reviews of new singers & singer-songwriters : Sufjan Stevens

Rough TradeSufjan Stevens : Greetings from Michigan the great lake state (US,2004)****

From the cover, some local Christmas events come to mind, which, for me also implies shared warmth, like with a cup of mulled wine, through presents, or otherwise, all hopefully in a social context. Sufjan songs have such warmth, in highly pleasant and varied arrangements (with solo or dual vocals, and a great variety of instruments). Musically there’s not much more particularly to describe. It’s music that makes you believe in a better world, and perhaps that’s the intention. Underlying are themes of things that could make you cry, but even there where nothing is safe, if we share our intentions, half the work is done for the future.

The connection with different areas and stories connected with them in Michigan is well explained on his homepage. There you can also listen to the songs, and read some of the stories. Recommended !

Homepage : http://www.sufjan.com/ with this album : http://www.sufjan.com/michigan/

Other reviews : http://www.soundthesirens.com/reviews/sufjanstevens-greetingsfrommichigan.php

http://www.fastnbulbous.com/stevens_greetings.htm

http://www.progreviews.com/reviews/display.php?rev=ss-gfm

http://pitchforkmedia.com/record-reviews/s/stevens_sufjan/michigan.shtml

http://www.rockmusicreview.com/albums/000106.php

http://www.musicunderwater.com/sufjan_stevens_greetings_from_michigan.htm

http://www.bluedark.com/reviews/Sufjan_Stevens--Greetings.htm

http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/record-reviews/s/stevens_sufjan/michigan.shtml

http://www.yaleherald.com/article.php?Article=2725

http://www.tangmonkey.com/columns/107249648410647.php

http://www.asthmatickitty.com/music/ss_michigan.htm

http://www.dustedmagazine.com/reviews/897

Interview from around the time of this release: http://www.junkmedia.org/?i=1031

Strangely enough, after this CD more and more albums were released a little too quickly after one another, to convince me if there wasn't a bit of superficiality involved in the ambition, when capturing the States into concepts, because how much difference in reality is there between them ? The whole idea becomes a conceit. I heard it is more involved with stories, but without coming nearer to the core truth behind these stories and characters, also within the context and meaningfulness within the State. Did this became a sophisticated form of s/sw cabaret ?...