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Come On Feel the Illinoise

Amazon Price: $8.93 (as of 06/02/2012)

1. Concerning the UFO Sighting Near Highland, Illinois
2. The Black Hawk War, Or, How to Demolish an Entire Civilization and ...
3. Come on! Feel the Illinoise!: Pt. 1: The World's Columbian Exposition
4. John Wayne Gacy, Jr.
5. Jacksonville
6. A Short Reprise for Mary Todd, Who Went Insane, But for Very Good ...
7. Decatur, Or, Round of Applause for Your Stepmother!
8. One Last "Whoo-Hoo!" for the Pullman
9. Chicago
10. Casimir Pulaski Day
11. To the Workers of the Rock River Valley Region, I Have an Idea ...
12. The Man of Metropolis Steals Our Hearts
13. Prairie Fire That Wanders About
14. A Conjunction of Drones Simulating the Way in Which Sufjan Stevens ...
15. The Predatory Wasp of the Palisades Is out to Get Us!
16. They Are Night Zombies!! They Are Neighbors!! They Have Come Back from
17. Let's Hear That String Part Again, Because I Don't Think They Heard It
18. In This Temple as in the Hearts of Man for Whom He Saved the Earth
19. The Seer's Tower
20. The Tallest Man, The Broadest Shoulders: Pt. 1: The Great Frontier/Pt. ...
21. Riffs and Variations on a Single Note for Jelly Roll, Earl Hines, ...
22. Out of Egypt, Into the Great Laugh of Mankind, And I Shake the ...

Sufjan Stevens is a puzzling character; sometimes naive, sometimes sophisticated, somewhat rustic and yet essentially urban in outlook. But there a few things he never seems to exhibit: crassness, boredom, or jaded irony. Instead he appears defenseless and in full flower on "Illinois", an album of remarkable breadth, depth and ambition.

It is precisely his lack of sneering superiority that makes "Illinois" such a treat. These lengthy, wordy poem/songs, these complex instrumental arrangements and daunting pop structures could all be so much ego run amok, like a bad progressive rock album. But that doesn't happen. Instead, we are treated to a song cycle so fresh and honest I hardly know where to start.

From the sweet quietness of the opening number (which turns an actual UFO sighting in 2000 into a revelatory experience) to the nearly presumptuous overture that follows, one gets a glimpse of what will follow. Imagery follows tone follows place follows events both personal and public in a seamless fabric. By the time we are through the title cut on track 3, he has already taken us through a small American symphony of ideas. We have wondered about God and aliens, considered the great icons of the state of Illinois, met with the ghost of Carl Sandburg and wondered if we are being honest with our art in the first place; surely one of the most breathtaking 11 minutes I can recall on CD.

The mood is quietly shattered with "John Wayne Gacy Jr.", probably the most haunted song in recent memory. If this one doesn't make you choke a little, check your pulse. By portraying a serial killer as human after all, he draws our attention to the flaws in every heart. He understands that demons have no souls, but people - even mass murderers - do. Watch out.

Several reviews have commented on Sufjan Steven's Christianity. While is it true that there are references to his faith throughout, it is presented so tenderly and with such openness that it is frankly above criticism and simply a part of the undeniable human experience. Whatever truths and doubts he mentions by way of faith are shared by us all, from atheists to the most devout. So while I do not share his faith I do share the common condition and so understand what he means perfectly.

I could continue, but really I just want people to hear this album all the way through, carefully. Good headphones are revelatory for this one. To shuffle the songs or pick out a few is almost a crime - "Illinois" is a complete work of astonishing freshness, and I find it difficult to imagine how it will be topped in the next 6 months. B. P. Price ,Portland, OR, USA)