It’s been five years since his last proper album. In the meantime, he has given us the definitive collection of Christmas music, some B-sides and an experimental film. But Sufjan Stevens, a Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter, has managed to do something extraordinary with his new album, “The Age of Adz.” In it, he gives us a taste of his incredible mind.
When he was working on the film project, “The BQE,” Stevens’ idea of songwriting was expanded. He no longer felt that songs needed to be three to five minutes long and follow a strict verse-chorus structure. This is evidenced by the final track on the latest album, “Impossible Soul,” a 25-minute epic with at least five different musical themes.
Stevens begins his album the same way he ends it: with a short, folksy song that relates to some of the more laidback parts of his 2005 album, “Illinois.” Though these bookends are not representative of what this album contains.
As soon as the first track ends, we are treated with one of the best songs on the album, “Too Much.” Stevens released it for free on his website prior to releasing the album. In this song, Stevens gives us a melody and orchestration any fan of his previous work would feel right at home with, but pairs it with programming that would make Dntel, the programmer for the band Postal Service, proud.
But that’s really the most amazing thing about the album. Stevens pairs his sweeping orchestrations with programmed beats and synthesizers, but they don’t come off as contrived or over-produced. It just sounds natural. It’s quite amazing how much raw musical talent Stevens contains.
The vocals in this album, whether sung by Stevens himself or his back-up choir, are similar to any of his previous songs — but when placed over the electronic styling of this album, they stand out. The vocals of “I Walked” could be at home on any of the more epic songs on “Illinois,” but when placed over the beat of that song, the listener can really appreciate the majesty and versatility of his voice.
There are points in this album where Stevens uses a vocoder and auto-tune to give his voice the same transformation he has given his music. The most noticeable example is in “Impossible Soul,” where suddenly, about halfway through the song, Stevens transforms his crisp melody by auto-tuning. It’s not like he needs it. His voice is one of the most pitch-perfect and pure in the world, so Stevens does this to add to his pitch, something previously done by Bon Iver, a contemporary of Stevens, on his song “Woods.”
Throughout the album, Stevens sings of what sounds like an inner dilemma. This can be heard in “Vesuvius,” where he goes into the third person and sings to himself, “Sufjan/the panic inside/the murdering ghost that you cannot ignore.” In “Now That I’m Older,” he seems confused and conflicted.
Stevens is a self-proclaimed Christian, and his faith shines through on some of his previous efforts. On his 2004 album “Seven Swans,” he explored the stories of Moses and Jesus’ transfiguration, and on “Illinois,” Stevens quotes Exodus 3:14. On his faith, Stevens told The Village Voice, “It’s the most important thing in my life. It’s unavoidable.”
But on this album, allusions to Christianity are out and introspection is in. Stevens screams as the choir behind him chants, “I want to be well” during the chilling climax that will make even the most passive listener drop whatever they might be doing and listen. That passage really sums up the theme of the album. His lyrics on previous albums were very lighthearted and fanciful. On his two state albums, “Michigan” and “Illinois,” he sings about local myths and legends in a very sweet and peaceful tone. But in this album, Stevens chooses to show us his dark side.
