SUFJAN STEVENS
ILLINOIS [ASTHMATIC KITTY]
[Fans of The Polyphonic Spree, Neko Case, Andrew Bird and Elliott Smith take note.]

OK, so let’s say that you really like e e cummings, and let’s say that you also really enjoy chamber music, and that you secretly love a good musical. Do you also enjoy historically accurate references in pop culture? Then you’ll love Illinois by Sufjan Stevens. This album is beautiful, overwhelming, inspiring, and even a little creepy. Stevens takes listeners on a musical journey through the land of Lincoln, both geographically and historically. His songs range in tone from booming, chorus-driven odes (hear “Come On Feel the Illinois”) to the softer, introspective sorrow of losing a loved one. Tracks swing from earnest and excited to the whispering of Stevens telling you a secret. In “John Wayne Gacy, Jr.,” the quiet notes and beautiful lyrics ask, “Are you one of them?,” humanizing a horrifying serial killer while sending chills down your spine. Even Mary Todd Lincoln gets a nod (hear “A Short Reprise for Mary Todd, Who Went Insane, for Very Good Reasons”). Listeners should be given a warning, though: This album isn’t for everyone. But for those who meet the criteria above, it is a perfect match - leaving only one question unanswered: “What would Frank Lloyd Wright say?”
- Peggy Robinson