Every time I see this album title, I think of Law & Order
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/f2/3a/f8/f23af82cc63a5ec313ddb033623943d6.jpg
― Johnny Fever, Monday, 30 March 2015 16:44 (nine years ago) link
this record is much much more affecting than benji, to me. but they're not really that comparable, i'd put this up against april or ghosts of the great highway if you really want to compare to kozelek
― ciderpress, Monday, 30 March 2015 16:55 (nine years ago) link
Oh wow.Heard Sufjan's new one for the first time today. Guess which album immediately came to my mind?
Cannot wait to hear this again and hopefully adore it as much as 'Benji'
Flaming Lips mentioned upthread too. I reckon I have found some new potential funeral soundtracks, to replace 'Do you Realise'
― Jessie Fer Ark (Mobbed Up Ping Pong Psychos), Monday, 30 March 2015 18:26 (nine years ago) link
welp can't be doing this at work. sounds good, though.
― And let’s say a new Hozier comes along, and Spotify outbids you (Sufjan Grafton), Tuesday, 31 March 2015 20:32 (nine years ago) link
this album is a monster
― nose, Friday, 3 April 2015 22:39 (nine years ago) link
washed over me on first listen, but i was distracted. i suspect this is one of those albums where an attentiveness to the finer nuances pays off.
― charlie h, Saturday, 4 April 2015 03:30 (nine years ago) link
I dunno guys, the meticulous prettiness and the measured-twice quality of the lyrics kind of mutes the impact for me. It feels too worked-over to really devastate the way I gather it's meant to (and seems to for most)
― fuck me, archipelago (Simon H.), Sunday, 5 April 2015 15:40 (nine years ago) link
that said it's a lovely record, my fave of his probably since Seven Swans
― fuck me, archipelago (Simon H.), Sunday, 5 April 2015 15:45 (nine years ago) link
really not a fan of his singing, phrasing, and multi-tracked vocals on this so far
― call all destroyer, Wednesday, 8 April 2015 16:20 (nine years ago) link
a lot of his stuff sounds like church music to me, but this multi-tracked style sounds like a congregation. it all works for me on most of this one.
― And let’s say a new Hozier comes along, and Spotify outbids you (Sufjan Grafton), Wednesday, 8 April 2015 16:30 (nine years ago) link
Man, this album is devastating. I'm kinda shocked this isn't getting more discussion here. I'm not the biggest Sufjan fan - I typically like about 3 or 4 songs per album. But this album is different somehow. It's probably just that it has less of a twee feel to it, overall. I like him enough to give at least one listen to anything he releases, but this is by faaaaaarr my favorite album of his; my favorite album of the year, so far.
― Rod Steel (musicfanatic), Sunday, 17 May 2015 23:36 (nine years ago) link
I feel the same way. I have too much to say which I can't really say right about this record which is why I haven't posted yet. I have a mother of a certain age who has perhaps not too long to live and I think about that day after day. This record has had a cathartic effect on me and really helped me to think about that in advance. I'd thank Sufjam Stevens for that if I could.
― Acting Crazy (Instrumental) (jed_), Monday, 18 May 2015 00:04 (nine years ago) link
Excuse the typo.
Some part of me was lost in your sleeveWhere you hid your cigarettes.
Is my favourite line from the record.
― Acting Crazy (Instrumental) (jed_), Monday, 18 May 2015 00:06 (nine years ago) link
Eugene is the key to the record, for me at a least.
and he called me subaru
I saw him live a few weeks ago and he played all of this; it was so heavy and moving. He played out blue bucket of gold for 10+ minutes
― she started dancing to that (Finefinemusic), Monday, 18 May 2015 02:47 (nine years ago) link
oh, be near me, tired old mare.
― meaulnes, Monday, 18 May 2015 12:13 (nine years ago) link
We're all gonna die
― tsrobodo, Friday, 22 May 2015 04:27 (nine years ago) link
Ain't that some shit
this is definitely one of my favorite albums of the 2010s.
― Treeship, Friday, 19 June 2015 14:26 (eight years ago) link
it's devastating but also quietly inspirational, just because it is so good/carefully assembled, which is itself inspiring to me. i never would have thought he was capable of something so cohesive and restrained
― Treeship, Friday, 19 June 2015 14:30 (eight years ago) link
To me it's more of a lesson in dealing with something awful without avoiding the awfulness of it while also acknowledging the weird beauty of the details contained therein. It quite concretely says this bad thing and this bad thing happened and let's not move away from that but use it in order to heal. Does that make sense? I'm slightly drunk but it makes sense to me.
― Acting Crazy (Instrumental) (jed_), Saturday, 20 June 2015 00:57 (eight years ago) link
It's part of the obviousness of, for example, saying "we're all going to die" while appreciating that obvious thought stated so plainly.
― Acting Crazy (Instrumental) (jed_), Saturday, 20 June 2015 01:02 (eight years ago) link
"I should've wrote a letter"
― Acting Crazy (Instrumental) (jed_), Saturday, 20 June 2015 01:05 (eight years ago) link
(This is the only album of his ive heard from start to finish, fwiw, I haven't even heard individual songs from most of them)
― Acting Crazy (Instrumental) (jed_), Saturday, 20 June 2015 01:23 (eight years ago) link
imo, Michigan, Seven Swans and Illinois are all almost as good or better than C&L
i've probably said this upthread somewhere but dude's a genius
― alpine static, Saturday, 20 June 2015 18:53 (eight years ago) link
afaic the track Romulus beats anything on C&L. Easily.
Once when our mother called,She had a voice of last year's cough.We passed around the phone,Sharing a word about Oregon.When my turn came, I was ashamed.When my turn came, I was ashamed.
(i like C&L just fine, but by no means Sufjan's best)
― Ludo, Saturday, 20 June 2015 19:43 (eight years ago) link
I should clarify my xpost: I think Carrie & Lowell is *incredible*. I just think those other three are, too, esp. Michigan.
― alpine static, Saturday, 20 June 2015 21:17 (eight years ago) link
this is very good, needed to wait til fall to listen to it
― on entre O.K. on sort K.O. (man alive), Sunday, 18 October 2015 03:33 (eight years ago) link
Fall, death, and a good latte to set the mood.
― Sufjan Grafton, Sunday, 18 October 2015 03:51 (eight years ago) link
Nothing sets the mood for road suicide like deciduous fall colors and a visit to the dentist.
― Sufjan Grafton, Sunday, 18 October 2015 03:53 (eight years ago) link
mmm, pumpkin spice
― on entre O.K. on sort K.O. (man alive), Sunday, 18 October 2015 03:55 (eight years ago) link
I actually meant because my depressive tendencies usually start to come out around this time of year
― on entre O.K. on sort K.O. (man alive), Sunday, 18 October 2015 03:56 (eight years ago) link
Haha <3
― Sufjan Grafton, Sunday, 18 October 2015 03:57 (eight years ago) link
this album is great, I agree, and I did not seriously think you meant it that way.
― Sufjan Grafton, Sunday, 18 October 2015 04:01 (eight years ago) link
no it's cool, I lol'd
― on entre O.K. on sort K.O. (man alive), Sunday, 18 October 2015 04:02 (eight years ago) link
did any of u see the current tour? considering buying tixxx
― help computer (sleepingbag), Monday, 26 October 2015 23:14 (eight years ago) link
Heard only ecstatic reports from friends.
― Acting Crazy (Instrumental) (jed_), Monday, 26 October 2015 23:33 (eight years ago) link
I actively hated/hate Illinois and haven't given this guy's music a chance since but goon tie told me "no seriously this new one" and I have to admit it's great
― tremendous crime wave and killing wave (Joan Crawford Loves Chachi), Tuesday, 27 October 2015 03:13 (eight years ago) link
I saw him in April and it was absolutely wonderful, don't miss it!
― she started dancing to that (Finefinemusic), Tuesday, 27 October 2015 20:26 (eight years ago) link
It's interesting to me how he previously seemed to mostly make records that were dressed up in ironic kitsch but sad underneath and now he just made a sad record and it's better.
― on entre O.K. on sort K.O. (man alive), Tuesday, 27 October 2015 20:33 (eight years ago) link
I saw this guy live back in 2003 or 2004. I remember it was kind of a peak time of being disillusioned with America, and this guy stood up there dressed like a boy scout and sang an absolutely gorgeous rendition of the Star Spangled Banner (or 'My Country Tis of Thee', or something ha). It was p compelling.
― rap is dad (it's a boy!), Tuesday, 27 October 2015 20:52 (eight years ago) link
― on entre O.K. on sort K.O. (man alive), Tuesday, October 27, 2015 8:33 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
Good post. I've always failed to connect with his work because the prettiness of it got in the way, for me. Until now.
― Acting Crazy (Instrumental) (jed_), Wednesday, 28 October 2015 02:01 (eight years ago) link
This is one of the artists that I think ILM always makes fun of since it gets thrown with the lol indie audience. I don't know how much Carrie & Lowell will change your perspective on him but he's been doing this sort of thing since he started. Michigan and Seven Swans are great records in this sad vein. Illinois was probably a more popular album and that one is certainly more unsophisticated due to the amount of needless orchestration and maximalism, let alone the ridiculous costumes... I assume that's the record most people think about when they think of Sufjan and that's the reason why they throw so much shit at him, but even on that album there were some gems like 'John Wayne Gacy' and 'Casimir Pulaski Day'.
― ✖✖✖ (Moka), Wednesday, 28 October 2015 06:30 (eight years ago) link
Also forgot 'Concerning the UFO Sighting Near Highland', that's a great piano riff.
― ✖✖✖ (Moka), Wednesday, 28 October 2015 06:31 (eight years ago) link
^^ OTM imo
― resulting post (rogermexico.), Wednesday, 28 October 2015 06:46 (eight years ago) link
really strongly dislike that John Wayne Gacy song
― tremendous crime wave and killing wave (Joan Crawford Loves Chachi), Wednesday, 28 October 2015 12:55 (eight years ago) link
ugh yes. the Illinois record is basically "chicago" and "casimir pulaski day"
― resulting post (rogermexico.), Wednesday, 28 October 2015 13:52 (eight years ago) link
oh man, "Jacksonville", "The Man From Metropolis Steals Our Hearts", and "The Tallest somethingorother" are all great too. I still think the album's great. y'all need to stop pickin on Sufjan.
― frogbs, Wednesday, 28 October 2015 14:16 (eight years ago) link
sufjan, contrapuntal madness, 'BQE', 20+ minute long songs, and all, is on par with steven wilson in quality prog-outs. wilson hasn't come near pulling off something as emotionally devastating as 'carrie & lowell' though
― reggie (qualmsley), Wednesday, 28 October 2015 14:35 (eight years ago) link
really strongly dislike that John Wayne Gacy song― tremendous crime wave and killing wave (Joan Crawford Loves Chachi), Wednesday, October 28, 2015 5:55 AM (5 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
― tremendous crime wave and killing wave (Joan Crawford Loves Chachi), Wednesday, October 28, 2015 5:55 AM (5 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
this song really is absurd
― NATION: ? ? ? (Sufjan Grafton), Wednesday, 28 October 2015 18:33 (eight years ago) link