Sufjan Stevens
Carrie & Lowell
(Asthmatic Kitty)
Halfway through the first track here, it's already obvious that Sufjan Stevens's gig at the Edinburgh International Festival could well be the must-have ticket of the summer, even if the vast size of the Playhouse is at odds with the profound intimacy of his new music.
With his voice double-tracked and pitched barely above a whisper, Carrie & Lowell is a world away from the marching-band exuberance or electronic experimentation of some of his earlier work. Instead, with guitar gently picked and unadorned piano making only brief appearances, it becomes a beautiful one-on-one experience between artist and listener.
Dedicating the album to his stepfather and late mother, Stevens shares his most treasured memories in spiritually inflected lyrics. And the music exquisitely matches the mood: Death With Dignity ends with a cappella harmonies found only in Brian Wilson's purest dreams, a moment of musical transcendence that Stevens then goes and surpasses on Drawn To The Blood.
Grief and loss are tangible in the vocal delivery of Fourth Of July and, in a world where music is consumed without thought or care, this single song is enough to restore a jaded critic's faith in the art of the songwriter. No exaggeration: Carrie & Lowell is an instant classic.
Alan Morrison
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