The Age of Adz by Sufjan Stevens
LABEL: Asthmatic Kitty

Sufjan Stevens’ new release, The Age of Adz, can be considered quite groundbreaking and bold, while at the same time not entirely surprising. Groundbreaking for Stevens because it relies heavily on approaches and instrumentation that (aside from the occasional dabble in the past) weren’t seen as his trademark sound prior to this point in his career. However, this 180-degree makeover—a transition to a sweltering melting pot, where complex, multi-faceted electronica, collides with classical and modern orchestrations and signature Stevens songwriting—can be considered almost inevitable. For an artist as ambitious and adventurous as Sufjan Stevens, this kind of paradigm shift makes perfect sense; at this point in his career, not reinventing his style would have raised a question or two.

The album starts, deceptively, with “Futile Devices”—a two-chord, guitar-based minimalistic song. The conscious choice of starting a predominantly electronic album with such an ordinary arrangement almost makes you want to giggle; Stevens is not interested in bombastic statements, outrageous overtures or superfluous ear-candy. In a sense, it is this kind of subdued opening which validates the aural terra incognita of new sounds that follows it.

“This is not another Enjoy Your Rabbit...
Nor is it the next Illinois”

And boy, does it ever follow: most of the other songs on the album sound like nothing you’d expect from Stevens—and if you’re a devout fan, you already know better than to expect a particular sound from this Renaissance artist-slash-chameleon. This is not another Enjoy Your Rabbit; first and foremost because unlike 2001’s instrumental electronic album, this album is heavy on meditative lyrics and beautiful vocal arrangements. Nor is it the next Illinois: while the orchestral instruments are still present to a certain extent, the overall tone is far more experimental, and—did I mention this already?—heavily electronic.

However, these two milestones in Stevens’ career can be seen as signposts along the path which leads to Adz: indeed, arguably the greatest accomplishment of this album is that throughout it, Stevens manages to marry bubbly, trippy drums and elastic, mercurial synths with seemingly incongruous flute glissandi, brass section, or string sections that feel like they’ve been inspired by a 70’s b-movie car chase. The fact that Stevens’ arrangements still leave room for his honest, ever-wandering voice and don’t overshadow the melodies goes to show the level of craftsmanship at hand. His orchestrations are packed tightly, yet melt together almost flawlessly; the jigsaw might look like an impressionistic drawing devised by a madman, but nevertheless, all the pieces fit together seamlessly.

Some of the songs are hauntingly biographical; hints of concerns about well-being and health issues (Stevens has recently admitted to struggling with a strange viral illness which prevented him from working for a while) can be traced throughout the album, most blatantly in “I Want to be Well”. Similarly, “Get Real, Get Right”, with its self-affirming, religious hook (“you know you really got to get right with the Lord”) feels like a personal memo, and one that might not be so welcome amongst Stevens’ more agnostic fans. But the brilliance of the music, and particularly the novelty of the arrangements, assists even this borderline-trite line sparkle with freshness; juxtaposed against a backdrop of 808 snares and undecipherable synths, it simply cannot feel old.

The last piece on the album, “Impossible Soul”, is over twenty-five minutes long, and feels like an epic amalgamation of all the novelty and pizzazz which preceded it. It also features a chorus which, after more than an hour of puzzling, ambiguous, multi-dimensional lyrics chants: “It’s a long life / better stand up straight / only one last chance / could it get much better?” No question about Stevens’ priorities and intention on that one. 

Overall, The Age of Adz is a fascinating offering from an artist who hasn’t tired of reinventing himself. For an album that features so many disparate elements, influences and directions, its infrastructure is astonishingly cohesive and organized—a small miracle in itself, and one certainly worth checking out.


REVIEWED BY MICHAEL HAZANI
MICHAEL’S FAVORITE TRACKS: “Too Much” • “Now That I’m Older” • “Vesuvius”


FREE MP3: “Futile Devices” (right-click & save)

+ Stream the entire album and purchase it for only $8 on Bandcamp