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album: Illinois
artist: Sufjan Stevens
label: Asthmatic Kitty / 2005
score: 95
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by Tim Mathiesen
Topping many year-end top ten lists last December, Illinois is a masterpiece. Sufjan continues his ridiculous "50 state" attempt with Illinois (2 down, 48 to go) and makes me wonder how good the rest of his albums are going to be. Michigan was an amazing effort and Seven Swans was quite good, also. Michigan and Illinois both have the signature Sufjan sound with the banjo, small choir and orchestra, yet there is something unique and special about each album.
Sufjan Stevens used a classical arrangement for the layout of not only each song, but of the entire album, and it added sophistication and intelligence to the overall feeling of Illinois. The stories told on Illinois do not only apply to the state, but are often written as analogies to Sufjan's spiritual struggles and thoughts in his daily Christian life. The album is a beautiful masterpiece that will be very difficult to live up to, but if anyone can live up to the hype, it's Sufjan Stevens.
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