Sufjan Stevens is one of indie music's biggest and most respected figure heads. For years he's been putting out albums that make big statements, either with illustrious instrumentation on albums like Illinoise, or with ideological contemplations on an album like Seven Swans. Everything Sufjan does seems to drip with ambition and care. The latest album from Sufjan is a similarly labored over affair, but this time around, Mr. Stevens has decided to scale things back and strip away all pretense; this is an album about Sufjan's life. Or at least his life as it pertains to his late mother one half of the titular Carrie & Lowell.
The relationship in question seems to have been a troubled one, with tracks like "Should Have Known Better" recalling memories of Sufjan being left at a video store when he was four years old. Or the opener, where Sufjan says he forgives his mother, though at the same time, doesn't tell us exactly what has transpired between then, and the forgiveness isn't followed by an understanding of why she did what she did in the first place.
Aside from the central theme of Sufjan's relationship with his mother, we also get some very dark musings about the nature of life and death. For example, the refrain on the track "Fourth Of July" is essentially Sufjan coming to terms with how everyone, at some point, will die. And a little later on the track "The Only Thing" Stevens asks if he should tear his heart, and eyes out now, as to avoid feeling hurt, or seeing something bad or disappointing.
Overall, this album is the darkest project Sufjan has ever put out, but it is also one of his most human and beautiful. Most of the time on a Sufjan Stevens album, the listener is taken on a ride through gorgeous instrumentals, and glorious harmonies, but the personal connection with the frontman is that of a crowd of people witnessing a magician, and marveling at how he continually pulls the rabbit out of the hat; however, on Carrie & Lowell, there's nothing up his sleeves. Instead, we get an album that sees, for the first time in a while (albums like Michigan and Seven Swans also had very personal moments) we get to peak into the mind of one of the most talented and inventive singer-songwriters of the past decade.
My only slight complaint with this album, and it is rather minor, is that it has a similar feel throughout, which at some points felt a little samey samey, at least on my first few listens. But, other than that, this is easily one of the most beautiful albums I've heard all year, and I can guarantee that this album will make it on my best of list at the end of the year. It really is something special.
9.3/10
No comments:
Post a Comment