Allow me to mention a live Sufjan Stevens show! His show was the best I have ever seen – a nine piece band full of real enthusiasium and intimacy. Trust me, seeing the real thing makes it that much better. The music comes alive and you can see the feelings he puts into it with such flawless grace and charm.
The sound is basically a collage made up by a folk orchestra thriving on popular chord progressions which are based on classical-style motives. Stevens incorporates snippets of other genres too, and for instruments he uses: guitar, trumpet, banjo, keys, drums, bells,vibraphone, vocals.
Discussing this album with friends – mutual fans of Sufjan Stevens – we decided that Avalanche plays the role of a collector’s item. It’s made for those who truly can’t get enough from is already 23-track album Illinoise. Sufjan definitely doesn’t cut corners either, with this 21-track CD of outtakes! I still do think that it is a must-have for anyone that is in his following.
These outtake are a mixture of Sufjan’s orchestral folk ballads, instrumentals that resemble the earlier days of Four Tet (then known as Fridge) and the full-out rock songs like on Illinoise. Some of the vocal harmonies have a passionate, Neil Young flavor and it blends so nicely.
I decided to not take a bias and choose songs to review but to instead do the first 10 on the CD because they all exhibit different qualities of Sufjan Stevens’s ever-blossoming sound. Man, this album is chock full of variety!
1) “Avalanche” - Beautiful and classic Sufjan Steven’s sound with so much to listen to. 2) “Dear Mr. Supercomputer” features a 70’s rock guitar mix in a more modern atmosphere. It’s got a 7/4 metre and it’s brilliant. 3) “Adalai Stevenson” opens with a marching band and a bit of a history lesson… not too shabby. 4) “Chicago” - This acoustic version is so raw and full of sentiment; the Neil Young essence added to the harmonies really contacts the listener. 5) “The Vivian Girls” – Electronic beginnings for Sufjan Stevens! Like very early Four Tet when they were known as Fridge. 6) “The Henry Buggy Band” - Modern pop production. 7) “Saul Bellow” - Them there harmonies and dirty 70’s guitar mix again… of course with the allure Sufjan Stevens. It features a tripped-out guitar solo that’s off in its’ own time world. 8) “Carlyle Lake” - To be honest… eh, it’s good, but I don’t have anything insightful to say. 9) “Springfield” - Harmonies being put to use again and another dirty guitar solo. It’s got adoring storytelling, a raw mix on the banjo and a Jimi Hendrix-style mix on the guitar. 10) “The Mistress Witc from McClure” - This has got a fizzle-in effect. The melody triggers the Wonder Years days.
So there are 11 more tracks just as interesting… or more!
This is 100% grain-fed, mix-bred and full-fledged magnitude!
I continue to rave and I cannot wait to learn about the next state through Sufjan Stevens’ view. Which one do you think it’ll be? I am thinking New York… but that one seems like an obvious one so I could be way off!
