Review: Sufjan Stevens – ‘Age of Adz’

Sufjan Stevens Age of Adz In brief: Pretty folk hipster-magnet returns with something sort of like what he’s done before only not. In shrews:

Sufjan Stevens is a very talented man. Illinois was a terrific album. His All Delighted People EP was a tad too long. He has a sister called Djohariah, apparently. He was born in Detroit thirty-five years ago. He’s very fond of Jesus.

All equally valid and uncontroversial facts about indie-folkster Sufjan Stevens, I think you’ll agree. Now here’s another one – you will probably hate his new album on first listen. It will strike you as nothing but sonic wankery of the highest order; seventy-five minutes of pure self-indulgence that sacrifices listenability and potential radio play in favour of tuneless mumbling and aimless electronic flourishes. You will give up half-way through, weeping with rage and pining for the days of Illinois. Don’t worry about it. Three days ago we were in a similar place, and indeed, this might have been Sufjan’s intention. Bar a few accidental glimpses of the artist behind Chicago and To Be Alone With You, Age of Adz initially plays like something created with the sole purpose of alienating everyone who ever discovered him via Little Miss Sunshine or teen soap soundtracks.

But hey. All is not lost. Yes, Age of Adz is frustrating. Age of Adz is inaccessible. Age of Adz is impossible to play in the background while you sit twittering about Kindles, and it’s not likely to go down well with your iPod shuffle. What it is, however, is fascinating, intriguing and – once you get over your first, bewildering listen – actually very enjoyable. The same melodies that made his ukelele-bothering antics so appealing on records like Seven Swans lurk beneath the tumultuous racket of a hundred different electronic itches being scratched at once, while there are moments of Illinois-esque spine-tingling scattered generously throughout the twenty five minute aural ramble that brings the whole thing to a close. Impossible Soul is everything that is great and horrible about Age of Adz – ridiculous, awesome, autotuned, euphoric, ludicrous, amazing.

Last year Sufjan questioned the future of the humble album in an era of iTunes and uTorrent, and while 25 minute closing tracks are unlikely to catch on any time soon, Age of Adz is a defiant, clattering declaration of all that an LP can and should be. Thanks to a friendly assortment of digital retailers it’s never been easier to cherry pick the best tunes and save yourself a space in your CD rack, but this is one 75 minute experience that should be purchased, enjoyed and ruminated over exactly as Sufjan intended you to: initially confusedly, but with an ever increasing sense of overwhelming love and appreciation.

There was a review in all that waffle somewhere.

Stream it here.

Buy it here.