Illinois

Lush, gorgeous, if a bit long winded. 8.5

Really enjoyed it. There was even I song I knew.

Epic in every sense of the word - the premise, the song titles, the playing of a huge array of instruments, the history, the listening experience. Fancy a song about UFO's? You've got it. Want a song about a narrator finding they have things in common with a serial killer? Knock yourself out. Terrified of wasps as well? There's a tune for you. Best Tracks: John Wayne Gacy, Jr.; Chicago; Casimir Pulaski Day

"Illinois" is the second of fifty albums Sufjan Stevens supposedly planned to release based around states of America. Just like the conceit, it's ornate, grand and more than a little tongue-in-cheek. The pretension might not be to everyone's taste (especially those who like their song titles lean and their instrumental segue-tracks non existent) but the high points make "Illinois" well worth the journey. Over the course of 73 minutes, Stevens masterfully combines homespun indie chamber-pop with Broadway showtunes, country-folk narratives and proggy instrumentals. It's impossible not to at least admire the ambition behind "Illinois". Songs at the centerpiece, "Come On! Feel the Illinoise!" and "The Tallest Man, the Broadest Shoulders" unfold like dazzlingly intricate musical numbers. The orchestration includes everything but the kitchen sink, the verses ripple and shift over odd time signatures and new sections, yet the vocals never rise above easy and breezy. It shouldn't work, but for me it really does. As well as these fusions of Broadway, prog, jazz and indie, some of my favourites here include all-out rock hits ("The Man of Metropolis Steals Our Hearts"), indie crowd-pleasers ("Chicago", "Jacksonville"), and poignant, fragile ballads ("The Predatory Wasp of the Palisades...", "The Seers Tower"). Through all of them, Stevens displays striking versatility, sensitivity and great musicianship. One of "Illinois"'s best assets is the way it balances musical whimsy with pure emotion. It would be easy for it to collapse into self-parody and become too academic or ironic to connect, but then comes an utterly heartbreaking track like "Casimir Pulaski Day." It details a loved one dying of cancer in such breath-taking detail and unadorned lyrics: "Tuesday night at the bible study, we lift our hands and pray over your body, but nothing ever happens"... Understated, simple and moving slowly towards a gut-punch of an ending. Inevitably, not every song hits. There are at least five completely superfluous instrumental tracks, maybe intended as palette cleansers but coming over so nebulous as to not leave any impression after many listens. The best material is in the front half in terms of songs, and then the last thirty minutes or so suffers from a lot of padding (either extended codas, instrumentals, or songs that simply retread the same ground). Despite this, I'd still recommend "Illinois" to anyone looking for a compelling, elaborate and quirky album to represent 2000's indie. Of the work I've heard by Sufjan Stevens, it stands head and shoulders above the rest in scope and accomplishment.

❤️

First time of listening. some interesting lyrical stuff here from Mr Stevens. Really lovely stuuf, how he can make a song so beautiful as "John Wayne Gacey Jr" about such an abhorent subject is beyond me. This and "Jacksonville" are my favourites. A great album rightfully here but in the lower end of my must hear.

This was way more enjoyable than I expected.

Strange record… sounds a bit weedy on first listen, but huge potential!

Day 7: A full week of daily albums, I've never heard of Sufjan Stevens, never heard of this album and also have never left Australia so this was a unique listen, Looking through some of the other reviews this albums seems to be very polarizing. I enjoyed the album almost from start to finish, and if I didn't get bored or complain after listening to a new sound for over an hour it must have done something correct. Rating: 3.5/5

A cool listen but quite long. 8/10

Folk indie. Curioso. Un 4.

Bekende naam, maar nooit de moeite genomen om eens goed te luisteren. Valt niets tegen!

Dit was behoorlijk ok! Een prima soundtrack bij een tocht door het ruwe berglandschap van Kreta.

Deed me een beetje aan Andrew Bird denken. Mooi!

Cool album, very chill music. Great to relax and concentrate to, kind of fades into the background in a good way

Spinning it on vinyl (thanks, @gio-mio!). Fun album, goofy and funky. Would be 5/5 if I could include the quality of the album itself, with the sleeves and the artwork and all, but I can’t. Thems the rules.

A name I've heard, but know nothing about. Assumed this would be a jazz album based on the cover. This was an interesting one, he's very clearly a talented songwriter, the arrangements had a lot going on and it was nice to listen to. It's mellow, his voice is very pleasant, but if you're really paying attention there's a lot to pick up on. The song titles are killing me, also clearly has a sense of humor. Overall enjoyed this, really unique.

Probably the only Stevens album I come back to regularly. Something about bittersweet tunes about serial murderers.

Oh how I wish to live in the alternate universe where he did all 50 state concept albums...

One of my favorites by him.

Jai bien aime, tred smoith 4

Good good

Sufjan Stevens, known for his tender-yet-playful voice and eclectic songwriting, was once slated to put out an album for every U.S. state. He stopped after two. This is the second of the two! This is also widely held as his best album, and for good reason! His songwriting combined with his arrangements are unlike any other musical artist I know. His use of strings and brass help give the song more emphasis on the bigger moments. Even when it's stripped down to just Stevens' voice and guitar or banjo, he endears me to no end. The highlight for me has to be Chicago, which avid Netflix viewers may recognize from The Candidate. Dammit, my computer crash in the middle me writing this and now I've lost my train of thought. The point is that Sufjan Stevens is a national treasure and he should

A stunning, beautiful, maximalist blast. 4.0

Lush

You can see why he abandoned the states' album project after this one. He'd reached a dead end. It had gotten as baroque as it could get. I still prefer the earlier albums, but that's just because that I heard them earlier.

Familiar yet mysterious, mellow yet engaging. This is a neat album with a lot of great songs. I had heard "Chicago" many times and never knew where it came from. Way to go, pal.

interesting mix, was a fan.

Really long but good. Reminds me of something you would find on the Garden State soundtrack.

I am gladly surprised by this album. I had Chicago on my radar before, but now can go back and listen to at least 3 or 4 more songs from this album. Charming and nostalgic. Loved the voices, strings, and horns. It is a shame It’s so long!

Best Song: John Wayne Gacy, Jr. Dark, haunting subject matter told with a gentle presentation. Worst Song: Jacksonville. Feels like a relatively ordinary and safe song you might hear in a clothing commercial. Overall: Great to listen to. Really enjoyed the choir sections, particularly the female vocalist. Lyricallly interesting throughout.

Charming, idiosyncratic, unique; there’s nobody quite like Sufjan Stevens - and whilst his music might border on the whimsical at times, there’s no denying the craftsmanship, delicacy and emotional impact of tracks like Chicago and Casimir Pulaski Day. Fascinating and rewarding listen (close to five stars).

An interesting idea, and some beautiful songs! A bit too long, though.

eu já gostei mais do sufjan, no passado eu daria a nota máxima, mas se caso eu tivesse a mesma vontade de ouvi-lo como eu tinha antes, com certeza esse seria o álbum da minha escolha. é até absurdo ouvir um álbum desse século se preocupar tanto com suas composições, tão complexas e ainda assim tão acessíveis. o maior êxito de sufjan é conseguir montar um álbum extremamente grandioso, mas se mostrar mais efetivo com voz e violão, como nas músicas john wayne gacy jr. e casimir pulaski day. todo o trabalho lírico do álbum também é de se destacar, no fim das contas, temos um álbum tão colorido e detalhista como sua capa, uma das grandes obras primas da música contemporânea.

Cool album. Nice voice. Cool instrumentation.

Sufjan Srevens has many gifts. His voice is beautiful even otherworldly. He has a gift for writing simple, beautiful melodies and his talent for complex and beautiful arrangements is undeniable. He certainly has a talent for stupid song titles. There is a lot to like about this album; it's certainly ambitious and is filled with some excellent songs of varying styles; John Wayne Gacy, Jr., Chicago, Casimir Pulaski Day, The Man of Metropolis Steals our Hearts, They Are Night Zombies..., The Tallest Man, The Broadest Shoulders . Does it's reach exceed its grasp? Perhaps. Could it be 10 or 15 minutes shorter? Absolutely! Is it a satisfying, rewarding listening experience? Yes it is. 3.75 🌟 that I think will go higher with more listens, something which I look forward to. I think I'll buy the vinyl.

Great album, quite etherial. Really enjoyable listen.

He has better albomd

This is a good album. It’s long yet it’s unique and is a pretty easy listen. Some of the songs are a bit deeper than most other albums but sufjans style is flawless in making things seem light. The variety of instruments and beats makes this a great listen. 7.8/10

a variety of sonic textures- like a road trip through a certain state... but which state? which state could he be thinking of?

Incredible concept album...this is my second listen and I completely appreciate more this time around

Fun and beautiful.

I'd never heard Sufjan Stevens before, but he's going to score my quirky indie film one day.

I knew a couple of these, but the rest were fun! Top marks for track names 🏆 Fav new track: The Predatory Wasp of the Palisades Is Out To Get Us

Really appreciate the stories within.

Twee but loveable.

This is an oldie-this is a goodie-meant for a chill evening. Slightly sad but epic. Your the main character

I know what I said about the last two indie rock albums and I know this one is a similar genre, but Illinois struck a chord early. Maybe it was Stevens' more diverse use of instruments or his more varied sound and tempos across the album, but I really liked it. It won't take me 5 or more listens to really appreciate it. Some highlights for me were Come On Feel the Illinoise (Part II), Jacksonville, Chicago, The Man of Metropolis... (my favorite song on the album), The Predatory Wasp..., and The Tallest Man...(Part I). I think it could've been packaged a bit tighter (some unnecessary reprises, long run-time) but as a concept album, it's pretty cool.

Lovely. Sam introduced me to Sufjan Stevens a couple of years ago and it is just my sort of music. Indie-folk.

I've tried to get into this album for years and it only just clicked today. One of those that must be listened to as a complete product - no single song defines this LP, nor sets the tone. It's the collective themes (coupled with great melodies and lush production) that make this album whole.

So, this guy wrote, recorded (almost all the instruments), and produced an entire "soundtrack" based the history of people of an entire state? It doesn't get any more indie-folk than that people! It took me a little bit to get into this album - but I eventually did. It does play very much like a movie or Broadway score, though (which I think is the intent), but that makes it feel like it's missing something at times. Still - I really dug a lot of the songs. Jacksonville, Decatur, and Chicago were probably my favorites. On pure listening enjoyment, I'd probably give this a 3, but the feat that Stevens undertook (and pulled off), definitely makes it worthy of this list. People should hear and appreciate this. So - 4.

Força soroll va causar en el moment que es va treure, per la novetat del seu so, per la seva ambició i pel cacarejat pla de dedicar un disc a cada estat dels EUA, que després del 'Michigan' anterior i aquest va acabar quedant en no res. És un disc admirable, dens, de digestió lenta, amb no més de dos o tres temes que puguin entrar de primeres... però és un d'aquells discos que trascendeixen moments i períodes i acaben quedant allà... per sempre

Rating: 8/10

Great album I was aware of, but never committed to listening to

A pleasant listen.

Upbeat and a bit weird. What a great combination.

Meget spændene album og et kæmpe projekt. Meget vellydende og selvom der er langt bliver det aldrig kedeligt eller dårligt. Kræver flere gennemlytninger, men harmonierne hans stemme kan altså noget. 4,5 stjerne

Good slo-fi listening.

Sad, dramatic, pretty

Initially wasn't in the mood but warmed up to it and eventually ended up really liking it. Maybe it's my soft spot for Chicago, or some of the great vocals with backing from Shara Worden. Would listen again.

When listening in the background, really good albums often force themselves into your attention. In other cases, it can take a while to realize how good an album is. I had this playing in the background, found it pleasant, but didn't pay much attention to it. During the final third of the album I finally realized this is really good, starting paying more attention and was enchanted by the dreamy, ethereal beauty. Now I'm halfway through the second spin. The arrangements seem deceptively simple. However, underneath is a wide range of variety with an astonishing depth of feeling, packed in a whimsical shell of not taking itself too seriously. I'll give it a 4 for now, but possibly it would be a 5 after more listens, which it will most likely get from me.

Strong 4 stars. One of my college favorites. Looking forward to going through the whole album again. So many great songs that make me nostalgic about my home state. The only think keeping it away from 5 stars are the little instrumental tracks.. too overdone

Eclectic but really upbeat

Was really nice and calming, had a cool album cover and nice names of songs. Think it went on a bit too long though, lost attention.

Sufjan Srevens has many gifts. His voice is beautiful even otherworldly. He has a gift for writing simple, beautiful melodies and his talent for complex and beautiful arrangements is undeniable. He certainly has a talent for stupid song titles. There is a lot to like about this album; it's certainly ambitious and is filled with some excellent songs of varying styles; John Wayne Gacy, Jr., Chicago, Casimir Pulaski Day, The Man of Metropolis Steals our Hearts, They Are Night Zombies..., The Talkest Man, The Broadest Shoulders . Does it's reach exceed its grasp? Perhaps. Could it be 10 or 15 minutes shorter? Absolutely! Is it a satisfying, rewarding listening experience? Yes it is. 3.75 🌟 that I think will go higher with more listens, something which I look forward to. I think I'll buy the vinyl

I can tell this album is a gem, I listened to the whole thing. But it doesn't make me happy, just more melancholic and pensive. Therefore, I tenuously have to give it 4 stars, while knowing it deserves 5 for being creatively powerful and clear in its expression.

Great album. Weird and sad.

Great Album, very enjoyable

I like the vibes. It’s very easy for it to fall in the background and not pay attention. But overall it’s a solid album

Slogs at the end

Beautiful lush arrangements, plays like a prog rock concept record; King Crimson meets The Flaming Lips. Needs more listens to read into the lyrical themes.

A unique sound. Always immediately recognisable. Melancholic and uplifting all at once. Do the song titles imbue the tracks with more poignancy? Yeup. More than deserved? Noup. Love it.

This is an album that really needs more than one listen. Doesn't initially feel as cerebral as other works, but the depth is there and it certainly grows

Klug und gut aber vielleicht ein bisschen verkopft

An attractive album with acoustic sounds and pleasure man vocal.

Lekker achtergrondgeluidjes

I liked it! Calming

So strong and immersive album, I loved the whispering tone which was present almost the entire album.

-Beautiful. Listen to a few select songs but never the whole thing. A very cinematic, broad and eclectic album.

Great songwriting. A little overly indulgent with length of songs and flowery instrumentals.

Kun näin levyn kannen, niin en uskaltanut alkaa kuuntelemaan vielä samana päivänä, vaan keräsin ensin rohkeutta sunnuntaihin saakka. Tuntematon esittäjä ja levyn kannessa lukea "Illinoise" saivat epäilemään, olisiko kyseessä noise-genren levy. Kun viimein sain kerättyä itseni ja laitettuani levyn soimaan, kivi vierähti sydämeltäni. Pakko kyllä tunnustaa, että vasta toisen biisin aikana pystyin rentoutumaan. :D Musiikki oli miellyttävää, vähän tuli mieleen Yann Tiersen ja joissain kohdin Belle & Sebastian. Tämän voisi laittaa joskus uudestaankin soimaan, ainakin taustalle.

I thought it was an interesting concept & good music. I feel like I would discover even more to like listening to it again more closely. A little long & some of the songs felt a little too down, but overall I enjoyed it.

The layers and textures of this album is so lovely. It's the type of album I could drive around with around with for weeks and have a different experience through every listen. Until I actually start to understand the lyrics and feel myself growing into it.

I remember reading at the time that this was meant to be the second album in a series of albums for every US State. Having gone back and checked...... that didn't happen. But I do like the grandiosity of the arrangements on this album. Reminds me of The Flaming Lips at their most orchestral

Never heard this before (only a couple of songs sounded familiar) but I really enjoyed it. Will listen again.

4/5

Finally some music I looked forward to hearing. Reminded me of Aerosha and good times. Very comforting.

Soc molt fan de Sufjan Stevens. I aquest àlbum és pur Sufjan 100%: excessiu, recarregat i amb moments inoblidables. Temes con "Concerning de UFO", "John Wayne Gacy Jr" o "Chicago" formen part dels meus temes preferits de tots els temps. El disc és irregular i molt dens, amb 22 cançons i una durada que supera els 75 minuts. Tot i així, és un dels seus millors i més inspirats àlbums. Segueixo preferint "Carrie & Lowell" i l'EP "All delighted people", però "Illinoise" és un molt bon àlbum.

I enjoy this album.

♥

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

This one was very hit or miss for me. I either really liked a track or didn’t care much for it. Didn’t dislike anything though. 3/5

joooo album, de nem az én stílusom, viszont a hangzása nagyon is tetszett!!! (3,5)

Might be a hard listen since I’ve never listened to a Sufjan Stevens album. It’s very impressionistic and romantic aesthetically. By that I mean this could be part of the Sims soundtrack. It was an awesome record though to listen to for a bike ride

Really enjoyed this, wish I hadn’t assumed this was music not for me because people I hated liked it at the time it was new.

It's fine. Overrated. His voice is really annoying and the songs are kind of nothingburgers.

I this this website needs disclaimers for albums that will make me really fuckin sad lmao

it was ok. apparently, he was going to do an album for all fifty states with songs about their history as well but only did two before he abandoned the project. nothing really stood out to me, good or bad.

This was way more interesting than I was expecting. Usually I find this type of music cliche, common, and trite. But honestly this had quite a bit of uniqueness to it, and it kept my attention. Nothing really stood out, but I was never bored and I never could assume exactly what was going to come next.

50 state project sufjan is the best sufjan

A darling of indie circles, I've never got in to any of his music. This is a well orchestrated and well produced album. Cross between Belle & Sebastian and Fanfarlo. Though generally I'm a fan of low-tempo, indie music, this album is pretty and whispy, without ever hitting any buttons. I've heard several of the tracks over the years, none ever sticking. Its well done and pleasant, but not captivating.

I don't know what I expected but it wasn't this. It is peppy, but weird, but hopeful, but also slightly melancholy. The arrangement is fresh and different. I love the piano in particular and horns in the album. The chorus is also very fun and gives the whole thing a light feeling of being stuck inside a musical. The sheer amount of different types of instruments, vocal arrangements, and tempo and structure is very fun. Starts of great with "Come On!" then slows down a bit, then returns to form with Chicago. The rest cycles through some good songs, and some okay songs. Overall, I like it and it is very unique, but it gets a little old. 3/5 Favorite Tracks: Come On! Feel the Illinoise!, Chicago, They Are Night Zombies, Least Favorite Tracks: Decatur, Predatory Wasp, The Seer's Tower

Idk guys it’s almost like this album was intended to listen to in Illinois. Firstly, what a unique album. I can’t honestly say I’ve heard anything quite like it thematically. The record is basically opening a scrapbook/diary into different eras/events of the state. Who was ready for the serial killer track jump scare? I can see why people would be turned off by this. Some of my favorite tracks off this record are pretty long winded, and don’t really keep you on the edge of your seat per se. I mean is it something I’m gonna routinely be playing? Probably not, but I’ll be damned if this isn’t art. I’m not familiar with Steven’s work enough to know how much this deviates from the res of the catalog, but I’ll never knock an artist for delving into and experimenting with so many different sounds. Life’s too short to be stale 🪄

Illinois residents probably relate to this album. The original album cover with the image of Superman was changed shortly after release, removing Superman because of legal reasons. The song titles are really long (perhaps they set a record?). The music is indie rock or indie folk, with interesting lyrics. There is quite a bit of orchestration here as well. Overall nothing offensive but not outstanding either.

Exciting! Sufjan Stevens is one of those super popular hipster artists that I always scorned, but I did like when our college acapella group did 'Chicago'. Now if he had actually followed through with the 50 albums for 50 states gimmick, I would have been way more interested. Anyway, I do like that there's a goat on the cover, and they made a musical out of this album, so maybe it's not so bad. Well, it does have a lot of features I like: -thematic -lots of nice instruments (+ not electric guitar) -interesting lyrics So, I guess I do like the components, but maybe just because I spent so long being contrary about it, I don't feel too excited about the composite. It's just so darn hipster. An equal to piano jazz in many ways. Highlight: 'Chicago'

Well made but not my cup of tea

1. Album Das Album geht über eine Stunde mit insgesamt 22 Songs. Ich habe noch nie von dem Album gehört (ich kenne nur vereinzelte Songs des Künstlers. Ich bin positiv überrascht und vor allem hat mir „ They Are Night Zombies!! They Are Neighbors!! They Have Come Back From the Dead!! Ahhhh!“ gefallen (was ein Name). Das ist meine erste Review also weiß ich noch nicht genau was ich alles schreiben sollte. Es wahren viele akustische Tracks zwischen drin, was mich nicht gestört hat. Vor allem bei diesen kann ich mir vorstellen, dass ich sie nicht einzeln hören werde. Dennoch ist es sehr angenehm das Album in einem zu hören. Insgesamt würde ich 3,5 ⭐️geben So. 2. August

Fine enough

Como a todos los discos de Sufjan hay que agarrarle la onda y escucharlo varias veces porque no es tan accesible, pero ya que se tiene más o menos ubicado qué es lo que hace el artista, su música es bastante disfrutable. Pero sí me costó entrarle cuando lo empecé a escuchar. Buen disco, Illinois, aunque un tanto largo.

It was pretty good but not a album I would repeat

Anthony entirely pleasant journey of an album. It plinks and plunks along ad is entirely enjoyable and yet never really grabs the attention.

Mye bra. Litt for lang. Noen knallåter ellers veldig mye midt på treet.

This one has me a bit flummoxed. I listened twice and it had peaks of interest but faded in and out. I suspect with more listening more will stand out

I think you really have to like Sufjan's sound, the banjo, musicals, and Illinois to dig this one.

Another album I suspect would really reward repeated listening. Felt like a film sound track a lot of the time

I really liked Michigan (2003) at the time and Illinoise is a great follow up. No way was he going to do all 50 states like he said though, and I'm glad he didn't. I grew tired of his style shortly after and haven't listened to Stevens on purpose for two decades.

Sufjan Stevens (no relation of Cat or Shakin') is always someone I feel like I should like, or assume I would, but never really tried or did get into. This album confirms that, it's like just a bit too meh and poetry for me, reminds me a lot of songs from like Phoebe Bridgers or Belle and Sebastian that I find meh, compared to their better ones. But apart from Chicago, there aren't enough of the "better ones" compared to the meh. And I don't like to indulge concept albums.

It's okay

Haven’t listened to the whole albums as it’s pretty long but half way through I’ve been suprised, for some reason I was expecting a majorly depressing album but I quite enough this. Best song - Decatur…

ok

норм, но ничего особенного

Never heard of it; not too bad, not too good either, but certainly versatile. Three stars...

Didn’t love it, didn’t hate it. It was perfectly fine. A little too long. 3.5 stars

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

Sympa, je ne connaissais pas cet album

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

This record was on heavy rotation before freshman physics at Suffield. That said, I am not the target audience of this record.

The music does not deliver the expectations created by the cover. Good album but a tad bit long.

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.

Kinda cool. Totally different. I expected corny but it was good although rock

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

I can appreciate it from a technical and storytelling standpoint, but it's not for me and that's okay

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.