A review of "The BQE" in all its grandeur

Sufjan Stevens has outdone himself again with his latest release. Though the inception of The BQE may have been a simple project commissioned by the Brooklyn Academy of Music, it has snowballed into something more. This is a masterpiece that surpasses all notions and boundaries of what one would expect from a current artist. Perhaps that’s the magic of Sufjan Stevens; we know his sound, but with each release he does something new. One can never know what to fully expect from this man.

As I sit hear listening to the album, I can’t help but envision Sufjan on stage surrounded by a symphony in a beautiful concert hall. The explosions of sound, the arrangement of each instrument—it is all too brilliant. Some pieces are dark and brooding (Interlude I: Dream Sequence in Subi Circumnavigation), while others are lighthearted and playful- calling to mind paintings from the Rococo era (“Movement III: Linear Tableau with Intersecting Surprise”). However, Stevens does not end the musical journey in the 1700s. There is a sense of modernity when electronic elements are showcased in the appropriately titled “Movement IV: Traffic Shock”, with all the samples and sounds creating a mental image of frenzy and confusion, truly mirroring “the BQE’s inexplicable twists and turns,” as Stevens goes on to explain in the accompanying comic book. (Yes, a comic book!)

The ending track, “Prelude: Critical Mass” is a delicate and moving piece. There is a sense of serenity; a stillness and sadness that stirs the soul. It is the most perfect and calm way to end a tumultuous journey through The BQE (and when I say tumultuous, do not think of the negative dictionary definition, for the tumult presented on this album is nothing but the best kind of uproar and loudness. The sounds shift from heavy to light, from calm to bellicose, and that is what I am trying to capture). The BQE is a road that begs to be traveled down again and again.

This album is easily one of the best that I have had the pleasure of listening to in 2009.

You can purchase the album in various forms through Asthmatic Kitty Records.

Update

I have not been updating the blog all that often, but I hope to stay more on top of all things music and actually start posting more frequently. Expect a review of Sufjan's newest album, The BQE, in the near future. The man is brilliant.

I guess that's all for now.

New Radiohead album in 2010!

Earlier this year, it was reported that Radiohead would no longer be making albums. Thom Yorke was misquoted when he said that making another record would "kill the band". According to guitarist Ed O'Brien, Radiohead is set to release a follow-up to In Rainbows in 2010!

Read what Ed O'Brien had to say here.

October // Hauntology

In August, I posted a Dead Man's Bones mp3 for the song "My Body's A Zombie For You". Since it is the first of October, I thought it would be fitting to post a video for it. As far as I know, this is not an official video for the song, but one can't help but think of Autumn and all things Halloween with the images of jack-o-lanterns and illustrations from Edward Gorey's The Gashlycrumb Tinies.

Their debut album comes out October 6th!