The new 11-track album by Illinois native Sufjan Stevens is full of toned-down melodies and deeply personal lyrics that are a change of pace from his last albums like Illinois, The BQE and Michigan.
The album, named after his mother who passed away in 2012 and stepfather, features whispered vocals, piano and lots of acoustic guitar.
It is the kind of album that you listen to alone in a quiet space. After the first listen, it leaves you feeling almost melancholy with a sense of longing.
The album is full of songs with repeating verses, “All of me wants all of you,” “How, how did this happen?,” “I want to be near you,” “We’re all gonna die.”
The tone of the album is consistent with the topics that Stevens is exploring in his lyrics – death, forgiveness and finding your faith.
“With this record, I needed to extract myself out of this environment of make-believe,” said Stevens in a recent interview with Pitchfork magazine. “It’s something that was necessary for me to do in the wake of my mother’s death—to pursue a sense of peace and serenity in spite of suffering. It’s not really trying to say anything new, or prove anything, or innovate. It feels artless, which is a good thing. This is not my art project; this is my life.”
The song “No Shade in the Shadow of the Cross” was the first track of the album released in February and sets the precedent of the album with lyrics like, “Drag me to hell in the valley of the damned, Like my mother, give wings to a stone, It’s only the shadow of the cross.”
The full album has been released for private listening parties across the country. It is available to listen to now online at NPR First Listen.
The album is available for pre-sale, but it will be officially released March 30. It can be purchased through Stevens’ website.
