Chorus.fm Record of the Week Club • Page 59

I'm interested and this is an apt album to bounce this question off — how many people in this thread take interest in lyrics on early listens?

I'm aware that with an artist like Sufjan Stevens I'm probably missing out on at least one aspect of it, especially on those early listens when I'm only taking active interest in sonics. In those stages — and sometimes for years afterwards — lyrics inform my reaction to the music only in a passive and fragmented way, where the odd line or word might jump out at me and provoke some feeling or thought, or have some impact for their musicality and sonic allure. But otherwise I tend to leave them unstudied.

 

I listen to a metric TON of music without lyrics, or lyrics in a language I don’t speak or understand, BUT they are still pretty important for me and good vs. bad lyricism can make or break something for me. With that said, I have trouble focusing on lyrics on a first-listen—in fact, they’re almost distracting from the music and usually something I pay more attention to after spending time with an album.

Sufjan’s lyrics are wonderful. Def not my favorite part of his music, but I do love them. He’s a poetic storyteller and paints scenes beautifully, evokes emotions through characters and settings that I appreciate being a writer myself. I love the vivid color and detail of everything before Carrie and Lowell. His more recent work is a bit more intimate, direct, and vulnerable in terms of lyricism, and while I still enjoy it, I think I personally prefer the earlier style.

 

Listening now.

Absolutely love the maximalist harmonies and polyrhythms throughout this album. So much care and meticulous attention paid to every moment of every track, that even if you cannot find yourself relating to it personally, Sufjan’s own passion and vision shines through in an inspiring way. I’ve said this before but I love being familiar with this album (and his others) and still discovering new things every listen. The fact he composes all of it is just friggin amazing to me, and I’m always keen for more artists who pour that much intention into their work. Give me all of the dense, multi-layered, complex concept albums.

 

Funny story, as a kid I used to just throw on John Wayne Gacy Jr to annoy my younger brother. He was freaked out by that song (rightfully so)

(edit - consolidated multiple posts into one lol)

Despite having heard it half a million times I’m still in love with Chicago and that transcendent ambient outtro

The way the horns and electric guitar line fades into just Sufjan and his acoustic guitar during the second verse of The Man of Metropolis, then the building woodwinds of the outtro. God that is perfection

The Predatory Wasp of the Palisades may just be my all-time favorite Sufjan song

The Tallest Man, The Broadest Shoulders always reminded me a bit of Charlie Brown in a great way lol. The way it opens just brings so much light immediately into the darker second half of the album. And those handclaps! My favorite single moment of the record may actually be around 3:33ish at the drum fill

 

It's always enjoyable reading @OotyPa go all in on a record.

 

It’s a pleasure to do so

last one lol.

I’ve somehow never realized it until now but the last track Out of Egypt into the Great Laugh of Mankind is essentially a Steve Reich song

 

I had it in my head that it was an In C riff but yeah it's definitely a Music for 18 Musicians-inspired track

 

I think I'm by and large in the same boat as you, largely because I'm often not doing super active listening on a first go with a record. Buuuut if/when I am grabbed by a lyric in early listens, even just a line, I will generally go back in and focus on that in subsequent listens.