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Seven Swans
by
Seven Swans Image
Metascore
87

Universal acclaim - based on 23 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
8.8

Universal acclaim- based on 113 Ratings

  • Summary: The indie singer-songwriter's fourth solo album, produced by Danielson Famile's Daniel Smith, follows on the heels of his critically-lauded 2003 effort 'Greetings From Michigan.'

Top Track

To Be Alone With You
I'd swim across lake Michigan I'd sell my shoes I'd give my body to be back again In the rest of the room To be alone with you To be alone with... See the rest of the song lyrics
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Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 23 out of 23
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 23
  3. Negative: 0 out of 23
  1. Entertainment Weekly
    91
    He shares [Elliott] Smith's gift for sketching in complex emotional states with telling details. [19 Mar 2004, p.66]
    All this publication's reviews
  2. Dot Music
    90
    "Seven Swans" is as a graceful tour de force of an album - beguiling, bewitching and beautiful.
  3. Billboard
    90
    A consistently moving, subtly beautiful experience.
  4. Pitchfork
    81
    Even if we're not taken by the subject matter, we're taken by how beautifully and personally Sufjan is taken by it.
  5. Drowned In Sound
    80
    Stevens has a beautiful voice and a rare melodic instinct but it is the passion with which he performs these songs that causes them to communicate so much, so well.
  6. PopMatters
    80
    Seven Swans easily does the job of securing Sufjan Stevens as one of those songwriters you must become familiar with.
  7. Rolling Stone
    70
    Quietly beautiful.

See all 23 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

Write a Review
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 24 out of 27
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 27
  3. Negative: 2 out of 27
  1. Derek
    Mar 21, 2004
    10
    Sufjan has done it again with Seven Swans, an amazing album with stripped down instrumention from his prior release.
  2. kermie_the_frog
    Dec 28, 2019
    10
    Personal favorite release in all of Sufjan's discography. An entirely personal and precious gathering of songs about Sufjan's understanding ofPersonal favorite release in all of Sufjan's discography. An entirely personal and precious gathering of songs about Sufjan's understanding of Christianity.… Expand
  4. MarkA
    Aug 27, 2004
    10
    Simply Gorgeous. The best record of the year.
  5. Jaeroplane
    Apr 22, 2006
    10
    Sufjan's best album, reserved for the afternoons or evenings when you need your soul to be stirred. Where Michigan and Illinoise takes Sufjan's best album, reserved for the afternoons or evenings when you need your soul to be stirred. Where Michigan and Illinoise takes you through a full spectrum of subjects, styles, emotions, and entertainments, Seven Swans forces you into a higher level of introspection.… Expand
  6. ChristopherL
    Jun 8, 2006
    10
    While lacking the orchestrated complexity of Illinois, Seven Swans strips Sufjan's music down to the most basic, as well as the most While lacking the orchestrated complexity of Illinois, Seven Swans strips Sufjan's music down to the most basic, as well as the most beautiful, aspect of its essence. Some fine banjo work.… Expand
  7. matta
    May 27, 2005
    9
    His Greetings From Michigan is still as a whole a better album, but some of the songs on here are so beautiful........ I can't wait for His Greetings From Michigan is still as a whole a better album, but some of the songs on here are so beautiful........ I can't wait for his next release "Illinois"… Expand
  8. cyncalis
    Oct 31, 2018
    0
    Disgusting. Absolutely atrocious and I believe that this has tainted the name of Sufjan Stevens. I repeat: disgusting.

See all 27 User Reviews

Awards & Rankings

20
#20 Best Album of 2004
71
#71 Most Discussed Album of 2004
16
#16 Most Shared Album of 2004

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