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The Ascension Image
Metascore
80

Generally favorable reviews - based on 25 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
8.4

Universal acclaim- based on 75 Ratings

  • Summary: The eighth full-length solo studio release is the indie artist's first in five years.
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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 21 out of 25
  2. Negative: 0 out of 25
  1. 100
    I was rendered wonderfully weightless by a journey that delivered whole galaxies of nuance in a universal context. Trust me: the force is strong in this one.
  2. Sep 24, 2020
    91
    The Ascension is one of Sufjan Stevens’ grandest, most ambitious works yet.
  3. Oct 6, 2020
    85
    The Ascension harks back to the heavy electronics of 2010’s Age of Adz but with adroit focus on the themes of existential dread and the quest for meaning with a bounty of angry yet hopeful songs that satisfy melodically and metaphysically.
  4. Sep 24, 2020
    80
    With an 80-minute runtime, The Ascension feels overwhelming in its second act. ... But worried as it is, The Ascension isn’t without joy.
  5. Sep 24, 2020
    75
    A bloated and often beautiful portrait of political and emotional anxiety that longs for nothing more than to break away from the systems that brought us to this current moment.
  6. Sep 25, 2020
    70
    The Ascension is, by design, kind of a drag: a dark and emotionally distant mood piece whose lyrics rarely touch on the specifics necessary to anchor the music, and whose music is rarely exciting enough to elevate his words. ... The Ascension fares best when Stevens looks inward.
  7. Sep 28, 2020
    50
    With few exceptions, Ascension is channeled into one energy level, despite the variety of sounds. It’s busy lethargy: too hive-like to be soothing, too sedated to be invigorating.

See all 25 Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 16 out of 18
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 18
  3. Negative: 2 out of 18
  1. Sep 25, 2020
    10
    Sufjan has made a banger once again and I am happy for it once again in five years.
  2. Sep 11, 2021
    10
    The Ascension is an epic adventure. It feels like an eventful journey with mountains of highlights; by the time you get to the end, theThe Ascension is an epic adventure. It feels like an eventful journey with mountains of highlights; by the time you get to the end, the beginning seems like forever ago, and you have changed as a person. Best part is, you get to start it all over again Expand
  3. Oct 4, 2020
    10
    Sufjan proves time and again that he deserves his place amongst the musical greats, and The Ascension is the perfect solo project follow-up toSufjan proves time and again that he deserves his place amongst the musical greats, and The Ascension is the perfect solo project follow-up to his poignant, vulnerable masterpiece Carrie and Lowell. Touches of humanity dabbled throughout a digital fever dream remind listeners of the familiar charm of a Sufjan album with new horizons. Expand
  4. Sep 25, 2020
    10
    yesss he did it again
    ativan is my favorite he made for me album of the year
  5. Sep 27, 2020
    9
    After about 7 play-throughs I am settling on a 9. Many would compare this to Age of Adz, and they're not wrong. The opening track "Make me anAfter about 7 play-throughs I am settling on a 9. Many would compare this to Age of Adz, and they're not wrong. The opening track "Make me an offer I cannot refuse" is like the climb of a dystopian space mountain rollercoaster that takes you to the darkest corners of his mind. "Run Away with Me" maybe my favorite song by how simply haunting it is. ( I get similar feelings when listening to the AoA track "I Walked") "Videogame", "Landslide", "Death Star" and "Sugar" are standouts for their urgency and their sweeping soundscapes. "Tell Me you Love Me" and "Goodbye to all of that" honestly remind me of some of the amazing work he did on his Christmas originals on Silver and Gold. They give me chills. Many are commenting on the title track "The Ascension" as standout, and I couldn't agree more. It's another vulnerable and moving piece that is an evolution of his best work from Seven Swans and Carrie & Lowell (Think John My Beloved or The Transfiguration). Overall the album is fully realized, albeit bloated. I hope the world lasts long enough for us to hear these tracks live. Expand
  6. Sep 25, 2020
    8
    amazing album, Age of adz , Aporia , Planetarium into one unity...
    very unique from instrumental side
  7. Sep 27, 2020
    2
    I’ll start this off with a positive note: I’m very glad that Sufjan is trying something new. I do love his older material, but all of hisI’ll start this off with a positive note: I’m very glad that Sufjan is trying something new. I do love his older material, but all of his music in the last decade had kind of converged on the same sound. It was time to change things up.

    I think there are good ideas here. It does feel like there could be a great album buried somewhere under here, but the way it is presented just isn’t tasteful.

    Prior to this release, a Sufjan album in 2020 felt like an unbelievable dream. But upon the release of all the singles, I started to lose hope. America was too long for what it was. Sugar is boring. Video game was silly and kind of terrible. And while these singles weren’t great, they weren’t terrible either. And nothing really prepared me for the deep cuts here.

    The deep cuts are what just absolutely ruin this album. Many of them are extremely boring and go absolutely nowhere. And the other half are loaded with grating and annoying electronics. Die Happy, Ursa Major, and Gilgamesh can all evoke a headache upon listening. Loud, distasteful, and abrasive electronics and sounds plague these songs, recalling something a lot like Danse Manatee from Animal Collective. And unfortunately, just about every song falls to either one of these problems. I have no desire to revisit this album.

    I think that Sufjan could make a great album out of these ideas and sounds, but in the case of a trial and error, this is an error. I hope the next album is better, because this is one of the biggest disappointments I can think of in recent memory.
    Expand

See all 18 User Reviews