Sufjan Stevens Appreciation Thread

^ That Run Rabbit Run is an album based on Sufjan Stevens album, Enjoy Your Rabbit, by Osso String Quartet. I like it, and "Year of the Dragon" was one of the highlights for me.

Back to the Indie folk: Am now listening to Sufjan Stevens & Angelo De Augustine's collaborative album, A Beginner's Mind from 2021 and loving it thus far. I had actually checked this out before, but had not given it a thorough, proper spin yet.

EDIT: have added four tracks from A Beginner's Mind to the playlist, as is common, adding five would have felt much better.

Edited by Logan - 14 hours 60 minutes ago at 11:44

^ Hopefully we will get quite a bit more new material in the future despite the health issues he has (Guillain–Barré syndrome) and his current problems in trying to compose music. As I have delved deeper into his works, and there is still lots new-to-me to hear, including a million Christmas EPs (I exaggerate), I have been amazed at just how good his output has been across many albums and in different styles. And I have liked various of his "lesser" albums much more than the RYM ratings originally led me to believe I would. Wonderful artist.

This might have been done better as a blog, maybe done it it Paul style, as I missed the boat on when Sufjan Stevens was most popular with various members of the forum at PA even if he has released some much loved album since, especially Carrie and Lowell. I could have done this album by album.

I have now listened to Planetarium (2017) which is a collaboration and I really liked that. That said, it felt a little long to me, but I also was not in an ideal situation while listening and there were distractions. I added four tracks of it that struck me to my youtube playlist (would have rather gone with at least five).

Looking at the album ratings at RateYourMusic, which has affected my approach to his discography (I understand why some prefer to just go chronologically but there is only so much time and one might give up before getting to the really good-for-you stuff) I do find various of his albums really underrated. Stevens is quite eclectic, and one could love one album or songs and hate another. I enjoy his diversity and the different styles he has delved into. Not only is that not a problem for, it's a major plus with his discography.

Like maybe a 2.90 isn't bad, but I found Enjoy Your Rabbit (the sophomore release) excellent at what it does. That said, I can understand the noise, the experimentation, the electronics, the "glitch" of it not being for many people especially if you are expecting one of Stevens folkier efforts. It's different and I think very fine at what it does and still has wonderful melodies. I guess people want songs. But hey, I like Xiu Xiu and the like, and I hear some of the same qualities in post-rock.

The debut, which has a 2.86 which is folkier (and folk-rockier) has wonderful music on it. Much better than I expected and i like the psych qualities to it as well its experimental rock attributes.

The next three albums, Michigan, Seven Swans and Illinois are all wonderful, and get good ratings.

The BQE soundtrrack is instrumental and lots like to hear "songs" and it has a respectable 3.17, but I loved it. I find it really wonderful.

Then All Delighted People EP, which I missed at first due to calling this wonderful hour long release an EP, but a poster recommended me this and the wonderful Seven Swans which played a part in me now being as much of a fan as I curfently am, Age of Adz (some don't like the electronics or voice modulation) and Carrie and Lowell are all well received and wonderful.

I very much enjoyed Planetarium with a 3.16 but it needs another proper spin all the way through. And the well-rated Carrie & Lowell Live I like very much.

Skip to the well-rated Javelin from 2023, and that was my number two album of the year after The Beggar by Swans.

Sufjan Stevens has had a very rough time in recent years as he was hospitalised with Guillain–Barré syndrome in 2023 which has seriously affected his health and output, and he had to relearn to walk, and he lost is partner in 2023. He has produced albums for others since, including a John Legend album. Sufjan Stevens has said that he has not been able to or has had extreme difficulties trying to make his own music due to his illness (too demanding on him). So sad. In 2024,the musical Illinoise, based on his 2005 album, debuted at Chicago Shakespeare Theater.





Like to listen to the recording, and I like many musicals, but I'm not that much of a "song and dance" guy. I think Opeth should do a musical.


Edited by Logan - March 08 2025 at 10:29

^Hi, breaking my hiatus just to chime in and clarify things.

Hugues ended up voting to Abstain as he simply wasn't sure what to do with Suf, and Ken and I subsequently put the suggestion on hiatus, as David mentioned, in order to write out our "lawyerly argument" to convince Hugues to join our Yea vote. As David said, two positive votes should and have been enough to clear artists, but we have been perhaps stubbornly persistent in waiting to sway Hugues since Suf is so important.

Apparently Hugues regrets adding the Decemberists and Dead Can Dance to the database (which is funny as there's no controversy at all), and harbours a similar reservation for Suf.

Edited by Gordy - March 07 2025 at 21:12

^ Okay, thanks. I had/have not checked your team thread, just old topics (like 2010 and older). I'm getting to know his discography very well and should be able to help by pointing out the most relevant to your category material if desired, not that that is hard to discern with a little RateYourMusic research, and I would be willing to add the artist if in the not too distant in the future methinks. Some of my favourite stuff of his is not folk. I don't know how your team operates, but for me I would hone in on what seems the most relevant material and more briefly look into the rest to get an idea. Do some reading, maybe have some conversations, then some listening. Anyway, happy to help if desired, and hopefully, as I would like to help out, the hiatus is not very long. Don't know how busy your team is or you guys are, or how big your backlog is. I don;t know how long the hiatus between suggestion and evaluation is expected to be, but if you think it might be a very long time, I might look into if there is a decent case for Prog Related (or Crossover could I think consider it again as there is more material since it was first rejected and suggested to you). Just an idea for some momentum.

In or out, at least we (the forum) can talk about the music we know and like here. I hope to see plenty of appreciation for what is currently my favourite act. And I do hope some will at least scan through my playlist a bit to get some idea of music they don't know.

Edited by Logan - March 07 2025 at 20:29

I have been listening to Sufjan Stevens so much in recent times, I do consider him to be my favourite artist now, and I still have quite a few albums to explore. Incidentally, he was rejected for Crossover Prog and Prog Folk many years ago, he is very eclectic, and I would like to make a case for him again at some time, maybe after familiarising myself with all of his major works.

I have yet to listen to nearly all of his many releases (some being collaborations), but I really like all ten albums that I have heard in full {edit, plus a live}. Only recently have I listened to his debut in full as well (love The Oracle Said Wander off that) as Enjoy Your Rabbit (really love this) and the BQE soundtrack (I find all of those underrated at rateyourmusic). Oh and Seven Swans was a pretty recent listen as well as All Delighted People EP.

This is his discography at RYM: https://rateyourmusic.com/artist/sufjan-stevens

I have listened to in full (various many times and all in the past few days):

A Sun Came (2000)
Enjoy Your Rabbit (2001)
Michigan (2003)
Seven Swans (2004)
Illinois (2005)
The BQE (2009)
All Delighted People EP (2010) (he calls it an EP but it is 60 minutes)
The Age of Adz (2010)
Carrie & Lowell (2015)
* Sufjan Stevens, Nico Muhly, Bryce Dessner & James McAlister - Planetarium (2017)
* The Ascension (2020)
* Sufjan Stevens & Angelo De Augustine - A Beginner's Mind (2021)
Javelin (2023)

*listened to after making this topic, now four tracks from each in playlist.

And Carrie & Lowell Live (2017)
And Osso String Quartet - Run Rabbit Run (2009) (a string arrangement and reworking of Enjoy Your Rabbit with Stevens involvement and released on his label)

Although I do prefer listening to his full albums, I decided to try to make a playlist of four tracks per listed album (minus the live and Run Run Rabbit Run, I might make it five tracks per release later). Was tough to leave out music. I tried to do this playlist in chronological order of album and in the order of the tracks in the album. I plan to do more albums later.



I know there are other fans here, and this is not the first Sufjan Stevens topic I have made. I find him so, well, wow. Hope some others share their feelings on his music. he has so many moments of fragility, sensitivity, beauty, delicacy and utter ebullience. It can me minimalistic or maximalistic, experimental and noisy or simple and melodic, bombastic or direct.

Edited by Logan - 14 hours 59 minutes ago at 11:45