Illinois

This album is what I assume what a Hipster Anthem would sound like. Unimposing folksy indie rock. This was fine, but it had a longer than needed (or wanted) run time of 74 minutes.

Better than expected, but not something I would listen to often.

The musical style is both familiar and unusual at the same time. The lyrics are quirky and amusing like "John Wayne Gacy, Jr."

This is a solid album! It feels like an indie rock musical with themes that keep popping up throughout. I always love when this album comes on but I dont always reach for it.

He's good but very intimate and slow

Definitely weird. Well made concept album which doesn't seem as long as it actually is. It's relaxed sound and amazing arrangements are the highlights of the album.

Bien

decent as mellow bg music 3.5 rounded down

Muy denso.

Good and such but not really my style. Sounds similar to Bon Iver (who I like a lot) but too messy and happy. I think you need to listen in to this to like it.

pre: never listened, I tend to associate Sufjan Stevens with pretention in my head. Looking forward to being wrong I liked this more than I anticipated, that's about as far as I'm willing to go

Alright

Good album, really liked all of it.

It’s like if Elliott Smith was from Chicago

it's a lighthearted cute little album with few things going on below the surface.

First Sufjan Stevens albums I've ever listened to. listened to it in segments. Feel like you need to sit down with this one....

Ok

Interested at first, repetitive by the end

This is a super weird album. At first, I thought I was really going to like it, later on...not so much. A brief listing of music that the album made me think of while listening: Arcade Fire, Charlie Brown, The Polyphonic Spree, Super Furry Animals, Peter & the Wolf. It's not unpleasant. It's unique and, in places, very, very good. 3 stars seems about right. I'd listen to it again, but I wouldn't seek it out.

A pleasant surprise in that there were a few songs I quite liked but also several I wasn’t so keen on. Overall far too long and rather overblown.

One of those albums that always coexisted in my life but I never really listened to it because of the people that liked it. Honestly not what I was expecting, way more musical than I thought, which makes way more sense that they are making a musical of it, but still not really my jam. For a certain set of geriatric millennials this encapsules a very specific type of hipster and for that it should be on this list. Will I listen to it again? Probably not.

Some of the best song titles I've ever seen, but the album itself was just so-so.

Not my thing. I'm sure its fine for fans of the genre though.

3 stars. Really torn on this. Musically I love Sufjan’s stuff - it’s pretty and inventive. but lyrically it’s too cutesy and self consciously quirky for me. How many song titles with 15 words does one album need? He feels like the kind of person who would say “I’m a nerd” in an annoying way

Lot of good songs, but there is also lot of very short, senseless tracks.

It was okay, just not my type of music

Not bad

Pretty great background music. Almost plays like kids songs.

I thought this was going to be some kind of a comedy album based on the title and the cover. 2.5

Very emotional, in fact too emotional but still a good album.

3,7

Intens maar goeie background

Chicago is a brilliant song, I liked some of the others - the album overstayed it's welcome though.

When this album came out it inspired me to write an album with one song based on/within each of Canada's 13 provinces or territories. Work still in progress, unfortunately. Goddammit. This album has such a massive reach, and in theory should be everything I like. It's...close. Sorta. ..... Actually it's not - it's just too much in so many ways which is something I don't often complain about; I should really go on about how melodic it is while being so complex in composition and arrangement. It is! Jumpy rhythms and odd time signatures punctuating many of the songs.... It's all very pleasant and interesting to listen to! In an "I'm strolling excruciatingly slowly through a museum with my hands behind my back like an 89 year old Italian guy just slowly taking in the local bocce game in the park" kinda way. Specific critiques? ...for one, it has to be said but man - his voice is more than just a little too sensitive and especially over what feels like 82 songs. That dry precious sound would have been great for the first song then maybe varying it up a little ... get fking angry or even just ... agitated? Are you reading a Dr. Seuss book to a 3 year old? As a whole it's all also weirdly/simultaneously too dense *and* too bland. Insulting, I know. At some points I'd wished I would/could write something similar. But vary up the formula a little bit??? Or use some freaking dynamics?? Maybe this album needed a smash single or something or a killer 8 minute Pink Floyd-esque odd-time organ break. It's hard to sink into, but maybe therein lies the secret? Maybe the charm is to just get lost in this sound. - - You know who did/does this almost exact thing yet way better: Jeremy Messersmith. That guy knows how to write a song, keep it to a reasonable length, be precious without being annoying, and make you feel something. - - I thought I needed to spend more time with it - and maybe I still do (but who has that kind of time?) - and not give up on it like I did 12 years ago like when I got to my Manitoba song. But in another way, I knew my project wasn't (still isn't) ready and I sliced a few cuts (provinces) within the first 2 years, in part because other collaborators gave me some needed perspective... ...and so I'm left thinking Sufjan needed an external voice or 3 here as well - if this were say 10 (or 13!) songs and had at least one centrepiece or killer track it probably could have been close to greatness. As it is, I think I'm good for 4 or 5 cuts - any ones, actually - start at track 6? sure! who would know?!? - and then moving on to something else. Points for serious effort and spending a lot of time at the Chicago public library (although some of these lyrics come out like they were written by me in 4th grade so maybe he should have gone out to Wrigley Field instead. What, no Ernie Banks songs?) but in the end it's like one singular 75 minute soundtrack for a cute 6th grade holiday pageant that has gone on far too long and our kid already had their quick little sheep cameo so can we go home already?? (I probably graded it too high but I need to separate this from the shitty lo-fi/lo-efforts of the world in my own stupid little headspace) 5/10 3 stars

This really wasn't for me. But I could see how others would like it.

This was like music from a cinematic universe. I wasn’t sure where the gel this was going but by Chicago, I was on with it. Dragged on a bit towards the end though

Album 521 of 1001 Sufjan Stevens - Illinois (2005) Rating : 3 / 5 Interesting album. One whose "concept" I'll need to go back and pay more attention to. Some awesome instrumentation in the album. A bit of experimentation as many tracks don't seem to follow the dotted lines of a lot of popular music. ___________________________________ Illinois is a 2005 concept album by American singer-songwriter Sufjan Stevens. His fifth studio album, it features songs referencing places, events, and persons related to the U.S. state of Illinois. Illinois is Stevens' second based on a U.S. state—part of a planned series of fifty that began with the 2003 album Michigan and that Stevens has since acknowledged was a joke. It was adapted into a musical, Illinoise, in 2023 and, after playing smaller venues, opened at the St. James Theatre on Broadway in April 2024.

Pretty good, a little long, but nice to work to.

I heard about this guy and album a lot in the mid 00's as the critics loved him but I never really gave him a try until now. It was ok but nothing I haven't heard a million times before that's not to say I didn't enjoy it I might even listen to it again but it never blew me away just sounded like a million. Other guys with a guitar coming out of America at that time

A bit bland, which came as a surprise considering how fun the song titles are. The lyrics had their moments, and I didn't hate it overall, but I don't think I'd seek it out again. I like the concept of doing state albums but feel it could have been more fun.

Favorite track: They are Night Zombies!!! [...]

Interesting record, with one song I like a lot (Chicago), but the rest of them are just ok.

i have always held that sufjan stevens makes music for annoying pretentious gay people. i say this as an annoying pretentious gay person myself, so unfortunately i liked some of the tracks on this

Not really my type, although sometimes it reminds one of the minimalistic pieces by Philip Glass or Steve Reich. But then it wanders of into some kind of not so exciting vocal parts. But still, creative.

Guess I would've loved it like 15 years ago. its not bad but long and aimless

Just average.

Not a bad album. There were times I thought this was boring or things sounded the same, but a lot of it was interesting even if it wasn't really my thing. 3/5

Interesting.

The album had variety, but was just a bit too long. Not sure it should be on this list as it was just okay.

It was enjoyable and unexpected; however, it seemed a bit long.

Ok

Never heard him before (that I know of) but I enjoyed the listen! Felt like I should have been watching a movie it was the soundtrack to. I’m not sure that I would listen to this exact album end to end again but I would like to hear more of his music.

Good music with weird vibes kinda good kinda bad

Love Sufjan's creativity and story telling.

Not sure about sufjan. Don't get anything from this.

Konstigt album men på typ ett bra sätt. Tyckte inte många låtar stack ut och var asgrymma utan alla låg på samma nivå. Lite halvbra ibland kanske men allt jag fick var goda vibes. Bästa låt: Come on! och They are Night Zombies!!

Probably wanna relisten. I liked it but wasn’t crazy for me

Beautiful, but a bit too boring for me

Oh boy, this is going to be a long post :-) 01) Concerning the UFO Sighting near Highland, Illinois - 8,0 02) The Black Hawk War, or, How to Demolish an Entire Civilization and Still Feel Good About Yourself in the Morning, or, We Apologize for the Inconvenience but You're Going to Have to Leave Now, or, 'I Have Fought the Big Knives and Will Continue to Fight Them Until They Are Off Our Lands! - 7,0 03) Come On! Feel the Illinoise! (Part I: The World's Columbian Exposition/Part II: Carl Sandburg Visits Me in a Dream) - 7,5 04) John Wayne Gacy, Jr. - 8,0 05) Jacksonville - 7,0 06) A Short Reprise for Mary Todd, Who Went Insane, but for Very Good Reasons - / 07) Decatur, or, Round of Applause for Your Stepmother! - 6,5 08) One Last 'Whoo-Hoo!' for the Pullman!! - / 09) Go! Chicago! Go! Yeah! - 8,5 10) Casimir Pulaski Day - 7,0 11) To the Workers of the Rock River Valley Region, I Have an Idea Concerning Your Predicament, and It Involves Tube Socks, a Paper Airplane, and Twenty-Two Able-Bodied Men - 6,5 12) The Man of Metropolis Steals Our Hearts - 7,5 13) Prairie Fire That Wanders About - 6,5 14) A Conjunction of Drones Simulating the Way in Which Sufjan Stevens Has an Existential Crisis in the Great Godfrey Maze - / 15) The Predatory Wasp of the Palisades Is Out to Get Us! - 6,5 16) They Are Night Zombies!! They Are Neighbors!! They Have Come Back from the Dead!! Ahhhh! - 7,0 17) Let's Hear That String Part Again, Because I Don't Think They Heard It All the Way Out in Bushnell - / 18) In This Temple as in the Hearts of Man for Whom He Saved the Earth - / 19) The Seer's Tower - 6,5 20) The Tallest Man, the Broadest Shoulders (Part I: The Great Frontier/Part II: Come to Me Only with Playthings Now) - 6,5 21) Riffs and Variations on a Single Note for Jelly Roll, Earl Hines, Louis Armstrong, Baby Dodds, and the King of Swing, to Name a Few - / 22) Out of Egypt, into the Great Laugh of Mankind, and I Shake the Dirt from My Sandals as I Run - 5,5 TOTAL: 7,00 (70/100) Current ranking: 157/241 So, I spent an entire album reading about John Wayne Gacy. Some songs managed to grab my attention, but I think most didn't. "Chicago" is my favorite, it goes on my playlist. I'm going back to reading, I think Gacy is about to be arrested.

I don't know shit about Illinois, but I always thought Chicago was full of crazy sport fans that like getting drunk and into fights. Not really a good soundtrack for that. Apparently there is a lot of other interesting history and things going on other then sports. The music is very 2000's indie pop stuff, it's epic and corny. I grew up with stuff like this, so it's very comfortable to listen to.

This album runs long and I prefer a bit of edge in my music, but its light fare is not an unpleasant listen.

Different…first reference to Stephen Douglas I’ve heard.

Prefer Stevens’ later, more mature work. This can be a bit twee and repetitive.

This was kind of beautiful and kind of sad. I thought his voice and music were lovely, but the songs were kind of depressing.

It's big, it's long, and it's not bad.

1. 5 2. 7 3. 3- least favourite 4. 6 5. 5 6. n/A 7. 4 8. N/a 9. 6 10. 6.5 11. 7.5 12. 5 13. 7.5 -favourite 14. N/a 15. 4.5 16. 6 17. 6 18. N/a 19. 6.5 20. 6 21. N/a 22. 3 5.56/10 2.78/5

Well this album deserves an award for the longest song titles. An independent concept album where the artist not only recorded and produced, but played most of the instruments as well. I should love this, but it fell kind of flat for me. I found my mind continually wandering whilst listening. It just couldn't hold my attention, with songs just blending together.

A coworker had this album on his default playlist for the office, so I was already somewhat familiar with it. I think the album concept is interesting, and there seems to be a lot of depth to the songs (both lyrically and musically), but wouldn't be excited about having a song about John Wayne Gacy appear in my regular rotation either.

I wanted to like this album much more than I did. I've heard many of the songs before, but had never sat down to listen to the album carefully. Positives: - Interesting instrumentation, particularly the use of brass - Interesting harmonies - Feels very cinematic (perhaps that's just the orchestral arrangements?) Negatives: - I don't care for his voice, which feels very boring to me - Feels disjointed; perhaps a thin line between experimental and just 'needs an editor' but this felt more like the latter to me From a genre perspective, this is exactly the kind of thing that should appeal to me, but in practice I just don't particularly like it.

The sounds were cool. I never thought I’d say this, but not every emotion needs to be a song.

I GET the Sufjan hype but I've never been able to get into his music.

Yeah, this is nice and all, but not really my jam. 2.5/5

arranjos característicos das bandas fofas dos meados dos 2000

Nice. Not really for me but some really great songs in there

Good

I bet theater majors eat this up. All in all I think this is a fine album. It's got some pretty good songs and some snoozefests. I'm not a big fan of the soft, wordy, melodramatic acoustic songs on here. I think they're pretty boring. The whole album, which goes on for a bit longer than it should, feels like an art house indie film. Quirky and trying to stand out, but long-winded and a little pretentious. 5/10 Would I listen again? There's some halfway decent tunes that I wouldn't mind listening to again, but the whole thing is a no for me.

didn't realize the state of Illinois needed an album... but here we are. never heard of Sufjan Stevens, or this album before but its oddly beautiful. i enjoyed having it on in the background while working. i am sure the lyrics are probably a bit deeper than what i heard, but all in all it was a pleasant listen.

Album has it moments of sleep and some interest. It’s a pretty interesting album though and somehow the americana nostalgia pulls me in.

Surprised by this one

Not my typical style. Soft & chill vibes. Good for reading/writing to.

Songs added: 6/22 Average: 3.5 Best: 5 (Chicago)

Good album, I enjoy this one a few times a year

Meh. Honestly not bad at all. Just felt like it outstayed it's welcome.

Like the musicality

That is an interesting album that feels like it should have been recorded 20 years earlier. It’s a long album and really needs more than one listen. The lyrics are interesting and the music is decent.

3.5/5

3.5 stars

Kinda cheesy but enjoyable. If it had been the same quality and about Virginia, I would give it a 5. As I don't care for Illinois, let's go with 3

Totally inoffensive and completely......'meh. No edge, no passion....just ditties.

I'm not too big on the album as a whole. Mainly just a genre thing. The vocals are nice and I love the instrument choices throughout the album. I just don't like it much. But I do think "The Man of Metropolis Steals Our Hearts" and "Prairie Fire That Wonders About" are pretty good. Some of the other songs are also Little Big Planet-core AF.

this has so much more instrumentation than I was ready for. I'm used to sufjan just being a guy with a guitar but holy hell the choir and the flutes and the horns went on a bit too long (track 2) oh wait oh no it's the whole album maybe (track 3) OH I KNOW CHICAGO this one is genuinely so good it will probably carry the rest of the album for me (track 9) Okay the second half is way less overstimulating it's still painfully 00s overproduced but I can see why it's important

Great music, interesting. Let down by the lyrics in my opinion. I typically find interest in lyrics about experiences I haven't had, but I thought the ones here weren't interesting at all.

Nice easy listening I've heard the name for years but only new the one song. Not really much relisten factor

Very cool sound. Disjointed at times.

Pleasantly surprised 😊

It’s an interesting album. Chicago is my fav on the album. Overall great arrangements but not something I’d listen to regularly

There are a handful of tracks on this album that with an immersive, full-orchestra sound to them that’s really enjoyable. But it’s also got some aggressively mid-2000s sad boy vocals and experimental mini tracks that hit just a little different in 2024.

Started out not minding it, but it was depressing in places, and enough trumpet to please Phoebe Bridgers. I started to feel like I was trapped in a never ending Broadway show.

Hard to listen to, in the beginning. But surprised about the few songs that I recognized.

Good jazzy laid back album. I could see me listening to this one again.

ok

Meh

Sufjan Stevens’ Illinois is an unsuccessful attempt at abstractness. The idea of painting the songs like Illinois is cool, but it means nothing to me, because I don’t know or care about Illinois. The songs feel dragged out, the music is weird, nothing makes sense, including the titles! My favorite is Come On! Feel the Illinoise! . All in all, Illinois is a mid album. Best Song: Come On! Feel the Illinoise! Worst Song: Decatur, or, Round of Applause for Your Stepmother!

Cool

Beautiful music but I didn't think it was anything special.

Jeremy Messersmith vibes. Soft and super precious. Reminiscent of Penguin Cafe in a couple places. I generally like it, but the convoluted song titles push me away. And 22 songs? ffs 3.5

Interesting listen while I went to the shop :)

This album was wild in all the best ways! A fun time was had, the adventure was real. Favourite track: They Are Night Zombies!! They Are Neighbors!! They Have Come Back From the Dead!! Ahhhh!

I feel this is a love it or hate it album; however, that being said, I find myself mostly in the middle. Every time I thought it was getting airy and boring, or too weird, it would pull me back with a neat vocal melody or interesting musical part. Not at all what I expected. Fav tracks: John Wayne Gacy, Jr., To The Workers of The Rock River..., Prairie Fire That Wanders About

Good listen. Much to enjoy!

An hour and fourteen minutes of songs about Illinois can, no shit, feel a little monotonous. Although, if anyone can pull it off as well as Sufjan, that would certainly be an incredible feat. The whole thing was pretty good, but I felt disinterested the whole time based on the fact that it's entirely about Illinois. Almost feels like an educational album. It was good, every song was nice. It sort of feels like a waste of incredible production and arrangement for an album that's just so lackluster in design. Fun stuff. 3/5

The songwriting definitely shows talent, but on the first couple listens, I’m not connecting with it much.

It has bursts of interest, but then long cycles of putting me to sleep. As an album I don't know, definitely liked some of the songs.

Reminds me of Donovan in the 1960's

Hm, interesting. I like Sufjan Stevens, but this is a bit... pretentious indie nonsense. A few good tracks, but overall disappointing.

Loved this album. I love when artists are not afraid to go big! There were so many different instruments like strings and horn sections. They also had tons of vocal parts in each song. Favorite song was Casimir Pulaski Day. Added to my Spotify library.

I like a lot of the instrumentation, but damn this was way too long. Not enough songs grabbed me. Interested in giving this a re-listen at a later time.

gay little peanuts music

Just okay. Like a softer, more sentimental Fleet Foxes or Beirut. Sufjan is a bit too politely theatric for me, and the chorus parts of his songs can sound like seeing a small live stage performance. He's talented, but he doesn't do it for me.

A largely well-executed concept album that is able to toe the line between the serious and the absurd with ease. While it isn’t something I’d want to listen to every day, this was a fun change up. Listened to: walking through prospect park to go to the doctor. Favorite tracks: The Seer’s Tower, Chicago

Has its good points. A little long, but some of the songs were pretty enjoyable.

Gentle arrangement and very deliberate, despite it's relaxed sound. Mr. Stevens has certainly done a good job making this album sound effortless. The production lends itself well to this. That all being said, I don't know if this music is for me. I had a hard time differentiating songs and it was a bit too long.

On the fence with this one. Can't tell if it's shit or genius

The rhythms are intriguing but the lyrics become boring song to song. All in all, seemed to be a relaxed listening experience as background tunes.

Honestly the only criticism I have of this is the length. He has a lovely voice, good lyricist, and great music. The flow between tracks is great, I love how hard it is to tell one song from another at times, definitely makes this feel like a more coherent immersive concept album. But seriously, this album could benefit a lot from being about half its current length. I have never listened to an album that drags on like this one does.

Soothing - didn't hate it

A nice listen but waffly

Good album

Highlights: Jacksonville, A Short Reprise…, Casimir Pulaski Day, To The Workers… In a nutshell: “Wes Anderson vibes” (my first note when I heard the opening track) Abstract, spiritual and surreal storytelling, with music likely inspired by Neil Young, Bright Eyes, The Shins, The Polyphonic Spree and Elliott Smith (maybe Belle and Sebastian?) It’s an acquired taste for sure. Overall: 5/10

Nothing special, not bad either.

It was okay. Back end of the album was better than the early songs, which were much more experimental and odd.

Interesting - I enjoyed it

Some songs were okay

first few tracks have lots of piano, subtle use of strings, accordion? moving into slightly folky sound on track 8, then onto bells and more pronounced string sounds. almost into Lofi on track 11, into a much more upbeat crunchy sound that mellows out significantly on track 12 with some brass on the track. 13 is very melodic reminds me of a march. 16 has some funk the bass line got thicker on this track. 17 is begging to be sampled in a track, nice string arrangement. 19 the sustain!!! the first minor key song I noticed on the album. 20 back to upbeat, probably one of my favorite tracks on the album after my first listen. Great variety of sounds mostly jazz, folk, pop. Sounds very organic not really blazing any new ground but interesting enough to be appreciated for what it is.

It's alright. Wouldn't want to listen to it again though. ⭐️⭐️⭐️

This is a hard album for me. There’s lots of parts (it’s hard to even call some of them songs) that I really liked but there were still a good amount that I didn’t. The idea of a concept album never really resonates with me. I know people have been doing it for years but for some reason I just can’t get in to them. The actual “songs” on here are very very good but then I would be like 45 seconds into one of the other instrumentations or weird songs and I’d be like wtf is this?

Very gentle vibe. Come down album. Nick Drake + The Shins? John Wayne Gacy Jr. is creepy AF... Decatur - Historical soft pop? Would give a 3.5. Not really a 4.

I already had listened to this album, like it, his voice is soothing

It's quirky, but brilliant. A very surprising find

Took a while to listen to this album but it was a decent hour of tunes

Heb wel van deze artiest gehoord, maar echt nog nooit muziek van m geluisterd. Dit is meteen een flink album om mee te beginnen, met hele rare titels. Beetje gedoe om dan zo'n hele titel over te schrijven, omdat sommige halve boeken zijn joh. Maaaaar qua muziek klinkt het fijn, de stem van Sufjan is heel prettig. Ik ben iets later met dit album dan gepland, maar dit voelt nu al als een perfect maandagochtend album. Dit is zeker geen album dat ik elke dag zou willen luisteren, maar voor deze maandag is het echt dikke prima. Het kabbelt een beetje voort met hier en daar een soort explosie qua muziek. Best wel leuk! Ben alleen bang dat het album te lang duurt met ruim een uur. Merk toch dat ik dan vaak mn aandacht er niet bij kan houden. Voor nu prima, het is een beetje lieve slappe piemel indie pop. Soms is dat gewoon prima. Nadeel en beetje waar ik al bang voor was: Wat duurt dit album lang... Ik denk dat hier een fantastisch album van 40 minuten in zit, nu is het een ok album van 75 minuten. FAVO: Come on! Feel the Illinoisse pt1..., Jacksonville, Chicago, Casimir Pulaski Day, They are night zombies!!

1st album achieved! Enjoyed it ***1/2

Distasteful yet very listenable

Ok, kind of middle of the road. I expected it to be better so it was kind of underwhelming. It improved in the middle and then ended on a low point.

Tää oli varsin hyvä vaikka kansi antoi olettaa jotain ihan muuta! 3/5

Very relaxing music but still very engaging

Kinda like Cold Play

Bold and beautiful compositions paired with some high school level songwriting. Worth the listen and engaging but I don't think I'll be adding this to my rotation. 7/10

It started off so promising with the opening tracks, but I'm sad to say it fell off and I ended up bored by the end. There's lots to appreciate here - the big concept album approach, tons of varied instruments, lots of interesting songs, good lyrics. It's way too long for me though. The songs are all quite soft, and touching on the twee for some of them, and it's just too much. There's still some good tracks throughout, but it mostly feels like one big gentle thing.

Overall enjoyed good vocals and Songwriting. Light 7

I mean... it's alright. Experimental, but indie.

Very interesting. Almost feel like I can describe it as an upscale home production of a musical soundtrack. I was surprised how much I enjoyed it

It's quite nice and musically very accomplished, but too twee for me.

Hard to classify -- sort of easy listening pop. I had never heard Sufjan Stevens before and didn't know what to expect. Very pretty, soothing sound with a lot of strings and choral arrangements, giving it a Broadway musical feel. I liked a couple of the songs (Jacksonville in particular) but the melodies and tone were pretty consistent throughout with the lyrics mostly differentiating the songs. OK -- not going to be a regular listen.

Interesting album. Lots going on in it

The 50 albums for 50 states idea still tickles me 😂 fine but now for me really

Did not expect much going in, but it was an interesting listen.

I found this interesting. I recognized a track or two. This is a classic problem with the five star system. I don't know if it reaches a four. It's definitely not a five. If I give it a three, it might get lost in the shuffle. Hm. On second listen the songs are all pretty similar to one another.

The jury's in two minds, sitting on the fence, smoking a cigarillo, all done up like a Michelangelo pastiche by Wed Anderson. First listen made me the most boring person in the world according to my former English teacher, as only boring people get bored and this bored me to smithereens. I was in the wrong mood. All but the mildest suggestion of jauntiness in music's can provoke the inner snarler, and this is liberally sprinkled with the dicey stuff, vacuum-sealed in po-mo, another of my triggers. This is clearly clever, eloquent, crafted with distinctive instrumentation fitted to song-shapes that might've been set down on ancient papyrus by Pythagoras or maybe McCartney, but I don't have the time or energy to work out what he's singing about, what the through-line is, and mentally file over an hour's worth of pop chamber music. It's probably good?

Ok.

Chicago slaps

Great, intro to indie and sufjan but the length is overwhelming.

i understand sufjan wanted to be comprehensive but the runtime is still a little long for me

There's some real power in these songs, and it's a neat orchestral motif that he concocted. Casimir Pulaski Day is a standout that's particularly haunting and beautiful. My only beef is the overall length vs. the refusal to stray from the same sound throughout the entire album.

3.5. Interesting ideas pulled off well. I never knew I needed so many songs about Illinois.

Bien disco, aunque no es de mis autores favoritos

I've been a fan for a while but have never listened to a whole album of his. That was a lot to take all at once.

Pas mal bland, mais tu pognes des petits bouts de saveur tout au long de l'écoute, faque ça à le mérite d'avoir un 3.

duplicate

Instrumentally diverse. A little too deep for me. It’s grown on me though through this listen.

Some of the songs were pleasant however it was mostly minor & not appealing. Prob would not listen again.

Released in 2005, Sufjan Stevens' "Illinois," is a sprawling and ambitious exploration of the state's history, laden with 22 tracks that weave a rich tapestry of sound and storytelling. Stevens' chamber-folk style is intricately crafted, marked by chirping vocals and abundant orchestration that evoke comparisons to his previous work in 2003's "Michigan." The album unintentionally reinforces East Coast stereotypes of Midwestern values, presenting earnest, hard-working music that is morally rooted and technically precise. The musical landscape of "Illinois" is bordering both strange and lush, mirroring the complexity of its giant, gushing song titles. A standout track, "John Wayne Gacy, Jr.," delves into the chilling pathology of Illinois' notorious serial killer. Stevens showcases his literary prowess, detailing Gacy's life with alarming accuracy while shifting perspectives gracefully. The song stands as a testament to Stevens' ability to evoke nuanced emotions, alternating between being rousing and distressing, creating a captivating blend that leaves listeners unsure whether to reach for party shoes or a box of tissues. With a runtime of seventy-four minutes, "Illinois" demands patience, navigating through intricate orchestration and meticulous arrangements. The album's 22 (!) tracks include transitional snippets, and hidden gems like "The Tallest Man, the Broadest Shoulder" reward those who persevere. In both theory and execution, "Illinois" stands as a monumental collection of impeccably arranged American tribute songs, showcasing Stevens as one of the best songwriters of his generation, on par with contemporaries like Bon Iver and Keaton Henson.

Is Sufjan Stevens talented, musically? Yes. Does his music interest me? No. He reminds me of novelists that use the stream-of-consciousness technique. I'm not into them either.

I only found out how to pronounce his name when I heard it on University Challenge last year, as I'm shit with things like that. Over the years, I've only listened to the odd song by him until now. Not what I was expecting, as it was much more quieter and tuneful. Really liked 'Jacksonville' and ''Chicago', and a couple of others. This album had a similar vibe to The Polyphonic Spree, which is a good thing. Nice enough for a low 3.

Very odd collection of songs. Definitely worth the listen

So many if these albums are masterpieces and 24 hours isn't enough to form a coherent opinion of them. This is a classic example where I managed 1.5 listens through and liked what I heard by it didn't manage to get a sense of the stories and the magnitude of the thing. I'll try to revisit.

Indie Classic. Used to love this but now its just okay. Im not a lyrics dude.

Liked a couple of songs. "Chicago" was my fav -- of course because it was the one that was most familiar. Breathy lyrics, some of it reminded me of Beatles stuff after they got a little more experimental (high flute notes . . .) Album was very long

Indie rock, Indie folk, Indie pop, Folk rock, Baroque pop, Experimental rock, Folk baroque

Still not sure if I enjoyed the album or not.

Man, I hoping to like this album more, but it wasn't anything special for me. Maybe I just wasn't listening close enough, or maybe the length was getting to me, but I found myself bored some of the time. There were definitely good parts, and I'd overall call the album good, but I was left not feeling much by the end. My favourite song was John Wayne Gacy, Jr.

Ok ,slightly long winded.

Not what I expected but also not really my thing. Would give him another shot for sure

Played in a LOT of coffee shops circa 2006.

It was a nice album to relax to. It had some nice vibes, but I'm not sure when I would ever seek it out.

Very interesting. Cool name on both album and artist. Music was very laid-back and occasionally put me in mind of Bill Wurtz. Was surprised to learn it's from as recent 2005. Good listening in the background but wouldn't go out of my way to put it on.

Kinda weird

Слишком позитивно Но одна песня мне понравилась

the theme was very fun but I got distracted by the shorter "songs"

It was fine. Too involved for a work listen, and I'm sure the concept was much deeper than I gleaned, but it didn't blow me away. Good instrumentation for much of the album though.

This is the worst type of album to hear for the first time while focused elsewhere. I had to lookup the song titles separately. Clearly, it's a dense project that has a lot of cultural/historical references and deserves more time and listens than I can afford at this moment. That said, I still was able to appreciate the instrumentals on some of these tracks, and there was never a song I actively disliked. I'm not writing this off, just too busy for the moment. Fav Tracks: Jacksonville, Chicago, The Man of Metropolis...

It’s good for what it is. Not stuff that’s normally up my alley

Good music just not my style

Una épica obra a la que hay que dedicarle tiempo. Es vasta y compleja, tanto que se hace muy larga. De Sufjan prefiero cuando es más conciso.

Too long. Definitely could have cut it down to just the tracks that have an actual identity. Half the songs are just whimsical for the sake of whimsy and don’t really feel like they’ve had much thought put into them.

Nothing really stuck to me bad or good, everything just slid off like butter one a hot pan

nice mellow music. It's ok

doesn’t tickle me but it’s good

Cover funny. Cool z ghöre was Musikkritiker 2005 so abgfiirt hend. Bläser instrumentierig natürlich immer es plus (ussert es isch "brass techno", das cha vo mir us de drummer uf sine 5 Plastikchübel allei spiele.) Strings findi au schlöö. Banjo auno, nice. De Jesus bueb chan singe und schriebe, au wenns mich mengmol biz glangwilt het (i oisere schnällläbige ziit), herzigi lieder. Dass de dude gseit het er macht es Album zu jedem staat findi sehr funny.

Couple great songs. Great voice.

Not a bad album at all! Was surprised how much I enjoy the beginning of this album! It was fun, bright, and had some interesting musical choices! However, about halfway through, I found myself bored. I ventured on and realized we're kinda treading the same ground in the latter half. Not bad at all, but definitely wears you out with it's sound and somewhat overstays it's welcome and by the end, you're wandering if the whole thing needed to be a 1 hour and 14 minute experience. I enjoy what it has to offer more than I dislike it! But definitely wouldn't go out of my way to listen to this album another time.

I'm familiar with "Casimir Pulaski Day," but other than that, I haven't listened to any of Sufjan Stevens' music. This album has been on my list to listen to for a while, but this was my first time getting around to it. This album was pretty middle of the road in my opinion. It was pleasant to listen to, but I didn't feel like anything here was lighting the world on fire. Sufjan's singing is nice, and the musical arrangements are nice and pleasant as well, especially the horns and strings that were present throughout the album. The lyrics and overall theme were very creative as well, but they weren't really enough to really captivate me. This was a nice piece of music, but I don't think it's something I'll revisit.

Folk. Rock. Curioso.

Such a ling album, needs a few listens, didn't immediately grab me but it might.

Taattua Sufjania.

This is one of the strangest albums I've ever come across the music itself is fine but the presentation is just all over the place and I still don't know what to make of it. The album art feels like it's from the 60s, the majority of the song titles are run on sentences that are insanely long, there's a song about john wayne gacy? On top of that I'm already not a big fan of this style of folk music but by the end I did end up liking this album even though I will likely never listen to it again.

There’s something I don’t like about Sufjan Stevens. Maybe he lies a little too close to my own sensibilities. So I didn’t really like this album, but maybe that’s not his fault.

Production is pretty good. Not a big fan of vocal timbre. Iike the album cover. Feels a bit Disneyish Not a big fan of music did not finish

Sweet, Elliot Smith vibes. Nice easy listening while working.

Some good and some meh here. I listened to this a bunch when new. My opinion is the same now as then. Gacy is a super weird track.

It's nice and very Chicago.

Liked more songs towards the end?

Pleasantly surprised by this one. Wish more of the album sounded like those first few bigger arrangements. The "white guy that thinks he's clever and has an acoustic stringed instrument" sections lose me, but those orchestral/big band moments are so good. Almost a 4.

Definitely unlike anything I’ve ever heard before. I enjoyed it, but… you know that saying “there’s so much movie in this movie?” Yeah, I felt that way about this album. There was SO MUCH music in this music, to the point where it was overwhelming to listen to after a while.

Conflicted about that one. There are some good song. Some of them I found too chaotic and stressful. The best one is just way too sad

Liked the concept kind of all sounded the same

While it holds moments of brilliance, it felt lengthy and somewhat too pop-centric for my taste. Stevens' vocals, though initially captivating, became somewhat monotonous after the first few tracks. The album's rich and intricate instrumentation certainly showcases Stevens' talent and creativity. The unexpected twists and turns in the music can be quite engaging, adding depth to the overall experience. It's clear that a lot of effort went into crafting this sonic journey. It's worth noting that, in the right context, "Illinois" could work beautifully as a background soundtrack during family road trips, providing an enjoyable and unobtrusive musical backdrop for shared moments.

Kosi kvöld.is

Sehr angenehm, aber nicht aufregend 3.5

Artistic

I was vaguely aware of Sufjan Stevens given he was referenced on Snow Patrol's Eyes Open album, but hadn't ever listened to his stuff. Pretty folky stuff, I can imagine a lot of it being written around a campfire with an acoustic guitar. I didn't really get into it

Theatrical.

Meh

Cool introduction to Sufjan Stevens and makes me want to listen to newest album that egghead liked. Some moments sounded very pleasant, soothing, and satisfying while others felt bland, repetitive, or drawn out. Overall immersive and would listen to in a lot of contexts. Felt like it could give me nostalgia for things I've never experienced. 7/10

Very unique album. I liked the artistic quality of the songs, but I won't go out of my way to listen to any of these songs again.

Jeremy Messersmith vibes. Soft and super precious. Reminiscent of Penguin Cafe in a couple places. 3.6

Notables include Decatur. Chicago, especially, which is a 2006 ipod shuffle nostalgia vibe. Casimir Pulaski Day, To The Workers of...,

Good, but too damn long

Litt mye til tider

Hyvä levy!

Strange and interesting. Not really sure how I feel about it. Was a fun listen, but probably won’t go back to it anytime soon.

Unusual, but nice.

It was fun, but did not blow my mind. Definite talented artist though.

Not what i wanted/ expected

Would've been better as an instrumental album

Meh, nothing special.

Did not listen. But should.

Спокойный и расслабляющий альбом, но композиции не запоминаются. Моя оценка - 6/10

Good! Interesting

Didn't really get this at the time it came out, and don't really get it now. Chicago is a good song (but absolutely does not need to be 6 minutes long), there are a couple of nice ballads in there but it all gets a bit twee after a while (and definitely after an hour and a quarter). Gets a 3, because it's beautiful easy listening music if you don't really concentrate on it, and is interesting when you dial your attention in for a track or two at a time, but it's too much to last a whole album.

Remember that Drama Teacher who wrote a musical and had aspirations of making it on Broadway? That pretty much sums up this album. I like the concept but clocking in at over a hour it wears thin. Chicago is an epic and enjoyable but some of the other tracks are nothing more than superficial filler. I would love to give this a higher score for the songs I love but as an album this falls short

Another album I have known about for a long time, but never listened to. I didn't mind it, a little too self conscious for me (I think the Wes Anderson references in other reviews are spot on), but there are some good moments.

The one song I recognized (Chicago) was very good. This rest of the album is fine but didn’t make a huge impact on me.

Great concept and would have been cool if he finished the series. BUT, this was a little too long for me and I do think a few songs could have been cut.

Felt a bit on the long side but not terrible

Feels like I've listened to a movie. Interesting idea, but bit boring in execution

Yeah listened to this enough and I'm not gonna right now. It's good, it's really good.... But just don't thrill the way it does when I was 20 and trying to connect with a girl who liked it.

fuck me i wrote a whole long review as i was listening through and it deleted. here's what i remember writing: - i generally like the calmer ones over the experimental ones which is unusual for me - with the exception of chicago which i didn't like too much i generally like the bigger ones better which is also unusual for me - conflicted feelings about feel the illinoise, can't tell if i'm intrigued or annoyed by it. feels like something i'd listen to with my partner - really like mary todd, who's surprised, i love a bit of instrumental - thought i liked night zombies more than i do it just starts with cool guitar okay that's where i got up to, i had some more points but don't remember them. i really really like the seer's tower (radiohead-esque) and i liked the two short instrumental pieces before it too. i was working while listening to the last three songs and none stood out to me. overall i like what the album was trying to do but i'm not sure if i'd choose to listen again, i think it was a little too long.

Not bad

Wanted to like but and the well known songs are great but the rest just seemed wishy washy, horn arrangements and sound was lovely tho

Pleasant and inoffensive, but ultimately kind of boring for me. Despite being a morose young adult during the hay day of the 2000's indie singer-songwriter era, I never really liked most of this sedate stuff. I don't think it's bad, it's just not my thing.

Good sad album

good for a caffee shop but i did not finish. slightly boring...

Pleasant. Reminds of death cab for cutey, bright eyes, Jason mraz... Can't quite put my finger on the exact artist I'm thinking off, but stuff my ex listened to in 2005-06

Oh Sufjan prachtige muziek maar niet zijn beste imo.

Surprising: really not sure how to feel about this album as it wasn't what I thought. For starters it was quite long but nothing unreasonable. I found that it lost my interest at parts but at the same time I loved the riffs and guitar in other tracks. I wouldn't say this album is bad, it is a little abstract to me though. Would I listen again: maybe, feel as if it needs the time to be appreciated. I won't be doing that very soon. At the end of the day it wasn't 100% for me at the moment but definitely widened my music knowledge.

I never completely forgave him for abandoning that 50-state album cycle he was going to do, so I haven’t listened in a while, but it’s got some good songs and the titles are great.

Very grandiose. Great instrumentation, interesting lyrics although the concept got lost for me a few times. Some songs feel a bit dragged out, and album doesn't have a great pacing although the "interludes" between the longer songs stop the album from being outright tiresome. 3/5

Different & Good! Not sure about the JWG song?!

Really would have thought I'd like this more. Love Chicago, that's a real standout. However, the rest was just a bit over the top for me? I dunno, I'm surprised I didn't like it more lol, low 3

Jazzy but folky and ambient at times. A unique album that definitely needs multiple listens 7/10

One of only two Sufjan albums I enjoy. Carrie and Lowell is the other. It’s good but it’s kinda over long. 2.5 rounded up.

Pretty chill and good vibe but nothing memorable, especially with 5000 character long albums titles Rating : 3 / 5

Listenable

6.5

Obviously very good music. None of it clicked for me at all. Just felt like I was watching it happening rather than experiencing anything.

I want to like this a lot more than I did. The production and musicianship are wonderful. There are some really great songs. But overall, it just didn’t grab me. The music is gorgeous but it all felt the same to me, which ultimately dulled everything. It was all a little too sweet.

I feel I need to give this another listen to. Feel’s like Sufjan’s ‘The Wall’ with repeated musical motifs and themes. 3.5 stars at first listen but I might rate it higher after a few listens.

Creative, grandiose, lovely and weird, mildly pretentious. Enjoyable, but really too long. Fave Songs: The Predatory Wasp of the Palisades Is Out to Get Us!; Come On! Feel the Illinoise!; Go! Chicago! Go! Yeah!; The Tallest Man, the Broadest Shoulders; To the Workers of the Rock River Valley Region...; The Man of Metropolis Steals Our Hearts

Starts great but then just goes on for so long! Cut 10 songs and I would love this one.

Not bad for that type of music

I enjoy some of Sufjan Stevens' music. His 2015 album Carrie and Lowell is devastating in all the right ways. This album was a little too experimental, too all over the place, and way too long. 3.

Really torn on this. Yes it is not that exciting, but also, it is done really well for what it is....

Unless yours is hollowed out and use it as a place to keep your sex toys, Bibles are a big turnoff. However, once I was able to get beyond that, I was good with this one.

This album was really good, but kind of hit or miss. If they had cut some of the lesser songs on here and shortened the overall length it could be a 4 easy

Kinda atmospheric. Like the piano, very floaty. It starts off strong with the first 3 tracks but gets more boring/generic after that. Picked up a bit in the latter half of the album. It was alright I hesitate to give it a 4 because the highs did not make up for the lows. The lows of the album weren't as drastically bad as others though. This is probably another 3 for the books 3/5

Some great songs but it’s also a snoozer of an album at times

A pleasant Sunday afternoon chilled vibes kinda album, interesting orchestration.

I never got exactly all the hype on Sufjan Stevens, and after listening to this album, I still don't. However, it's impossible to do not to admit it has a bag of qualities on the instrumental part. Some songs are catchy. In summary, I'll not join any fan club of Sufjan Stevens or something like that, but I'll sure look with more attention to his new albums to check if it's me that is losing all his geniality (high probability, I guess 🤣)

I really respect his musicianship, creativity and authenticity, but the album feels like it drags on forever and no song keeps me engaged, gets a little dull quickly.

Some good songs 🎵

Lots of ostinati/layering—nice for ambient environments.

Surprisingly solid, enjoyed it more than I thought I would

Heard it before?: No Enjoy it?: Yes, he has such soothing and melancholy sounds and vocals which brings the genre to life Favourite song: Track 7 - Decatur, or, Round of applause for your step-mother!

For many years I've really wanted to love this album, it ticks so many of the boxes of things that I love. Concept album, check, indie darling, check, dense and varied orchestration, check, long rambling and overly complex song titles, check. Its so overly dramatic and I love that in an artist, I love how committed he is to the concept and how confident Stevens is about who he is as an artist. It also sounds really big and bold which is great. But it just doesn't do it for me, it annoys me that I cant put my finger on why but for almost 20 years I've revisited this occasionally trying to see something in it, examining it from different angles and trying to see what I am missing. The only thing I can confidently say is I find it sonically quite grating and overly pretentious. The second of those confuses me because I love overly pretentious and highly literate music. I figured out at some point its easier if I don't think too hard about it so I've listened to it, and I think its better for my stress levels if I don't think about it again for another 5 years. I'm going to give it a 3 but only because I cant bear to put it in the "Bad categories" of 1 and 2 but ultimately at some point I need to admit to myself that this album is just not for me.

I’m in two minds about this one; I enjoyed some of the tracks and it was good background music to what I was doing whilst listening but I wouldn’t seek it out again. Consequently an average 3*

Now this I liked

This album has really beautiful soundscapes that blend seamlessly from track to track. However, none of the individual tracks really stood out to me, but I could definitely listen again (especially on a road trip). I've always been told to listen to Sufjan, but I've never gotten around to it. I hear how it reverberates through later music I'd heard (e.g., San Fermin's eponymous debut), maybe a variety of "chamber pop" - and love the brass horns.

3.75

Didnt know what this was about, a range of eccentric film score sounding songs. Odd little refernces and whimisical soinds but very enjoyable

I found this a bit dull, the interesting parts (there were quite a few) got a bit lost by the end

illinoisesque konsepti... herra laittanut maantieteellistä tutkimusta musiikin muotoon, meikä tykkää heh... vitunmoist orkesteria, sävellystä prykänny pystyyn.. valitettavasti indie biisinumerot heittää alas kahdella pykälällä. ei voi muuta tehdä kuin valituksen, sufjan siis...heh the workers of the rock river valley region

Oh god. I saw this album come up and I knew I was in for it. I know a bit about Sufjan Stevens, but I mostly know about his song from this album, Casimir Pulaski Day, otherwise known as one of the saddest songs I have ever heard. That song struck me as profound the first time I ever heard it, and it has stuck with me for so many years through no attempts of my own. While not as sad, turns out much of the rest of the album is plenty melancholy, too. I guess that's indie folk for you. Still, this album is incredibly peaceful in parts, and without being boring; it comes with intriguing vocalizations and lyrics on Sufjan's part that make the whole thing fairly whimsical. Bizarre instrumentations also dance across the already strange sounds -- horns often stand out, which is a unique and odd decision. At times, this feels like listening to a classic poet, but in song form. The real rub for me here is that it drew on too long and started to get old.

At first I thought it was slow, then there were some catchy lines here and there. Third time through I sat and read the lyrics of the songs. So much better now. Interesting songs, nice orchestral interludes. Standouts: Go! Chicago! Go! Yeah!, Casimir Pulaski Day, John Wayne Gacy Jr. 3.5/5

Weird but beautiful, recognized a few songs

As soon as I saw those song titles I was apprehensive. They’re so long and pretentious, and I am no longer a 13 year old Panic at the Disco fan who likes that. But anyway, I was mostly pleasantly surprised. Musically, this was so interesting and I can definitely see why it was so well-received and considered so ambitious. I did a little reading on the concept which helped me understand it a little too. It was enjoyable enough, but nothing really “stuck” with me or perked my ears up, besides perhaps the second half of the second track which was very poppy. Chicago is also a great track. I was also way too long for me. But if I hear it playing in a coffee shop (it has big coffee shop vibes) at least I’ll know what I’m listening to.

It was boring.

Calm jazz-folk, interesting and weird song titles.

idontknow

Not my vibe but enjoyed it