Sufyan Stevens “The Avalanche” [Asthmatic Kitty] (CD)

Sufjan (suf-yawn) Stevens gives us what would have been the 2nd CD from the Illinois Album if time pressure had not won out. What we get is an echo of Illinoise with common themes repeated- Saul Bellow instead of Carl Sandburg, Clyde Tombaugh (discover of Pluto) instead of Aliens landing in Highland, etc. We get 3 versions of Chicago- acoustic, adult contempory easy listening, and multiple prsonality disorder- so pick your favorite. Similar in tone and feel to Illinoise- we get a master of quirky indi pop with upbeat, thoughtful lyrics along with a peek at the underlying decay that a closer examination of life in any state can bring. Sprinkle on just a little to spice up any playlist. With 21 tracks from 1:30 to 6:40 its easy to do.
-nic