What will the music of the future sound like? Will flutes play together with synths? Will robots sing harmonies? Will auto-tune come to be seen as classy and creative?
Well, we don’t need to wait for the future, because Sufjan Stevens has already made all of this possible on his new album, “The Age of Adz.” Like most long-time Stevens fanatics, I wasn’t too pleased when I heard the singer would explore new genres on this album. After all, if a leopard changes its spots, the pack is just going to reject and kill it, right?
Wrong. It seems we were all so taken with the simple genius of that angelic voice and banjo that we failed to realize that Stevens is a musician with a world of potential at his disposal. Not a single track on “Adz” has the shaky-legged feeling of an artist treading on unknown territory. Indeed, his exploration of electronic sounds is a powerful entry onto the scene.
Like a true showman, Stevens doesn’t let us know all this right away. The opening track, “Futile Devices,” has the finger-picked delicacy of his older songs. His voice is soft and floats with a faint echo effect over a single mandolin. But the song’s name takes on new meaning as we move into “Too Much,” and an explosion of electronic dissonance fills our ears. At this point, I became a bit concerned that the rest of the album might turn out to be a bad mimicry of Animal Collective — and indeed, the whirlwind of noise on this track and the next one, the title track, are probably the only moments on the album when the harsh electronics really are “too much.”
Thankfully, Stevens recovers by maintaining his focus on melody and harmony. The rest of the album proves that he can manipulate a diverse array of effects without sounding like a toddler’s temper tantrum.
From then on, the album features highlight after highlight. “Now That I’m Older” is a slow, haunting exploration of vocal interplays and harp. Coupled with somber lyrics about change, confusion and love, this song is likely to give you the chills.
The most traditionally Stevens-esque track is “I Want to Be Well.” It’s complete with flutes, female harmonies and drums, and is set apart by the addition of an electronic bass element. The beauty of this track is that it knows just when to take itself apart and isolate. Looping and repetition of lyrical lines in the center build up to a cathartic release at the end, resulting in a remarkable display of Stevens’ musical dexterity.
However, Stevens saves the best stuff for last. With its use of synths, 8-bit beats and repetitive computer tones in the background, the final track, “Impossible Soul,” is no less a part of this electronic experiment than the rest of the album — but its poignant melody brings to mind the Stevens that we all loved in “Illinois” and “Seven Swans.” This 25-minute song even manages to cast auto-tune as an expressive, avant-garde element, something I never thought possible after hearing T-Pain crooning about being on a boat. The album’s closing track alone should be enough to make naysayers reconsider. Like a 21st-century version of “Yellow Submarine,” “The Age of Adz” takes us on an adventure that is well worth the plunge.
4.5/5
Pros Stevens finds a way to still be himself, only with more tools at his disposal.
Cons A few songs near the beginning overdose on electronics.
Download this: “Now That I’m Older,” “I Want to Be Well,” “Impossible Soul.”