Album of the Week: Sufjan Stevens- Illinois

It's preciously rare that an album comes out which reminds us exactly what an album can be. A defiant statement of "this is not just a collection of songs or singles, this is a body of work that can truly be appreciated as art and enjoyed as such." With Illinois in 2005, Sufjan Stevens did just that, crafting a timeless album that is part tour book, part Wikipedia entry, part Smile pop symphony, and part poetry. Let's take these one at a time.

I've had this long running idea for a book. Basically, I would travel about the country, living in each of the 50 states for a set amount of time, and getting a "feel" for living there. It would be a kind of Great American Novel, trying to capture what it's like to be both an American and a resident of a certain state. Here comes Sufjan Stevens with his 50 states project and I've conceded the idea to him. Though I fear he's doomed never to complete it, his ambition is to produce a concept album about each of the states. Sadly, he's only managed Michigan and Illinois so far. But with results like these, it's hard to argue too much with his careful, slow pace. Though I love Michigan, Illinois is much more in line with what I think he had envisioned, an album that points out many famous people, landmarks, and historical events from the state, but also getting down the general "feel" of a state, too.

Speaking of those famous people, landmarks, and historical events...Illinois is crammed full of important Illinois things as well as esoterica. This of course makes for a wide ranging set of data points to draw from for inspiration, leading to an album as diverse as it is consistently brilliant. From the horrifying, bleak 'John Wayne Gacy, Jr.' to the ebullient rush of the superhero chorus to 'The Man of Metropolis Steals Our Hearts' to the stripped down acoustic chill inducing story song with an obscure holiday for a title 'Casimir Pulaski Day' to the short instrumental 'A Conjunction of Drones Simulating the Way in which Sufjan Stevens Has an Existential Crisis in the Great Godfrey Maze' which mentions one of the huge mazes that seem to define something about the Midwest for a lot of people, the album is filled to the brim with references that may or may not need to be tracked down. Which, of course, are all contained on the Wikipedia entry for the album.

The real thing that draws me and everyone else back to the album is the songs themselves. Even if you don't pay attention to the concept of the album, it's still one of the best things released this decade. Brian Wilson's Smile is another, and though I'm not suggesting that Sufjan Stevens was influenced by it, because Michigan is largely similar and predates it, keep in mind that it was finally completed and released in 2004. Smile is a pop symphony of sorts, songs and mini-songs forming suites and referring back to each other as the album moves along. At the same time, Smile doesn't sound like much pop music you've ever heard; it's almost like an audio stage play at times. In short, it's an orchestral pop concept album that uses non-traditional song structures and songwriting. This is also what Illinois happens to be. Though it's longer, less freewheeling, and with no central concept other than Illinois and its contents, it's every bit as good as Smile in my opinion. 'Chicago' is a flat out amazing song and one of Stevens's greatest accomplishments as a writer, while songs like 'Jacksonville', 'Decatur, Or, A Round Of Applause For Your Stepmother!', and 'Come On! Feel The Illinoise!' show off his gift for writing brain burrowing "I've got to hear that again before I go to work and/or sleep" melodies.

Finally, I want to touch upon the lyrics of the album. It's pretty rare that I bother paying attention to what someone is singing because I'm more in line with the Brian Eno school of lyric writing--"if it sounds good, it is good, even if it doesn't make sense"--than anything else. However, Illinois has devastating beauty in its confines. 'The Predatory Wasp of the Palisades Is Out to Get Us!' gives me chills every time I hear it, particularly the amazing imagery he paints for the listener with the wasp outstretched on his arm. Even the more upbeat songs have depth and brilliant lyrics, such as these from 'The Man of Metropolis Steals Our Hearts':

"I took a bus to the lake
Saw the monument face
Yellow tides, golden eyes
Red and white, red and wise
Raise the flag, summer home
Parted hair, part unknown
If I knew what I read
I'll send it half ways"

The rarest thing of all in the music criticism business is when an album, in your opinion, gets the right amount of praise and coverage. Normally I find that an album is over- or under-praised, and either overly discussed or totally forgotten. But with Illinois, I think everyone got it just right. It was a five star, A-plus album on its release, and it still holds up well almost three years later. There is no need for me to be a revisionist or build up context to elevate or demolish this album. It simply is one of the best albums of the decade so far, and I wish Sufjan Stevens would get to work on his next album already.