I love when you can tell that an album is something special right out the gate. After eight (!) years of experimentation post Carrie & Lowell it feels like he's returning to his quite & intimate roots once again.
I remember being in college when Carrie & Lowell came out, back when I was sponging up decades of classics and listening to anything Pitchfork told me to. Obviously a little cringe to look back on, but I think it's actually good to have that phase at some point. Just don't stay that way forever. Find your shit.
This is the type of music I normally reach for- something sparse and a bit sad- and I like that Sufjan adds these euphoric moments of instrumentation to break up the record & make it feel less intensely sad.
