Sufjan Stevens "The Age of Adz"

Sufjan's second release of 2010 after All Delighted People in August (read about it here). I really liked that record but The Age of Adz is something else entirely. I'll be the first to admit I don't know all the nuances of Electronica -- at times the bleeps and bloops just seem random -- but if Sufjan loses the listener in places, he never loses himself. Yes, this album is rife with experimentation but you can still hear Sufjan's orchestration. As a composer, his songs are always building, building, building. He does lose some of the intimacy he shared on previous records but the melodies continue. And I must mention 25 minute closer "Impossible Soul". It is a symphony unto itself featuring movements, themes, and a storyline all it's own.

Must hear: Too Much

(Release Date: 10/12/10)

Sufjan Stevens "All Delighted People EP"

While people have been debating which state was getting the Sufjan-treatment next, after the huge success of Illinois and Michigan, Stevens has kept busy. In 2009 he wrote a symphony about New York's Brooklyn-Queens Expressway entitled The BQE and performed it at the Brooklyn Academy of Music Opera House. Later in 2009 he released a new version of his Enjoy Your Rabbit record rearranged for strings and re-titled Run Rabbit Run.

So it should be of some surprise that Stevens had time to create, and that no one was even expecting, a brand new album. All Delighted People was released on his website just yesterday; completely out of the blue and with no marketing buzz. Yet by late afternoon he was the #1 trending topic on Twitter. It's really an amazing story and we don't need to wait for the sales numbers to say that it was a success.

The real gem on this release is the title track. It's an 11 minute epic that culminates in a rising fury of strings. The other songs are classic Sufjan: folk, storytelling style, religious allusions, etc. A must for any music fan.

Must hear: All Delighted People (Original)

(Release Date: 8/20/10)

Said the Whale "Islands Disappear"

Q. What's the toughest thing for bands trying to follow up their debut?
A. What else do they have to say?

Said the Whale's debut album Howe Sounds/Taking Abalonia drew me in immediately. It was my soundtrack to the winter of 2008. When I heard they had a new album on the way, needless to say, I was excited. Then the first single was released. "Camilo (The Magician)" blew me away. Uptempo, fun pop song. Then I heard the rest.

What set their debut apart? It felt like they had something to say. They never hid from their Canadian roots but there was always more to the story. This album feels like it was written on a cross-country trip. Pointing out random locations on a map. Even some of the song titles are just Canadian towns and provinces. It's difficult to relate to unless you're from there. And they just don't hook you in anywhere else. That's what makes Sufjan Stevens' Illinois work and that's what this band still needs to learn.

Must hear: Camilo (The Magician) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ar0bmGshhTs)

(Release Date: 10/13/09)