Random Sunday: Sufjan Stevens

I heard Sufjan Stevens´ song The Dress Looks Nice on You on some teen TV show, and based on how lovely that snippet was, I bought his Seven Swans CD. I´ve added it to my collection of music I listen to in the car that keeps me mellow so I don´t develop road rage toward my fellow humans in my heavy-traffic area.  The more I listen, the more enchanted I am, hence this post.

Seven Swans (full disclosure) got some decent press from the Christian music set. If you won your vacation bible school quizzes and/or are way more h-core Christian or Bible-literate than I am, then you can join one of those online groups mulling over the religious references in his songs. Or you can blow it all off and flop down next to me over here on the comforter and listen along to his soft, gorgeous voice and the simple, stunningly melodic folk melodies that sound new every time I hear them. They draw their inspiration from the stories in the Bible, but they are (like those stories) about love, sacrifice and faith. It´s like he took a break from his poetry-writing club to get the high school band class together and cut an album.

I don´t want to over-emphasize the religious aspect because really, unless anything that smacks of the Christian faith offends you, you could just listen at face value – sung from one person to another. Stevens´ voice, lyrics, and the accompanying slightly-amateurish music (banjo, guitar, bleating horns! dulcimer?!) have an earnest, joyous enthusiasm to them that I don´t want to explore too closely, for fear of discovering that the whole thing´s a cynical sham.

I am resolutely refusing to read/research anything beyond the wiki article, because I´d be following him around like a wounded doe if I were, oh, 25 years younger than I am now. He is cute as a button. So if you do happen to know that it´s all a big lie and he´s this smarmy, drug-addled, booty bandit, I don´t want to know. Don´t crush all my fragile dreams, kay?

I´m afraid to upload a YouTube video of him right here because I have this vague recollection that the last time we did it took over the site and blew up somebody´s house and unleashed a plague of locusts or something similar, but if you want to hear him just wander on over there and type his name in and have a listen. I recommend “The Dress Looks Nice on You,” which is the song I heard that got me going, whoa, who is that?!?!? Or you can hear the 30-second blurbs of each song on places like barnesandnoble.com, which should give you a good idea of whether you think his music does much for you. Not all the songs resonate equally with me (what does?) but more than half of them are now on my regular iPod rotation.

  • mollypenny says:

    I have 3 of his albums and enjoy them all. I didn’t even know he was religious until after I had been listening to him for a couple of years. His music is enjoyable whether one is religious or not. Very talented.

  • Jen says:

    Inoffensive yet quirky be damned, wear something skanky and entirely offensive. It’ll be on the invitation right under RSVP..WYOS (Wear Your Own Skank) Must stop silly Sufjan fantasies however, before I start planning which scents we’ll both wear on the special day.

  • Jen says:

    Oh crap. I went, I youtubed. Oh nooooooooo. That’s it, we’ll just have to be married.

  • Jen says:

    Did you have to tell me that? Will never leave desk ever again, glued to YouTube.

  • Jen says:

    I’m still going to refuse to say his name out loud. I’ll just gesture wildly at my ipod if I need to bring him up in conversation. He is quite utterly adorable. 33 is not too old for 23 year old me, do you think? Up until I saw your post I had no idea what he looked like. No idea. Total dreamboat. (Thanks for the welcome by the way, I feel much less like a new kid in the cafeteria in junior high)

    • March says:

      He’s 33?!?!?! oh.my.god Of course now I, on the other end of the spectrum, am feeling a wave of relief wash over me that I’m not trending in some nasty child-molesting direction. I thought he was in his early 20s (which is jailbait territory for me, I don’t care if they ARE legal) 😉

      33 is NOT too old for you. Given that the average adult male is easily 10 years behind his chronological age in maturity (hope none of them are reading this) he should be just … about … perfect. He also has a delicious speaking voice, there are interviews on YouTube.

  • alba says:

    I meant to say I’ll look for Seven Swans (too much love in the previous post)

  • alba says:

    Thanks for your recommendation. I have the “Come on feel the Illinoise” CD and just love it. I’ll love for Seven Swans. After decades of loving rock and roll in all its forms, I find I’ve got impatient with it (probably because I’m old enough to think that anything new reminds me of something in the past) and enjoy listening to people like Surjan (or Ryan Adams, Iron and Wine, Rufus Wainwright, Cat Power…), whose lyrics have something I can relate to more or less.

    • March says:

      Yeah. Room for all types of music. I have a burgeoning rap collection, courtesy of the teenager. :”> I’m kind of old school, mostly. But isn’t it nice to hear something sweet and mournful?

    • Lee says:

      Try some Fleet Foxes for size…

  • Lee says:

    Well, I love all his albums. I’m quite the fanboy. Chicago on “Illinoise” is a fantastic song, but it’s the quiet melancholy – the folk of the Seven Swans album combined with some almost Steve Reichy qualities – that makes the Michigan album my favourite so far.

  • Jen says:

    So normally, I am totally a creepy, creepy lurker but I just had to post and agree with you. I love, love LOVE him! (My favorite is A Good Man is Hard to Find). Though, I have been afraid to tell people about him using actual speech rather than via the internet as I have have no idea how to pronounce his name. Suf-yan, Suf-han, of Suf-jan, like with a j sound? Who knows, worse than trying to say silly perfume names to sa’s while feeling asinine and losing all dignity.

    • March says:

      Ooooh, I love it when I can get someone to delurk! It’s the irresistible temptation to address a desirable topic … must … type … comment … 😡

      So, welcome. My thoroughly academic research online (looking at various fansites) seems to reveal the consensus that it is pronounced SOOF-yawn, more or less, with some argument whether the first part rhymes with HOOF or GOOF. People who have (allegedly) attended concerts have (allegedly) heard him pronounce it both ways. I’m going with HOOF, although maybe it’s in between.

      I am not sure I could pick a favorite. The Transfiguration is both goofily cheerful and exquisite. Size Too Small is Lovely.