The beauty of Sufjan Stevens is not only the pastoral and gorgeous lush of this masterful album, it's his ability to impart his spiritual faith within each song, allowing listeners to universally relate. He weaves a heady collection of hook and verse, turn of the rythmn and avant guard jauntiness. The sadness of the trombone, the autumnal crisp sound of the banjo lend to the Americana of Michigan and the souls who are its backbone.
Each song melts into an intoxicating, haunting track of wonder, longing, sadness and God. You just have to listen and pay attention. Sufjan shows us this. He produces contemplative songs without preaching, without condenscending. This isn't "Christian Rock" - not at all. This is humanistic. Songs in this masterpiece evoke the daily grind and heartbreak of the heartland, the broken down factories, the husband who lost his wife and job, and how they all question their existance while languishing in the doldums of a dieing city. They long for the welcoming arms of the farm while hoping God shows mercy. The sound on "Michigan", the beat, the whisper of his voice, the harmonies by Megan Smith and the influence of the Danielson Family adds an eccentric punch to an album I can only describe as fascinating, thought provoking, dreamy and intoxicating. Apparently, he will be trying to write an album on each of the 50 states. I can't wait for the next 49.
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