Sufjan Stevens - Seven Swans/Illinois

This episode, we are discussing indie darling Sufjan Stevens. Described as a god fearing Elliot Smith type, Stevens has a delicate nature with an interest in the divinities. We are reviewing Seven Swans first -- a record in between his two state-based projects, featuring a gathering of recordings with a theological bent. The record features recordings across a time period a little over half a decade. It's beloved by many, but we find it weak and meandering.

However, the next record, Illinois, or sometimes called Illinoise, is full of a ton of great songs. This record is replete with interstitial filler, but top heavy over 23 tracks with some great all-timers. This is a well known quantity -- but we just had to dive in.