Artist: Sufjan Stevens
Album: Come on Feel The Illinoise!
Label: Asthmatic Kitty
Tracks: 22
Running Time: 78 minutes




Two down, 48 to go. On Illinois, Stevens steps firmly to the mark he created with his first state, Michigan, and goes much further into his own awkwardly beautiful, naïve sonic wonderland. While on Michigan we were taken through the trailer parks, dying relationships and Kmarts Stevens knew so well, on Illinois we are giving the tourist radio guide to a state populated by superheroes, serial killers and late great presidents.

The obvious talent of Stevens is orchestration and it could be argued he doesn’t have an effective internal delete button but on Illinois anything less than the grand rise and fall of many of the songs would have left the album limp. The first major suite is the title track and it’s blustery like the state capital but much smoother and certainly more joyous. But Stevens leaves the arch, aching kick for the final, lilting third.

He pulls away the orchestra and leaves his own fragile voice at centre for the album’s next song and the song of the year: John Wayne Gacy Jr. A morbid bass, melancholic piano and his gentle finger picked guitar fall away for a moral tale in tune with Johnny Cash or Pedro The Lion.

But when you have Illinois pegged as an occasionally mushy mountain of roaring strings and complex choral movements Stevens shows you how to rock. The Man of Metropolis Steals Our Heart is a controlled combat roll pushed along by a rollicking electric riff and a swooning choir. Lyrically he might be talking about Superman but he’s most certainly tackling the faith that dominated his banjo album Seven Swans. Man of Steel, Man of Heart/Turn your ear to my part/There are things you have said/Raise the boat, and raise the dead/If you take us away/Still can we say/Only a steel man can be a lover.

The hot air of the Illinoisemaker Choir is what makes the album so gigantic – lead by Stevens they tackle his ebb and flow orchestration with a smooth and soul calming ease. Listen to them on the minor chord funk and gospel of They Are Night Zombies. “I L L I N O I S! Ring the bell and call or write us,” not only justifying their cheerleader costumes but allowing Stevens to weave his soft focus, hushed vocals through their own chants. It’s fun but if you allow it, utterly heart wrenching.

With rumours of Vermont being the next state, only Stevens’ good Lord knows what the angel He sent to replace Elliott Smith is capable of.