With two years passed and just two states down, Sufjan Stevens should expect to conclude his 50 States project sometime around 2099. Whether he manages to finish the project or not is largely irrelevant because, like Michigan before it, Illinois is, in both theory and practise, a staggeringly huge collection of American artistry.
Weighing in at a hefty seventy-four minutes and with a selection of song titles that would double as mini-essays, the album - which Stevens recorded, produced and engineered entirely on his own - requires no small amount of patience. And, at first listen, Illinois does sound remarkably similar to its predecessor, his hometown tribute, Michigan. However, with repeated listening, the nuances of Stevens’ approach are revealed.
Stunningly arranged instrumental tracks like To The Workers and The Predatory Wasp mix with brilliantly written descriptive pieces like Casimir Pulaski Day and Decatur, which in turn sit beside the rousing singalongs, Chicago and The Tallest Man.
It’s all but inconceivable that the next forty eight albums will be this good, but with a talent like Stevens, you never know.
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