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Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed albums.
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Illinois
by Sufjan Stevens
The folk singer-songwriter's ambitious attempt to chronicle all 50 states in song continues with this second installment, dedicated to the Prairie State.
| LABEL: |
Asthmatic Kitty |
| RELEASE DATE: |
05 July 2005 |
| DISCS: |
1 disc |
| GENRE(S): |
Indie, Rock, Folk |
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
100
Los Angeles Times
The tone of subdued romanticism is balanced by a fine, seductive sense of melody and arrangement. [3 Jul 2005]
100
Slant Magazine
From its framing gimmick and its anti-folk folk songwriting to its he-has-to-be-kidding song titles and its show-offy instrumentation, Illinois should reduce to a simple stunt performance. That it's pop-art of the highest caliber, instead, cements Stevens as one of the most vital voices in music today.
100
Alternative Press
It's ridiculously ambitious--and consistently surprising. [Aug 2005, p.164]
100
Dot Music
Once you've taken in how wonderful it sounds, it'll be time to thrill at how much of it there is, then how dense it all is.
100
Uncut
An extraordinary achievement. [Album of the Month, Aug 2005, p.86]
100
Paste Magazine
A unique, remarkably ambitious 22-song cycle. [Aug/Sep 2005, p.114]
94
cokemachineglow
What makes the album so gigantic is how intensely unique the state’s identity becomes filtered through one man.
92
Pitchfork
Illinois is huge, a staggering collection of impeccably arranged American tribute songs.
91
Spin
Sounds as informed by middle-American community theater, church choirs, and John Adams' American operas as any canonical "folk rock" it may resemble. [Jul 2005, p.102]
91
Village Voice (Consumer Guide)
This album radiates positive energy, and in today's alt, that's a precious thing.
91
Filter
There is real joy and loss within these unwieldy song titles. [#16, p.88]
90
Dusted Magazine
Someday the Smithsonian will file this sprawling musical celebration into their collection between Van Dyke Parks’ Discover America and Norman Rockwell’s Saturday Evening Post covers -- joyous, generous Americana filtered through a singular sensibility.
90
No Ripcord
These are adventurous pop songs with intricate arrangements and sophisticated chord structures.
90
Billboard
A brighter, bouncier counterpart to its wintry predecessor "Michigan," "Illinois" contains some of the most beautiful pop you will hear all year long.
90
PopMatters
A big leap from the already high elevation of Michigan.
90
Prefix Magazine
Vast in scope and breathtaking in its beauty, Illinois may very well be the album that heralds Sufjan Stevens as one of this young century’s most talented artists.
90
Lost At Sea
So much of Illinois feels magical, however, in much the same way as a large State Fair: there is commotion and wonder as the population is continually enchanted by progress, but to unknown purpose.
90
Almost Cool
Stevens is simply one of the most talented artists creating music right now, period.
90
Delusions of Adequacy
Exhausting, enthralling, disorientating, celebratory, and contemplative, Sufjan Stevens has delivered another album that will keep us listening and educated till Christmas.
90
Drowned In Sound
This is a faithful and staggering tribute to a state executed with passion and originality, and it's one of the finest records you'll hear this year.
90
The Onion (A.V. Club)
It's easy to play a spot-the-Illinois-reference game, but it's just as easy to step back and marvel at the songs' musical range and sophistication.
90
Tiny Mix Tapes
Illinois certainly isn't perfect, but it does do a couple important things: it proves that Sufjan has the skill and the talent to prove flexible and long-lasting, and that it's not much of a stretch to expect even better albums from him in the future.
89
Austin Chronicle
The 22-song epic marries Stevens' personal history to that of the state, as well as knitting spare emotional lyrics with lush orchestral and choral arrangements, upping the ante for singer-songwriters everywhere.
88
ShakingThrough.net
But if the album feels less personally tied to Illinois than Michigan was to Michigan, the cost is worth paying: The style and overall sentiment of the new album are more sophisticated than those of its predecessor.
83
Entertainment Weekly
Sounds quaint and even magical. [15 Jul 2005, p.71]
83
Stylus Magazine
It's a bit of Michigan redux, which works because it's so uniquely Stevens and so uniquely beautiful.
80
All Music Guide
There's a distinct community theater vibe to the whole affair... but the majority of Illinois is alarmingly earnest.
80
The New York Times
Even the most elaborate constructions come across as homemade, touched with an optimism that is by no means naïve. [10 Jul 2005]
80
The Guardian
A remarkable album that manages to pack in a state full of instruments... and sounds as simultaneously vast yet intimately detailed as Polyphonic Spree produced by Brian Eno.
80
Q Magazine
Stevens's love for the region, its people and legacy is palpable and infectious enough to send the curious scuttling straight towards the bookshelves to discover more. [Aug 2005, p.137]
80
Playlouder
[A] confusing but entertainingly eccentric package.
80
Under The Radar
Illinois is not nearly as Schoolhouse Rock as it sounds, and the songs themselves are sincere, inventive and messily joyful. [#10, p.107]
80
Junkmedia
My only problem with the album is that it begins to devour its own tail about halfway through, at times sounding tedious, or worse, precious.
80
Blender
A mesmerizing history lesson. [Aug 2005, p.114]
80
Rolling Stone
For a musician like Stevens, going too far and trying too hard is the point, the way to get beyond where a more austere songwriter could get with a more naturalistic pose. So the most pleasurable music here is the most ambitious.
80
Flak Magazine
Take away the album's conceit, and Stevens' artful songwriting -- and voice -- still remain.
80
New Musical Express
It’s his masterpiece so far; a staggering collection of unspeakably precious music.
70
Mojo
A tendency to indulgence... undermines the album's overall potency. [Aug 2005, p.96]
70
Trouser Press
This song cycle is less about a particular state than it is about Stevens' elegant façade of cleverness.
60
Splendid
An expansive album that ultimately recycles itself.
The average user rating for this album is 8.8 (out of 10) based on 461 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
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