Sufjan Stevens

Illinoise

They say everything is bigger in America, the cars, the houses, the people. And so it is with the 50 States project, initiated by Sufjan Stevens on his last album, "Welcome to Michigan...". The idea is to live in and subsequently compose and album dedicated to and about 50 American states. "Over-ambitious" I hear the indie-rock journalist legions cry. Indeed, to anyone who had not heard Sufjan Stevens' music would dismiss the very principle as impossible. However, once you begin digesting this latest offering to the 50 States Project, one realises that enormity is something which this man excels in.

Clocking in at just shy of 75 minutes this is a gargantuan album, which makes the fact that it demonstrates such high quality throughout even more impressive. The standout tracks, unsurprisingly, relate to the major cities of the state on which the album is based ‘Jacksonville' for instance weaves charming guitar and piano riffs around some interesting progressions, whilst still somehow managing to remain funky and immediately engaging.

This quality in the music almost draws the listener away from the lyrics. But this is no sleight of hand to conceal a lacking element in the song. The lyrics are homely yet poignant portraits of pure Americana, as Sufjan sees it. There is no linear narrative, or half-arsed confessionalism, which is refreshing. Having said this, the lyrics do stray slightly too close to American Neo-Christianity on occasion, although it is usually interwoven well with other subject matter. Other lyrical oddities such as "I'm not afraid of the black man running/He's got it right, he's got a better life coming" may also raise an eyebrow among people of a certain disposition.

The only other song on the album named simply after a city is 'Chicago', which, being a larger city, also is a grander song. With lush string arrangements, punctuated with catchy and upbeat choruses and a xylophone. What is striking though, is the apparent banality of the lyrics ‘I drove to New York, in a van, with my friend. We slept in parking lots, I don't mind', but the lack of any self-important irony is highly refreshing.

Since it's initial release, descriptions such as 'folk-pop', 'neo-folk', 'hipster-folk' and so on, generally without ever really succeeding in satisfactorily defining the overall sound. Sufjan manages to invoke the tradition of the great American troubadour, painting the landscapes of a young continent through simple melodies and honest lyrics, yet this does not immediately equate him to Phil Ochs or any part of the 1960s protest folk movement. In actual fact, Illinoise is a relatively apolitical record (perhaps with the exception of a couple of tracks, although even they remain ambiguous). Again, this adds to the sense that it is timeless, or at least detached from a specific historical context.

There is a confidence here which was more understated in previous Sufjan outings Seven Wild Swans and Michigan.., exemplified by the lurch from overtly theatrical numbers like 'Come on feel the Illinoise' to the mournful 'John Wayne Gacy Jr'. The short instrumental interludes are clearly filler, but also a sign that Stevens is listening more to his own creative instincts rather than trying hard to pander to the perceptions of the audience. That is not to say that this is a departure from his established style and anyone who loved the previous albums will be disappointed by this. This may lead to some quarters grumbling that this album is simply a recycling exercise of his other work, but that would overlook the breadth and variation upon a sound that this album achieves. While songs like 'Casimir Pulaski Day' admittedly do sound like Americanised Belle & Sebastian derivatives, they fit so well into the overall canvas of the album, and certainly do not sound like a result of a lack of ideas.

I have never been to Illinois, thus I can not comment if this album portrays it accurately, or indeed at all. What I do know, however, is that the melodies get into your brain and spread until you can not help but smile and be convinced that this is an exceptional album.

Whether it is as important in the grand scheme of things as some critics content, however, remains to be seen.

Daniel Westerlund

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