Sufjan Stevens – Come On Feel The Illinoise
(Asthmatic Kitty)

It seems the word patriotism has developed negative connotations since the post-9/11 flag waving has ended. Is it possible for someone to support their country and not their president? Any other artist would probably be criticized for the open spirituality and patriotism Sufjan Stevens injects into his music. But the difference between Sufjan and the average new country patriot is the sincerity behind it all. Plus, the music isn’t bad either.

“Come On Feel the Illinoise!” is the second installment in the much talked about “50 States” project in which Sufjan plans to release an album (or EP in some cases) for every state. What does Illinois have to offer? Well… Chicago, of course — which also happens to be the title of probably the best track on the record, standing out as a prime example of the direction Sufjan seems to be heading. Those familiar with the past records should have an idea of what’s in store. Xylophones, bells, trumpets, rolling snare drums and lots of back-up vocals bring “Illinoise” back to the sounds of “Michigan”, leaving the simple banjo folk of “Seven Swans” behind. At times it plays like a toned-down pep rally featuring a folk-influenced marching band. Has Sufjan managed to mix folk with crunk? It’s not that the album is that much different then previous efforts. The production just seems to be on a much grander scale giving him lots of room to experiment and expand. Maybe it’s that O.C. Mix money coming through?

The album begins with “Concerning the UFO Sighting near Highland, Illinois”, a short piano-driven beginning which quietly leads you into what seems to be the actual opening track titled “THE BLACK HAWK WAR, or, How to Demolish an Entire Civilization and Still Feel Good About Yourself in the Morning, or, We Apologize for the Inconvenience but You’re Going to Have to Leave Now, or, ‘I have fought the Big Knives and will continue to fight them until they are off our lands!’”. Outside of possibly being the longest song title ever, it’s a roaring (instrumental) fanfare of drums and horns, paving the way for some of the bigger productions featured on the album. The title track, “COME ON! FEEL THE ILLINOISE!”, is split into two parts, creating a six-minute masterpiece reminiscent of some of the jazzier Stereolab-esque tracks found on Greetings from Michigan. In fact, it’s such a throwback that many seem to mistake the song for something they’ve previously heard.

On previous albums Sufjan has enlisted the help of Daniel Smith of the Danielson Famile as a producer. For Illinoise, it’s all Sufjan. With the album recorded by, engineered and produced by Stevens, this album is finally confirming Sufjan’s style as both a songwriter and a producer. The past two albums also featured the Danielson Famile as Sufjan’s backing band. On Illinoise, the “Michigan Militia Band” was assembled as both a studio band and for live performances.

The great thing about Sufjan’s music is the deeper you listen to a song/album, the more it reveals itself. You can’t sum anything up from the first minute or first track. The songs are broken down into acts, progressively crawling towards an exciting climax, and then wrapping themselves up with what always seems to be a happy ending. Illinoise is no different, offering many surprises along the way. Never has the history of the state of Illinois been so magically life-affirming and spiritually inspiring. I can’t wait to see what interesting facts we’ll learn on the Delaware album. — Jay C.

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