This album feels like being wrapped in a warm blanket that occasionally gives you electric shocks lol, I mean that in a good and bad way. I can’t get behind the idea this is missing anything, it’s got catchy parts, glitchy wackiness, beauty. I think because he set the bar so high for some people with other albums it becomes easy to compare but listening to it as it’s own piece I still feel like I’m listening to a man who is beyond human in his levels of genius
This album really has grown on me. The first few listens left me feeling a bit lost, but this is the kind of album that you are rewarded for repeated listens. I like it a lot more than I thought I ever would after the first listen.
Returned to this album for the first time in a few weeks and wow it's even better than I'd remembered. Got some new headphones recently and this was my first listen with those. There's so much cool stuff going on deeper in the mix on some of these tracks.
Feels weird saying this but I also have a feeling this will not crack my top 10. Not sure if it will even crack my top 25 but we will see.
I still think there are some great moments here, but it’s kind of a chore to get through. Feels like his first miss (though I wouldn’t say it’s bad).
It's not in my top 10 but def in my top 25. I think it's an experience record that I have to be in the mood for, but when I'm ready to listen to it in full, it really does things for me.
It's currently #9 for me. I agree it's something that I will go back to when I'm in the mood more than something I listen to all the time, but that's kind of how I am with all Sufjan.
Idk if I’ll make a formal top list, but this would likely be #1 for me (Though I haven’t listened to much music from this year). I haven’t really revisited it as much as I’d like, but I was just enamored with this thing and it came at a time when I was struggling to get into any new music. The title track is one of the best songs I’ve heard in maybe the past couple years.
Honestly don’t think this is correct. Though maybe cuz I listened to C&L for the first time a lot in the spring, revisited Illinois, and plus listened to The Ascension a handful of times.