference. Then awhile later when I started seeing albums by Sufjan Stevens I immediately thought it was the exact same guy because the names were equally meaningless to me. Oh weird, Cat Stevens is making albums about American cities? Oh weird, Cat Stevens’ dad was named Lowell? Oh weird, Carrie Lowell was an actor in Licence to Kill? I was disabused of that false belief 5 days ago with my official introduction to this fine, but non-life-changing, album. Still, in my defense, Sufjan Stevens isn’t completely NOT Cat Stevens.

Very light, soft alt-rock focused on Illinois

Tengo emociones encontradas. Por un lado, me parece conceptualmente muy rico el album aqui presentado, es indudable la calidad que nos trae a la mesa, con canciones interesantes por momentos, arranca con una especie de soft pop, y pasa por temas puramente ambientales, por momentos mas movidos con baterias mas machacadas, o por canciones que nos recuerdan a la navidad o fechas festivas del estilo. Tiene inteludios de 20 segundos, y canciones de 7 minutos, es toda una experiencia. Pero, aqui viene el pero, es aburrido. Tiene varios momentos en los que desearia saltear canciones que son interminables. De hecho con el track numero 15 me tuve que contener 3 veces de no saltearlo. Seria un 2.5 de 5 para mi, pero le voy a poner 3 por que me gustó que sea conceptual, me gusta el arte de la portada y sin duda alguna es musica de calidad.

Surprising pleasant.

3+

Songs were chill and pretty good but nothing I would crave for.

Feels like a musical at first Back half of the album, most tunes mesh into one

Nice background album . Halfway through I realised I hadn't heard it before but it just sounded like a mix of Simon and Garfunkel and Belle and Sebastian. Interesting to listen to , didn't skip any tracks but wouldn't necessarily choose to play it again . Top end of 3 but not quite enough for a 4 .

I didn't really like the beginning of this album and wasn't understanding the vibe but as I went down the track list I started to feel some type of way and quickly submerged myself in the concept. I really like the album art too. I'm unsure whether I'll give this another listen in full but there are songs on here that I will listen to again one day in my liked songs I'm sure

Pleasant if not entirely my thing. 3.4/5.

GENRE: indie, alternatif, un peu pop chansons coups de coeur: side notes: sonne un peu comme de la musique de film belle diversité d'instrumentation et expérimentation musical toutefois les pièces se ressemblent toute un peu Un peu long comme album (1h 14) à mon goût

It was alright, unfortunetly didnt have time to finish but i got about halfway through, not really my genre of music but i did enjoy one or two of the songs i heard. Idk if id go back to listen to it again.

интересный, нежный до неловкости. контрастный.

Made it half way through not bad just music made for musicians.

The first Sufjan Stevens song I ever heard was Casimir Pulaski Day and it is still one of the sadest, strangest songs I know. Over the years, I’ve spent a lot of time looking through the Sufjan catalogue because I think he writes engaging lyrics, although I can never rectify the musical side of his work. I appreciate him most when there is a simpler musical presence, which he does better on other albums (like Seven Swans) but, here, everything ends up sounding like an open mic night at Musical Theater Bible Camp. It’s too bad, because I really like his imagery but I can’t make it through most of his “unique” musical arrangements.

Jeg har lyttet til noget Sufjan Stevens men mest hits, og det er som om det altid er klynkerne/følerne, der bliver hits. Lidt rart, med et afbræk fra det med ham. Han har en farlig stemme man kan blive træt af i længden, den er næsten 'for blød', så den rammer en eller anden centralnerve. Men når der kommer lidt kor på osv. så spiller det. Der er meget 'novelty' i hans lyd, så kan godt forstå et album som dette fortjener et lyt. Det står ud fra mængden på den måde. Jeg kan meget godt lide det. Han er godt nok vild med strygerne og hornene, men heldigvis ikke på sådan en måde, hvor de overtager det hele. Han er god til kompositionerne, hvor de bakker ham op til sangenes klimax. Det gør det meget lytbart, meeeen også lidt kedeligt og forudsigeligt i længden. Chicago slapper, føler en pæn 3'er

Et for langt album, men der er dog gode ting imellem. Det er grænsende til det overdrevede indie. Highlights: * Jacksonville - lækker lyd * The Predatory Wasp ... - igen, lyder bedre end hvad lyrikken egentlig kan bære i min optik * They Are Night Zombies!! ... Det er den typiske situation: indie kan noget, især instrumentelt, men jeg synes teksterne tit bliver så weird Fint album 3.7

very nice and sweet melodic but also loud, lot of instruments, some are very emotional? film music

That "Chicago" song is pretty neat, and has a special place for me. Last year I did a 350mi bike ride across Illinois to Chicago, and after I finished my brother sent me a Chicago themed playlist for my train ride home, and that song was on it. Otherwise, meh.

The album it is consistent and listenable as a whole which I appreciate. No tracks stood out in particular but all have nice melodies and vibe.

I like his other songs and albums more

This album is like being stuck in a hedge maze at an eccentric billionaires house. The hedges are perfectly manicured, and rare exotic flowers are weaved through every wall. But you know, you’re still stuck in a hedge maze.

Started off a bit weak and wasnt looking forward to it. Zoned out for a bit doing work and was hoping along, realised I was now enjoying it. Some good tales of the city and nice mix up of tunes

That was interesting, I liked the state theme. My favorite track was "They Are Night Zombies!! They Are Neighbors!! They Have Come Back From the Dead!! Ahhhh!"

Good background music. Nothing too special, honestly. The most popular songs were better than the rest.

Some very high highs but mostly middle of the road tracks for me. That could be said about a lot of albums with a few hit songs and then generic songs you forget and this album falls in to that category. Very middle of the road as a whole. The stand outs for me were the brass parts from various songs. The jazz feeling was a nice touch.

its pretty cute, loved the concept and some songs, most of them were skips but yeah..

Weird that this one cropped up the day I am flying to Chicago, Illinois. It’s nicely crafted but a bit too musical theatre to me. It’s an academic type of concept album and I imagine the stories underlying the songs are interesting ones.

There are moments where this feels just like interminable Brooklyn hipster muzak and then there are moments of great beauty and authentic emotion. It's probably fun to hear him live with all his devoted fans singing along to the songs. I don't mind this, but I've heard it once before and I don't really need to ever hear it again. It's not pop music, but as "soft art-rock" it never really gets musically interesting enough for me to really get into it. But I don't mind it either. If it came on randomly someplace I wouldn't be mad.

After the first track, I thought this was going to feel every bit of its 74 min run time. His vocals at times are just far too soft, a bit wet. However, the music is interesting and varied, and to be fair the vocals are often fine as well, plus other and/or backing vocalists add something different. I can’t decide if this is great or bad, it’s probably somewhere between. I did manage to listen to all of this without thinking it too long, but I can imagine I would need to be in a particular mood to put this on. I’ll give it the benefit of the doubt and judge it again another day.

A beautiful album with pretty vocals and a lot of cool instrumentation. Unfortunately, at 20+ tracks and a 73 minute run time, it suffocates under its own ambitious goals. It's just too much for a person to take in one sitting. But hey, as a Michigander, I'm just glad he never made it to recording Ohio.

Delightful.

a familiar feeling y9 summer music lessons pissing around with my mates not rly my thing tho

I liked some of this! It got a little wanky in parts.

De production is nice and the record has a good atmosphere and theme. It's a little long and not to my tastes. I don't care for indie folky music, but this was surprisingly nice. Still not something I would ever put on again

Lo escuché mientras me hacia la skincare. Amo sufjan stevens

if i was crying it was for freedom -chicago

Quite a nice melodic album with great songwriting

love the quirky song titles!! unfortunately, as much as this feels like something i would listen to, i'm not really clicking with it as much as i hoped. still enjoyable fav song: The Man of Metropolis Steals Our Hearts

Nice little alt release with great quality production and nice vocal harmonies. Super creative song writing. I thought the album art didn’t really fit the vibe initially. 3.7/5.0

I only knew his newer stuff so it was cool to see him experimenting with different sounds and moods but still hear bits of that very characteristic melancholic nostalgia vibe that defines Sufjan Stevens. A lot of instrumentals that I liked as well but sometimes dragged, his lyrics are stunning, his voice oh so soothing. 3.8/5

Tempted to give it 4 stars, but only to annoy Dok

Talented but slow paced

The production alone makes this album stand out from so many things I've heard recently. Beautiful production, both simple and complex when it calls for it. Lyrics are interesting too. I haven't listened to much Sufjan Stevens before now, all I know is Tonya Harding (which I love) but I think I'm a fan now

Quite good and interesting

fabulous song titles, felt mostly like the same note throughout with the occasional v good song

Interesting

I felt like I couldn’t fully understand it and that’s probably on me, but either musically it is beautiful.

I’d probably give it a 2.8 if given the chance. His writing and music in general definitely progressed massively with time. The album definitely has it stronger songs I personally liked John Wayne gacy jr, Chicago and the man of metropolis - but it also has a lot of weak points. Pretty mellow sound which can be vaguely repetitive or uninteresting in certain points. Also a side note but I don’t think this album cover matches the sound enough and don’t like it bc of that lol

Interesting

im unsure about the use of that one colorful insturment that kids use

Quite a clever album, enjoyed the concept but overall not my thing and at times I found it pretty pretentious. Did enjoy some of it tho. Come On! Feel the Illinoise! Part I: The World's Columbian Exposition / Part II: Carl Sandburg Visits Me in a Dream was my fav song and first listen of the album

Lowkey expected more from this album so I’m sad, but I also think I just don’t like his voice much

This was the album, or at least the song Chicago, that I first heard of Sufjan Stevens. At that time the 50 state project was a thing. I had heard concept albums before but I think this was the first time I had heard the equivalent of local ballads and folk tales and I was all about that. There is a comedian in the UK called Mark Steel and he often does 'Mark Steel in town' gigs where his routine is all about local places and stories that people will tell him as he prepares for the gig. There is something special about connecting at such a local level that appeals to me and whilst this isn't going to be something to all tastes the effort and love that is poured into the making of you can certainly hear. Even if you just listen to Chicago again and again you will never get sick of it.

5/10 not for me, great storytelling though

Pehmeää ja melankolista indie/folk/poppia 2000-luvun alusta, eli ei ihan meikäläisen makuun täsmäävää musiikkia. Eihän tämä huono ollut, mutta ei tämäntyylisestä musasta oikein saa kunnon otetta. Liian "taidekoulumaista" minulle.

Day 226 The high points are very high and I’ll be checking out other albums but not sure I’d return to the album itself very often. Highlights Chicago Zombies..

I was not fucking with this one as much as I expected to, tbh, but I bet this shit went crazy when it came out and was the first of its kind.

Good album but listening to it back to back is a bit long. Not their best album

This one was a bit of a challenge. Like Father John Misty, this is not really my vibe. I had to play this one 3 times through before I was able to make any connection with these songs. This is not too say that they are not beautifully realized and the lyrics somewhat engaging, because they certainly are. It’s just that these songs are really background music until you force yourself to engage with them. The piano is tinkly, the other instruments- strings, flute, a freaking choir take the historical references and turn them into marching band productions with numerous non rock time signatures and arrangements. Jazz and classical music components are used to great effect for those who can appreciate these nuances. I do not. Which is the reason why for me, I had to force myself to engage with the music and that is the real issue. Music should resonate with the listener. Sure it may take time to find the vibe but it will resonate and the experience is enjoyable. Forcing it makes it work and it not therefore not enjoyable. Again, this is not a slight to Sufjan. This is his art and it connects with his audience. Does it belong on this list? For me - no. My life was not changed by hearing this record - one way or another. I will say that it has some soul. I can feel that. That is to say it’s not a Steely Fucking Dan record which is music for the soulless. Good on you Sufjan. 3/5

The length of these song titles is making it very difficult to discern what is actually playing. Aside from Chicago, which ofc I love.

It's okay, none of the songs are bad in the album, but neither are any outstanding (at least to me). all are well composed and written.

Love the variety of instruments & theme of the album. Glad to have been exposed to this album.

it was good but felt all over the place and a little dragged out

It's nothing special

Good but outstays its welcome. Would be much better with a tighter edit.

Ehh

A bit bland

This is a perfectly fine album, it's pleasant and inoffensive throughout, but it definitely overstays its welcome. There’s a good album in here, it just feels buried under too much material. Trim about 30 minutes off, and it would be a much stronger listen overall.

16 tracks in and I'm exhausted. There are some songs I like on here so far. Some of them I like quite a bit, but the album is just too long. You can't put out an album this long and have it be this boring. 3 stars

Lindo álbum, tiene momentos hermosos y oscuros. No entiendo por que dura una hora y siete minutos. Me parece demasiado. Termina cansando. 6/10

The beats are fun, the lyrics amusing. I got a bit tired of the style by the end

Whole Foods soundtrack.

I liked it, probably not an everyday listen for me.

Agradable. Un disco para poner de fondo mientras se está haciendo alguna otra actividad.

like if a musical was an album. not my vibe. much prefer carrie and lowell. super long too.

pieno di pezzi carini, simpatico

Non l’ho finito ma mi stava piacendo. Album che mischia vari generi, sicuramente un progetto interessante

1001 albums generator

Known to me. Some bangers.

I could see this growing on me with more listens. Some of the arrangements were enjoyable. Overall, on a first listen, it's okay.

I heard beforehand that this had received some very bad reviews, was so was on the fence going in. But I found it much better than expected. It's definitely too long, and there are some things that rubs me the wrong way. First and foremost, the naming of the songs is extremely pretentious and nauseating. Know this was a trend for a while, but it really is the worst. Speaking of himself in third person as in 'A Conjunction of Drones Simulating the Way in Which Sufjan Stevens..." is also barf. Listening to Sufjan singing gets a bit annoying after a while as well. He has a great voice, but it can feel a bit too meek and soft after a while. Something which is enhanced by the composition. It just gets a bit too sugary overall. That aside, I did find MANY good songs in here that really stuck on me. The first half of the album is the strongest, with Track 3 and 5 being really catchy. If the album could've just been condensed a bit and the other aforementioned problems toned down, this could be a real solid one. For now it'll get a strong 3 for me.

Grandiose is the definition that seems most fitting. I want to like this more than I do. Something I can't put my finger on keeps from outright loving it. Favorite track: The Man of Metropolis Steals Our Hearts

Произошло возвращение Джедая. Именно этот альбом отбил у меня охоту от челленджа, слишком медленным и невыразительным он мне показался. Но сейчас готова отдать должное его концепту и звучанию . Как будто прослушала большой Американский роман

top 3 - Jacksonville, They Are Night Zombies!! They Are Neighbours!! They Have Come Back from the Dead!! Ahhhh!, The Tallest Man, the Broadest Shoulders (Part I: The Great Frontier / Part II: Come to Me Only with Playthings Now.) It's fine, don't have much to say about it. Will try giving it another listen at some point.

Instrumental pero guay

Kinda of musical-esque, I wasn’t fully locked in as I was working out but there were some fun ones on here.

first song being what habits of my heart was sampled from is so cool! i don’t really like this kind of music, it sounds like the artist is just talking a lot of the time trying to be profound. sounds like band kid music lol. but i will say i really enjoyed the instrumentals of the album, heard some cool bass and twangy guitar & some sad melodies in there as well. idk if i’ll ever listen again but i enjoyed it way more than i thought i would!

6/10 - quite an original album, soft indie rock with some orchestreal elements

Great album but I don't think I would regularly listen to it. Definitely one of the most unique albums I've heard. Makes me think how it is a shame Farewell Transmission by Songs of Ohia isn't on the list. Couple years ago when I first had a gabb phone, I went through a Sufjan Stevens phase for the Planetarium Album, which includes Bryce Dessner and James McAlister. Some great acoustic sets, but I not a huge fan of Sufjan's voice insolated like it is in those. I like more or the upbeat choral and rocking songs. Favorite Discoveries: "Come On! Feel the Illinoise! (Part I: The World’s Columbian Exposition – Part II: Carl Sandburg Visits Me in a Dream)" "Man of Metropolis Steals Our Hearts"

Irgendwie würde ich denken, dass ich das mögen würde, aber ist irgendwie überorchestriert und dann doch zu flüchtig. e Eigentlich mag ich kurze Songs, aber ist mir ein wenig zu skizzenhaft manchmal. Höre ich mir aber zu Hause nochmal mit Konzentration auf die Texte an. Insgesamt aber schön.

Uh-oh. A 2000s indie rock album appears! Unlike most indie rock albums, this one is over an hour long and has some of the longest and dumbest song titles I've ever seen. What those long titles can't mask is that this sounds pretty much exactly like every 2000s indie rock album, with strings, detached vocals, and artsy lyrics. Surprisingly, however, it's actually a good album. It's not boring or annoying for the most part, which instantly puts it above most of the indie rock albums I've had so far. There is actual songwriting skill here, and the musical backgrounds are surprisingly interesting. However, it doesn't do enough to justify its length, and the interludes are just filler that could easily be removed. While it's nowhere close to the masterpiece many say it is, it's still miles ahead of, say, Elbow's The Seldom Seen Kid or even Arcade Fire's Neon Bible. If ever an album could both be good and overrated, this is it.

I know this is considered a masterpiece and I wish I liked it more. I have listened to it a few times over the years and my opinion has remained the same. The scope and ambition are impressive, especially as a lyrical rhapsody for the state of Illinois. It was the music that left me somewhat unaffected. It sounds too much like a “musical” - which it is, of course - and maybe I just don’t like musicals.

Muy lindo y pintoresco, me di cuenta al toque que era el mismo chabon que hizo musica para call me ny your name

Not to shabby not to good

chilling pero me aburri

No sabía que iba a escuchar y la verdad que me ha gustado, musicalmente es una maravilla, perfecta introducción a la música de Sufjan

chill but interesting 3/5

Pretty soothing music. But I feel like this sound has been the staple for mainstream Indian indie music and I'm kinda sick of it. But that's my opinion. Objectively it's a pretty okay album.

Why did I think this was a jazz album and not a soft boi indie album? It’s ok, not really my taste, but well made.

I honestly can't tell if I like it or not. Some of the instrumentals are really nice, but I did find it a bit hard to stay interested for the whole album. A lot of songs follow the same formula of just repeating one melody for 5 minutes and ending with a choir in the bg

Litt Disney-musikalmusikk, litt Owl City, litt Coldplay og litt Dixie Chicks. Syns det funker mest når det lener seg mot country/folk. Ellers så skjønner jeg ikke hvordan Sufjan Stevens har så mye mer cred enn Coldplay. Syns til og med Coldplay har holdt seg bedre enn dette. En singer/songwriter skulle skrive noen originals til en Disney-film på midten av 2000-tallet?

Very pleasant throughout, punctuated by moments of pure genius. I feel like a true Illinoisan (Illini? Illinoiser?). Multiple complex layers of sound from start to end. Just ran a little longer than I hoped, but I understand why. I might listen to this again. 3 stars

First Listen; 3.5; Very distinct vibe and emotion. Is very delicate yet lush and layered. Brings out a thoughtful and pensive feeling. More than most other albums I've listened too, this very much sets a mood. For the most part this really works. At the same time, I was really underwhelmed by the guitars. It was very basic sounding, and kinda contributed to the sense that this was just a lot of basic music layered on top of each other. Favorite Track: Chicago

Very experimental and creative. Liked most of it. But maybe it was a little long

Definitely experimental and sonically cool. A lot of the songs seemed to wander and not really get anywhere. If that doesn't bother you, this is a great album. I would, for sure, listen to this one again, just maybe in the background of doing something else.

6/10

Wasn't sure what to expect. More folk revival it seems. Lavish arrangements with folk instruments, strings, brass - must have cost a bomb to record. And what on earth is he singing about. Does he even know himself? Ulysses makes more sense. Yet here I am wanting to listen again. A 3 today, maybe a 4 in the future...

A really beautiful sounding album, with so much unique character and texture. Sufjan's voice and lyrics are gorgeous. Maybe not an enjoyable everyday listen but a brilliant album to dive into every so often.

I've been waiting for this. I had a girlfriend once who liked Sufjan. No, I have no idea how to pronounce that name either. This can go one of three ways; it'll be the hipster tripe I anticipate. It'll be great and I'll love it. Or it'll be the latest in the long line of critical darlings which is actually just bland and forgettable, if harmless. First thing - there's a lot of songs. Points for the ambition and I know the guy is prolific. But for one album it's a lot. It's not exactly The Wall, or my own 46 song concept album about potato picking (which is superior to Illinois), but it's worth calling out. Unlike those two albums, this one doesn't have much variance, so a sense of sameness creeps in long before the halfway point. Plus points for not having a crap voice and making the album size a pain. It does have a lot of throwaway garbage, which is to be expected from something of this size and style. A lot of it is twee and plenty of it deals with people and places that nobody outside of the US cares about. I mean, Abraham Lincoln? Who the hell is that!? Couple the twee nature of the bulk of the music with the overly saturated brass sounds and the slice of life lyrics and whatever emotion is supposed to be on display gets sapped for me. I know there are songs where I'm supposed to feel sad and others where I'm supposed to feel happy, but the do-di-do rhythms like a commercial for the latest broadband deal, and the 'jimmy was a boy, he had a bike, I thought that was, a lovely sight' lyrical approach is too child-like. Yet in other places it comes together successfully. Lots of ideas, lots of ambition, some good melodies, but on a single listen not much hits the mark. I think I would get more out of this with more sittings, but I'll grab a few songs, slap them on the playlist, and see if they become favourites or irritants.

I'm sorry Sufjan, you haven't earned my whimsy yet.

First time listening. I liked it. The only one I have heard beside this is Carrie and Lowell. Not the same but good.

(4/7) the music is fine. but after all his effort and research, did he really not come across the proper spelling of "Illinois"? and what's with these song titles that are so long they don't even fit in the space allotted on spotify? I wanted to listen to music, not read a book. next time, let's keep song titles to 140 characters and the album length to 45 minutes

I’m surprised at just how much I enjoyed this - on the face of the length, and the name of the songs, I wasn’t expecting to. But it was lovely.

It was an interesting concept, and I did enjoy parts of it. I can see why they made a musical out of it. Overall, it made me pretty bored, and was a little too long. I also can't really parse the lyrics as they come at me, so it's tough to connect many of the songs to the Illinois theme.

This is a tough one to review. Circa 2005, Sufjan was my jam. I blared Chicago in my car, saw him play when he visited my city on the Illinois tour, and learned how to play his songs. I have a very distinct memory of being stricken while listening to Casimir Pulaski Day while riding my bike one afternoon. What a terrible, beautiful song. From the start, I preferred his albums which came out before this, and then had trouble with all Sufjan’s output afterward, with the exception of Carrie & Lowell. The problem is mostly in regard to editing. Illinois is a long album with overly long songs. A companion album of outtakes called ‘The Avalanche’ was also released, and that album is also overlong. The first Christmas album box set is unlistenable. Recently, I revisited Sufjan’s discography. The blast of fresh air that he and his fellow Indie tidal wave of musicians brought to the world has aged and now sounds of a distant time. I sense from Illinois-era Sufjan, a lack of determined identity. He was somewhat closeted at the time, trying to justify his religious outlook with his sexuality by singing love songs to Jesus (see Seven Swans). It’s a bit cringy to look at in retrospect. This same indecision and Sunday School religiosity is stamped all over Illinois. When I blasted Chicago in my car earlier this year with a fellow past fan, we both admitted it had become stale. The song was always ponderous, seeking a triumphant end, but always only was a rambling journey. One feels the indecision in Sufjan’s life not allowing him to reach a point of definition in his songs. The research behind the construction of this album is admirable. I can see why he wouldn’t want to study that much again for another state. I imagine he set himself up with a lot of pressure and shackled himself away from creative freedom by saying he was going to do an album for all fifty. Kitsch and attention grabbing though it was, he lost me as a listener when he poopooed his fifty states mission. I would have listened to all of those albums. He would’ve had a significant fanbase no matter what he put on those albums, because if you’re say, an Iowan, who else is making an album called ‘Iowa’ all about your state’s history? After Illinois, Sufjan frankly betrayed his fanbase. These days, he’s more honest with himself and more honest in his music. He is and always has been very good. But Illinois strikes a sad note in my heart. It’s the quick end of what might’ve been, but also, in being the second state, an exercise in what never should have been. We might’ve been better off with just a Michigan album, seeing as that was Sufjan’s home state, and a project seriously close to his heart… Unless he does eventually keep going… I’d love to hear Sufjan’s Hawaii album.

Best Track - "Chicago"

Illinois is an ambitious and interesting album, packed with musical ideas and lots of instrumentation. It was more expansive and orchestral than I expected, especially since most of what I knew of Sufjan Stevens leaned toward quieter, folksy guitar songs. There’s real musical value here and moments that are genuinely fun to listen to, but the album is very long and can feel a bit unfocused. While it’s clearly well-crafted, nothing really stands out or feels especially inspiring on repeat listens. A good album overall, just not one that fully grabs me.

Inoffensive, maybe a smidge anodyne, but I like gentle folk-rock. I'll probably give this another go.

im glad ive come across this. most of the stuff feels bland and ordinary but at the same time super dreamy. its like what you hear in your dreams when you go near a stream and there are nymphs that are laughing in the background for some reason ya know?

ik vind de muziek zelf heel mooi, maar vind het mooier als hij niet zingt want ik hou niet zo van zijn stem also ik snap de yoghurt comment wel die is heel valid

Long and lilting. Some nice storytelling and a few catchy tunes, but very samey.

bons vocais e bons arranjos, sinto que é muito bem estruturado e quer passar uma mensagem, parece até a trilha sonora de um filme. Bom álbum! 6/10

definitely an album not for everyone, i personally enjoyed it more than i thought i would but it still didn't impress me. i like the concept for this work, as i was listening i thought at times (especially during "come on! feel the illinoise!...") that these songs would fit really well into a musical which turned out to be a correct assumption after reading the album's wikipedia page hahaha, coming back, i really appreciate the way in which sufjan stevens built this, especially the interludes which were nicely executed in terms of the idea for the whole album. i also believe i have to comeback to it at some point in the future to explore the lyrical layer in bigger detail but for now this album was simply okay and quite pleasant, some songs were less "interesting" than the others - just nothing eye-opening or mind-blowing but as i previously said, it is certainly a well constructed and executed concept album

Too long but some were good. Wanted to listen to sufjan stevens a while. Feel like I should've started elsewhere

honestly didn't know he had songs that didn't sound diabolically sad. was a fun morning listen

Not bad but a bit over hyped. Now I am not saying that I would change it if it came on a Playlist, but I wouldn't seek it out.

This was good. I’d like to listen again

some great ones. but sufjan is kinda weird

This was an interesting listen, as I had no clue what kind of genre it would be. I found myself really enjoying some songs but others I found a bit boring. I like it and would listen to it again, but I'm not in a rush to own it.

I enjoyed this, but not as much as I was expecting to. Another 3.5 star!

This album wasn’t for me.

Okay I went into this one kinda dreading it and I low key really enjoyed this! It was a lot of fun! It was original and interesting throughout! It felt like a movie soundtrack. This was cool Liked Songs: I am not writing out these long af titles, but this was good and there was good stuff here lol

Not bad. Some tracks were more enjoyable than others. 3.5/5

der erste track war richtig gut und hat mir Hoffnung gemacht, dass das ganze Album so ist. Leider gab es nur ein paar Lieder die sich ähnlich angehört haben. Die meisten Lieder hatten so einen Zirkus vibe zu sich. Fand ich jetzt ned so gut.

So that’s where all that annoying 2010s indie came from. Poor imitations of this, for sure. Thoughtful instrumentation and storytelling, even if it’s not really my thing.

Long album, was unsure about this one but grew on me towards the end.

i think with what it's trying to do, it does very well. unfortunately i just didn't vibe with it that much. made me feel weirdly sad and it didn't help with how long it is. also kinda reminded me of the whole millenial optimism trend, i'm sure they were eating this up

хз,тема так то прікольна,но мені не зашла,7/10

Always thought of this album as sort of like being a Belle and Sebastian wannabe? But on this listen, I'm realizing that the arrangements here are much more complex than anything Belle and Sebastian ever did, even though at the same time most of the songs are weaker. That being said, if you tried to tell me that something like "Come On Feel the Illinoise", "Chicago", or "Casimir Pulaski Day" surpasses Belle and Sebastian, I wouldn't exactly agree but I couldn't really rush to tell you that you're obviously wrong, you know?

Mer fan av de nyeste bangerne hans. Dette blir litt for mye musikal for min smak. Eller filmmusikk for en sånn rar europeisk film

Toggling between intrigued and annoyed with this one. Zappa-esque in places. I kinda like it in small doses.

This was a long album! There were a few songs that I especially liked, but most were just average; nice to listen to but nothing that I’d listen to again.

I like Sufjan, he has a couple of albums I think are excellent, and some others that are solid and a few I don't care for at all. This one is considered his best, but not even close for me. Some incredible songs (Casimir Pulaski Day is excellent) and some pretty good ones and a whole lot of filler and excessively fussy orchestration. Those excellent SS records I mentioned? Seven Swans and Carrie and Lowell, both very stripped down, which really showcases his songwriting and avoids his tendency towards MORE. This is the height of Sufjan excess and sometimes it works but most of the time it's just a hat on a hat

these song titles are sooo longgg holy he’s got a beautiful voice wow chicago is sooo good the transitions in this album are smooooth tho very music heavy; not much lyricism this album was just okay! it wasn’t really my vibe, because i like more upbeat things that keep building throughout the song. there were a few songs i liked; only two i put on my playlists. i think my main grievance with this album was what i said earlier: it was too musical, with an extreme lack of lyricism. as someone who bases what she likes off the complexity of the lyricism, this was a let down for me. also— the intros were TOO long. when a song wasn’t just purely instrumental, it still took wayyyy too long to get to the fist verse, so that knocked the album down a few notches. again, it’s not a BAD album, just not for me because it doesn’t align with what i already like. but, i do think sufjan stevens has a beautiful voice & that this album has a great uniqueness in its sound. overall, i’d give this album a 4/10.

Enjoyable, inoffensive songs. The album about the state of Illinois I never know I needed.

Well this was a nice and harmless listen. Maybe a little too clever for its own good in the arrangements but very well recorded nonetheless. There’s a mellow, progressive folk thing going on here which doesn’t change too much for the course of its 74 minute run time which makes it seem a bit bland by the end but every song does have some interesting things happening in them. This does fit very much in its time as I’ve heard many bands from this era try this kind of music. They are all very interesting but there’s an overly intellectual vibe that makes me turn towards something a bit more emotionally intense. Some may say its a bit pretentious but I do understand the intellectual approach to this kind of songwriting so I’m not offended. I probably won’t ever listen to this again but if I heard it playing somewhere I would probably enjoy it.

This was a weird, fun album. To me or felt like a cross between the soundtrack to a very obscure independent film and a love letter to IL. Overall, I liked the album. It was a good mix of genres.

Run'o'the mill singer song writer. Some interesting melodies. En trea

Interesting titles and lyrics :3 Fave song: chicago

This sounds a little like a film score in places. Also what the heck is with the song about a serial killer? Overall, yes it's musically quite nice, but I'm not sure about the lyrics. Gonna give the album a 3 overall (2 for lyrics, 4 for music as I do like the orchestral bits. It's a lot more exciting than some of the guitar-heavy indieboi music one hears).

Casimir Pulaski Day made me ugly cry while doing the dishes…

This album was not my vibe. I found it very boring

Never listened to Sufjan Stevens before with any intent and he's an interestig musician. Album was long but pretty cohesive. Elements of indie, folk, pop, gospel, and even broadway? "Chicago" was the highlight, understandable given the album's name, but I also enjoyed "Decatur", "Casimir Pulaski Day", and "The Predatory Wasp of the Palisades is Out to Get Us"

I'd give it 3.5 stars if I could.

I enjoy most songs here and don’t have a lot of negatives other than I’d be hard pressed to identify the uniqueness of each track as they kind of blend into a melange that is inoffensive.

Weird

Folky but so so unique. I loved Carrie and Lowell but this was quite different.

Eclectic mix of experimental pop with orchestral/country/jazz flourishes. Soft vocals are a bit grating though, like it was recorded in a bedroom trying not to wake up the rest of the house. Seems a bit self-indulgent/opaque. Not sure what it's about or what the point is. Best track - Jacksonville, Decatur 3 stars

ok

Quite liked this.

Quirky and listenable, although perhaps a relief that he didn't complete an album for all 50 States.

Pai da Phoebe Bridgers. Album bom mas talvez eu tenha ouvido na hora errada. Deve ser ótimo ouvir com tempo e com calma, pra relaxar.

Pleasant and mellow music to play when working from home. Sufjan has a nice voice and the album theme is fun.

Listenable. Not really my thing but pleasant listening.

Very nice. Nothing really stood out. An easy and enjoyable listen. Might check out some more of his stuff after this.

Sad Boy Sings Sad Songs Somewhere

This was an unexpected experience. I loved this when it came out, and now I can't really remember why. It has not aged well. It is still pleasant to have on. It has a lot of nice instrumentation. Whatever emotions it spoke to at the time aren't connecting anymore. It also doesn't hit me with the nostalgia high that some music from the era does. Maybe I'm just dead inside, but this is the most 3/5 stars I've heard so far.

I didn't know this artist. Good background music while working. A good album overall.

não imaginei que ia gostar, mas tem músicas muito legais. as mais lentas são bem chatinhas, o que dá uma puxada pra baixo na nota, mas no geral foi interessante de conhecer. singer songwriter segue sendo loteria......

Super interesting. I’m not a huge fan this kind of orchestration for pop/rock music, but in this case it was done extremely well. I still think I would probably prefer a re-recorded version of these songs in a more typical rock band format, but the songs and the vocals are outstanding.

This one's a weird one for me. On the one hand, I can really appreciate both the lyrical and musical intricacies of the album. Sufjan Stevens is a great storyteller, and an equally good musician. On the other hand, I just... wasn't captured by the album? Though I wouldn't turn it off, I also didn't find myself remembering a lot of what was going on. This might be a case of 'wrong place wrong time', or maybe the album just isn't for me. My favourite song on the project was 'Calimir Pulaski days'

technisch gezien een geweldig album, maar sufjan is gewoon niet mijn ding, helaas. genoot wel erg van z'n hele bandje met alle toeters en bellen + die man kan goed titels verzinnen. helaas, in een ander leven had ik het geweldig gevonden

3/5 because it's not something I would normally go for. It was just too mellow for me. This was an entertaining album and was well crafted. The songs all paint a wonderful picture. This was my first dive into Sufjan Stevens and while it's not my cup of tea, it was quite enjoyable.

Not too appealing to me, a little bit bland and repetitive. There are some redeemable moments; "Chicago" is good. I don't think I'm a big indie fan.

Ah this was adapted to a musical. That makes sense. This is ambitious but long and pretentious and there are nice pieces but this could've used an editor (especially on the track titles). Top tracks: "Chicago," "The Man of Metropolis Steals Our Hearts," "The Black Hawk War, or, How to Demolish an Entire Civilization and Still Feel Good About Yourself in the Morning, or, We Apologize for the Inconvenience but You're Going to Have to Leave Now, or, 'I Have Fought the Big Knives and Will Continue to Fight Them Until They Are Off Our Lands!'"

Instrumental heavy, very soothing. Vibe changes a lot. Started off with overlooking city lights from top of a hill feeling. But changed to super orchestral, dark room with vibrant yellow lights feeling. Some Euphoria church vibes too. Banjo use also slows down the album midway. A lot going on musically in every song tho. Made me go to the John Wayne Gacy Jr. wikipedia only to learn that prior to the murders, he had already been convicted for a terrible crime but only served 18 months of his 10 year imprisonment. Did not like that. Personally, it changes tones a bit too much for me to really look at this as something I would want to listen to completely in 1 sitting as an album. 3.5/5

Good soundtrack for listening to the bus. Not my typical music genre since it doesn’t have a lot of singing parts, but it was pleasant.

not my favorite from sufjan but still a hell of an album. well made, beautiful arrangements for the strings and piano

I like him but this is an average album.

felt like a musical soundtrack, like the song titles and the instrumental songs in between, flows very easily when you listen from top to bottom, everything felt a little too similar, nothing stood out to me

funky! reminds me of something I would have listened to when I was young. kinda deathcab for cutie-esque, but not what I prefer to listen to.

Pretty nice folky stuff but it goes on for way too long. Cool production choices though and some good songwriting moments

Brought back memories

Chicago is a great song. It reminds me of early 2000s summer. The rest of the album doesn’t grab me nearly as much but I should give it a few more listens before I make up my mind.

A concept album with a nice storytelling, great instrumentals, moving like a painting. I am not fond of this kind of albums nor Sufjan Stevens, so i can’t tell if it’s great or not. It’s nice produced but too long imo. Fav track they are night zombies !!…

I didn’t realise this guy had been around that long. Track 3 - I can definitely hear S Club 7 Reach in there At other times, there’s a bit of Polyphonic Spree in there too. Enjoyed it more than I’d thought. 3.5 rounded down.

It is nice to listen to, I love the jazzy instrumental and some of the songs are great, but as an album is slightly monotone and the songs are SO long, it made me want to not finish them. The album is a bit too long aswell. Still, I will listen more of Sufjan Steven because I liked his vibe. Ultimately the rating is 3 stars because it is wayyy too long without much change.

Concerning the UFO sighting near highland, Illinois 15/20 The Black Hawk War / instrumental/20 Come On! Feel the Illinoise! (Part I: The World's Columbian Exposition – Part II: Carl Sandburg Visits Me in a Dream) 8/20 John Wayne Gacy Jr.14/20 Jacksonville 10/20 A Short Reprise for Mary Todd, Who Went Insane, but for Very Good Reasons /instrumental/20 Decatur, or, Round of Applause for Your Stepmother! 9/20 One Last "Whoo-Hoo!" for the Pullman transition/20 Chicago 10/20 Casimir Pulaski Day 12/20 To the Workers of the Rock River Valley Region, I Have an Idea Concerning Your Predicament /instrumental/20 The Man of Metropolis Steals Our Hearts 11/20 Prairie Fire That Wanders About 8/20 A Conjunction of Drones Simulating the Way in Which Sufjan Stevens Has an Existential Crisis in the Great Godfrey Maze instrumental/20 The Predatory Wasp of the Palisades Is Out to Get Us! 12/20 They Are Night Zombies!! They Are Neighbors!! They Have Come Back from the Dead!! Ahhhh! 9/20 Let's Hear That String Part Again, Because I Don't Think They Heard It All the Way Out in Bushnell instrumental/20 In This Temple as in the Hearts of Man for Whom He Saved the Earth instrumental/20 The Seer's Tower 18/20 The Tallest Man, the Broadest Shoulders (Part I: The Great Frontier — Part II: Come to Me Only with Playthings Now) 9/20 Riffs and Variations on a Single Note instrumental/20 Out of Egypt, into the Great Laugh of Mankind, and I Shake the Dirt from My Sandals as I Run instrumental/20 Album 11,15/20 Amazing voice Great lyrics Some tracks sound very similar though

3ish is fine.

Beautiful voice and music but some of the lyrics are a little silly. Would like to hear other stuff from him.

I gave this a try, a bit too twee for my liking although I like the indie folk foundation. It’s meant to be quite influential

An insane undertaking. What possesses someone to dedicate this amount of effort and creativity in this way? Incredible music but the lyrics are just wild.

2.7 2x catchup 12/17, a little too indie sounding, but overall it's pretty good

Vibes: 2/5 Instruments: 2/5 Production: 2/5 Emotional Value: 3/5 Storytelling: 5/5 Album Cover: +0.5 Stand Outs: Jacksonville, Casimir Pulaski Day Overall Rating: 2.9

The composition isn’t bad, and I like the chamber pop orchestral vibes. But, the female backup singer arrangements are locked in time in the early 2000s and his breathy whiny affect irks me.

Super strange, but not bad

*2005. *Very pleasant, lots of piano and soft vocals. There are some interesting songs here and a lot of variety. *This album is way too long. I lost interest after a few songs and did quite a bit of fastforwarding. May be worth a revisit, but I doubt I'll do that. RATING - 6/10

This will be one I have to come back to, because my thoughts aren't fully formulated yet. The backing music was better than I was expecting for an indie folk album. Sufjan's voice is cloying on some tracks and fits in well on others. I appreciated the generally upbeat and melodic sound of most of the tracks. It's a long album, and as with most long albums, there's a bit of hit and miss. Giving it three stars now, but I'll return to it for a more in-depth listen.

It's OK, honestly. I think a bit dated now, but might come back around in the future. Some nice songs on here.

I have tried to get into Sufjan Stevens. There are individual songs that I do enjoy, even a few on this album. His music has always been more ambitious than quality in my mind. Chicago is a good song. It's all very twee and I can't say I hate the music here, because it's obvious a lot of thought has been put into every single note that is played. I don't think it's for me. I know Stevens said it was a joke that he wasn't going to write an album about every state, but it is a little odd he did two states and then just quit. Did he feel compelled to write albums about Michigan and Illinois and then thought the joke was over? Not bad and worth a listen. It's a little too cutesy for me to listen to for almost 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Nice easy listening.

Good

durchaus interessant, zu ruhig für die aktuelle Laune

What did I just listen to?

Kul! Inte hört hela innan, bara några hits. Imponerande krångligt men ändå lent, men har lite svårt för hans röst. Förstår att det finns massor av snygga textgrejer här som jag inte orkar sätta mig in i.

Ok so I absolutely hate the breathy style of singing - reminiscent of those CDs of children singing popular or religious songs. Setting that aside, the lyrics and moreso the music were interesting engaging and entertaining even if a bit repetitive. The album should have shed about 30 minutes. In the end it comes off as meh. 3/5

Musically this is great. Lyrically what the?

Very good album, 3.5

Not bad. Easy to have on while working.

A few cool tracks

I found this enigmatic and frustrating; the music is engaging and interesting and he clearly has a poetic eye for a lyric. However the narrative and theme of the album and songs was weak and a bit juvenile. You can be too enamoured of your own wit. It’s also overlong. I was left feeling like this guy had betrayed his talent by creating a novelty piece when he’d actually be capable of something quite profound.

mycket mycket bra indie….. mums! men det berör.. inte? synd! kanske om jag lyssnade mer noggrant men har en stackars småbarnsmamma tid till det? ack nej…

Håller med föregående talare. Är bra, men skulle högst troligen vara möcke bra om man fick köpa CD-skivan, lyssna och läsa innerkonvolutet i två månader

Some songs were nice and some songs were a bit annoying. Overall, positively surprised, but there were some which I just couldn't handle.

Not sure what to make of this. I like the sounds, but can’t get into it. It keeps fading into background noise and my mind drifts. Pleasant sounding, but not engaging. 3/5

Diversifié

Strangely entertaining

Sudan’s steamiest