It is not often that I begin listening to a record and instantly feel as if someone took the mood from a great piece of writing and put music to it. I can actually only say this has happened a handful of times in my whole life. The first time this happened to me was during the summer of 2005 and I was sitting in a screen porch named Belvedre, eating a rushed lunch, watching it rain, and a friend leaned back in his chair and pressed play on an old cd player. I saw the cd cover and read the name and instantly thought the worst, but then the first note of the first song began to play and my opinions were instantly changed. The sounds that were coming out of the two, small speakers were something I had been wanting to hear for a long, long time. It was music that was both haunting and wonderful. It was both eclectic and perfect. The artist was Sufjan (SUE-fee-on) Stevens and the record was, Greetings from Michigan-The Great Lake State. It contains music that I hadn't heard from anyone in my then 25 years of life.
Sufjan Stevens and his music are hard to define and that is maybe part of his draw. His music is an odd blend of folk, bluegrass, rock, big band, and Broadway. The songs are these grand canvases that may include all the musical styles at one point of the song. Many of the songs have no clear ending or may begin rapidly and lead to an almost whispering end. And the content of the songs reads more like an early twentieth-century novel than a musical record as the lyrics touch upon topics like faith, sin, redemption, a love for place, and a hope for something better.
And all of this reflects the artist who is making this music and it is often odd because he is not exactly definable either. Sufjan is from an inter-faith family, but is a Christian. His first name was given to him by an Islamic cleric and much of his earlier music has a very Middle-Eastern feel. He got involved with RUF while at Hope College and a close listen to his music will reveal that link. However, the record, Michigan, is part of what Sufjan labeled as his 50 State Project and is about the state of Michigan. It was his idea to go to every state and write a record based solely on the information about every state. Since the release of Michigan, Stevens has released another full album and an album of "outtakes" based on the state of Illinois and there is much web-based speculation on which state might be next and many doubters say Stevens never meant to write a record based on every state.
Michigan, contains 22 songs and snippets of songs about the Great Lakes State. Stevens spent much of his life in the state and one can feel a very personal vibe for many of the songs. It is odd to listen to a record about a place. It really makes the state feel more alive than one would think that a place can feel. It also makes someone who has never been to Michigan feel as if they had and that to me may be the most powerful part about this record. It is not often that a song or even a record makes one feel as if they know a place they've never been. Stevens does this in both of his albums about states.
I would recommend a listen to Sufjan Stevens. you may not like him the first time around, but I can probably guarantee that he'll grow on you. and if he doesn't you will at least respect him for the type of music he is making, his ability to play so many different instruments well, and the effort he puts forth both in the writing and playing of his songs.
Happy Listening,
David
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