Sufjan Stevens - The Age of Adz

Coming out of Detroit, Michigan Sufjan Stevens is back with his first album in 5 years, The Age of Adz. The follow up to 2005's Illinois finds the singer-songwriter heading in a more electronic based direction this time around, while still retaining the indie rock elements of his past releases.

The album opens with the ethereal "Futile Devices", a warm, electronic tinged number that is very comforting and features some melodic piano sounds embedded within the tune and Sufjan's comforting and mellow voice. "Too Much" is an active, upbeat electronic tune that also features a children's choir heard in the background that adds a layer of musical dexterity to the track that allows it to have a longer shelf life. The disc's title track is a mysterious yet calming track that features Sufjan's voice weaving in and out through the musical landscapes of the track, providing some comfort as the listener takes notice of the unusual patterns omnipresent throughout this track. "Now That I'm Older" sounds like a track you would hear Sunday morning at church. It might seem a little out of place here, but it actually adds a nice, layered touch to an already musically diverse album.

The album's second half starts off with "Get Real, Get Right", a hybrid electronic/gospel tune that features drastic changes in tempo all throughout that make it one of the more complicated songs on the disc to keep track of. My favorite track off the album is "Vesuvius", a melodic, linear delight that features Sufjan's voice and a choir adding an element of elegance and happiness to this standout track. The album draws to a close with "I Want To Be Well", one of the more fast movers on this track as it starts off at a faster pace than the other songs, but begins to taper off towards the end and has a nice, clean finish that allows it to conclude properly. The last song, the 25 minute "Impossible Soul" is a long song to listen to all the way through, so feel free to stop listening at any point along your way. There is no right or wrong way to listen to this epic track. Many of Sufjan's prior albums revolve around themes that are each dedicated to every one of the 50 states, like 2005's Illinois which produced the memorable track, "Chicago". It'll probably be awhile before he finishes this 50 states project, but from what we've heard so far, he's done a beautiful job so far with the lush musical arrangements and the beautiful chords that sets Sufjan apart from the other singer-songwriters out there.

In conclusion, Sufjan Stevens has made a respectable effort here that sees Sufjan continuing to express his unorthodox brand of music that is very ambient yet experimental at the same time that gives the listener plenty of time to explore each track and take it for what it's worth.

                                                                                                                           Album Score: 3.5/5

Track Listing:

1. Futile Devices
2. Too Much
3. Age of Adz
4. I Walked
5. Now That I'm Older
6. Get Real, Get Right
7. Bad Communication
8. Vesuvius
9. All For Myself
10. I Want To Be Well
11. Impossible Soul