Sufjan Stevens released what some call the indie album of the year in 2005 with "Illinois". It was a collection of Stevens' signature melodic, orchestra-like arrangements, topped off with a Elliott Smith like whispery voice. "The Avalanche" is what Stevens couldn't fit onto "Illinois". It is a collection of even more melodic orchestration pop songs left off of of "Illinois".
What makes a great songwriter is their ability to capture the listener through not only the words, but also the music. Stevens does both seamlessly. The opening title track "The Avalanche" is soft, soothing, harmony-filled, and builds into a wall of sound that makes you wonder how many instruments were needed to create all these sounds. "Adlai Stevenson" follows in the same vein with its orchestration, but is blended more with pop melodies, and everyone's favorite handclaps.
Stevens' lyrics are subtle and you rarely even notice what he is actually saying because it comes second to all the orchestration. On "Dear Mr. Supercomputer" sings "What went wrong?/The human race, in its place/Superstition man's religion.../God is dead, God is dead." At first listen though the message of the song doesn't register because Stevens is singing over a gigantic wall of sound. But with any talented songwriter they make you listen again and again, and that is when the message shines through.
"No man's land" again showcases Stevens' knack for lyrics. It is a subtle stab at the current situation of American capitalism. Stevens is declaring that no one owns any piece of land. Big business doesn't own it nor does any normal man either. Stevens sums it up in the closing line when he sings, "This land was made for the good of itself."
What makes Stevens so enjoyable is his ability to write straightforward pop tunes all the while making it sound contemporary. Pop in the sense of the Beach Boys or the Mammas and the Papas and fusing that with Elliott Smith and Death Cab for Cutie. "The Henney Buggy Band", is a rootsy horn driven tune. "The Pick-Up", is a little more raw with Stevens harmonizing with the horn section, and backed with an erupting synthesizer.
Although it may seem redundant there are three different versions of "Chicago" on the album. Two of the three versions have Stevens once again behind a wall of instrumentation. The one version that stands out is the acoustic cut. It is just Stevens and his guitar. His voice is vulnerable and insecure which connects with anyone with a heart.
Sufjan Stevens is most reminiscent of the late Elliott Smith, but where as Smith played solely on gut emotion, Stevens uses not only his words, but also his keen sense of pop sensibility. |