Sufjan Stevens - The Age of Adz

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The Age of Adz is an ambitious record.

OK, that might be a bit too straightforward, but Sufjan Stevens' latest album is almost nothing like his previous 4 studio efforts. He's taken a completely different direction, most notably with electronics, and has completed an album which soars far above my expectations.

Admittingly, I may have gone into this album relatively close minded. I love Stevens for Illinois, Michigan, and the underrated Seven Swans; but even I must admit that I really want him to get back on track with the Fifty States Project.

Most fans can agree with me here. When it was announced that Stevens was releasing a triple LP Christmas album, we laughed and wondered what that crazy Sufjan would do next. When he re-released his Chinese New Year album, we quietly accepted it. When he released the BQE, we sighed and moved on.

Don't get me wrong, Stevens has yet to release a legitimately disappointing album, but I think I can speak for everybody in saying that I wanted something new. And by something new, I mean a studio album.

This all changed last month, when Stevens surprised everyone with the sudden release of the All Delighted People EP. At 60 minutes, it's hardly an EP, but it did provide the indie rock community with a great record.

And instead of making the fans wait any longer, Stevens announced the release of The Age of Adz shortly thereafter. The Age of Adz would mark his first studio full length in 5 years, the first since Illinois.

Yes folks, the Fifty States Project is presumably dead, and I really don't give a fuck.

The Age of Adz is essentially Stevens' Kid A: an album that utilizes the studio as a means of advancing the album to new territory. Unlike the folksy Illinois, The Age of Adz is full of electronic drums, synth bleeps and bloops, and even auto-tune. Yes, auto-tune, the much divisive pitch correction tool. Stevens doesn't care though, he'll find a way to make it sound great.

The amount of production that Stevens puts into this album is almost crowded, leaving hardly any room for a listener to dissect certain songs on a first listen. It's true. At times, you'll be blasted with a barrage of synth, glitchy cuts, vocal choirs, drum fills, guitar solos, electronic bass drums, flurrying woodwinds, demonizing horns, and fuzzed out guitar wankery. Stevens uses this well effect well though; both as a means of crescendo, as well as a nice contrast between the verses and choruses. Take "I Want To Be Well" for example: there are multiple times where the song builds up only to drop out to just Stevens and his good ol' guitar; In fact, these parts are arguably the quietest on the album.

Lyrically, it's clear that Stevens is heart broken. On the somber opening track "Futile Devices", Stevens admits he can't tell a girl he loves her. On "Now That I'm Over", Stevens sings "I wasn't older yet / I wasn't wise, I guess / Somewhere I lost whatever else I had / I wasn't over you". He's hurt, frusturated, pissed off, and it culminates in the fiery conclusion of "I Want To Be Well", where he repeats the phrase "I'm not fucking around" while the songs builds up into a fiery inferno.

The last song, "Impossible Soul", clocks in at a little more than 25 minutes. As far as indie-rock standards are concerned, it's quite lengthy. This is Stevens at his best though. The song is made up of 5 different movements, including a haunting middle piece which is fronted by Stevens singing in auto-tune backed by a chanting choir. A piano faintly plays in the background, weird electronical glitches zoom in and out; if there is a comparison as blatant as this to Kid A, then I don't know what else to say.

"Impossible Soul" ends with a beautiful 3 minute guitar piece. It really is captivating; something that will surely bring the new and the old fans together. And while this may be a bittersweet ending,I don't think this album could end any other way.

I guess we'll have to wait and see if fans of Stevens' folk albums will appreciate this turn in style. There's no doubt it will turn away many, but it goes without saying that this will definitely bring more people in. The Age of Adz is a remarkable achievement from a man who's released his fair share of indie-rock classics. Whether he keeps this electronic sound or not, it's clear that Stevens' doesn't want to be categorized as that guy who makes albums about states. He's definitely changed, and The Age of Adz proves it's for the better.