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The Age of Adz - Sufjan Stevens
The Age of Adz Image
Metascore
80 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 33 Critics What's this?

User Score
8.2 out of 10

Universal acclaim- based on 99 Ratings

Your Score
10 out of 10
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  • Summary: Known for his genre-bending instrumentation and soulful lyricism, the Detroit-born indie rocker returns five years after his last proper album with an experimental variety of electro-orchestral folk pop songs.
  • Record Label: Asthmatic Kitty
  • Genre(s): Pop/Rock, Alternative/Indie Rock, Alternative Pop/Rock, Contemporary Pop/Rock, Indie Rock, Indie Pop
  • More Details and Credits »

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 28 out of 33
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 33
  3. Negative: 0 out of 33
  1. Urb
    100
    What Sufjan did in The Age of Adz is so beautiful and rich and complicated; he ended up telling the story of what life is for so many people who just end up turning the gears of the larger machine.
  2. Sputnikmusic
    100
    If the point of music is for us to take something from it - whether it be an emotional response or a change in mindset or any sort of inspiration - then The Age Of Adz is the most selfless album ever recorded, and Sufjan is the most giving composer.
  3. Mojo
    60
    The Age Of Adz, by contrast, is problematic for its mind-boggling ambitions, as Stevens harnesses his folkier songcraft and complex orchestration to electronica. [Nov. 2010, p. 100]
    All this publication's reviews

See all 33 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

Write a Review
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 39 out of 47
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 47
  3. Negative: 6 out of 47
  1. Max83520
    10
    The greatest album of the year. And I think this is the best album Sufjan has ever made. One of my favorite songs is the closer "Impossible Soul" a 25 minutes epic piece you'd love to listen.… Expand
    • 4 of 4 users said yes
  2. RyanGee
    5
    After listening to this album all the way through, I found this album overly pretentious and nothing close to Sufjan's masterpiece Ilinois. The album sounds the same throughout, and I had a difficult time differentiating the songs from each other. There is a lack of melodies in the album leaving a compilation of songs that are not memorable in any way. With these statements said, The Age Of Adz is not a bad album. Sufjan attempts to create an innovative album abandoning the orchestral arrangements replacing it with electronica sounds. While I am not a connoisseur in electronic music, the album sounds like nothing I have ever heard before. It is unique and enjoyable if taken in small amounts. The standout track is obviously the 25 minute "Impossible Soul," which blends many of elements Stevens is known for. The song is eclectic, and truly a masterpiece. But I wish I could say that about the rest of the album. The rest of the songs are repetitive and overly ambitious. Many of the songs are just electronica messes. Sufjan Steven's The Age Of Adz is a step in a different direction; while the first attempt is essentially very average, it is not a failure. "Impossible Soul" makes this album strive, but the rest is disappointing and ultimately ambition gone wrong.… Expand
    • 4 of 15 users said yes
  3. MorganVMantripp
    0
    SHOULD HAVE SPENT MY TIME WANKING this crap made my ears bleed for a week listening to it was like sticking marbles in my own ears WAIST waist Waist Im not a trolloly im just a trollololy LOLCAT-DOG WA.NK.ERS… Expand
    • 2 of 11 users said yes

See all 47 User Reviews

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