Cover Art by Sufjan Stevens
Sufjan Stevens is an indie-folk musician who has received multiple awards and nominations for his music, such as the Academy Award for Best Original Song in 2018. He has been releasing music under his name since 2000 and is signed to the record label Asthmatic Kitty, which he co-founded with his step-father. You may know him for his contribution to the movie soundtrack for “Call Me By Your Name” (2017), with songs like “Mystery of Love” or “Visions of Gideon.” Sufjan Stevens is known by fans for his eclectic, dreamy and multi-instrumental songs where he most notably explores themes such as religion, love and grief in his lyrics. His newest album, “Javelin” (2023) is similar to some of his previous releases, and this album is what we may associate with the typical “Sufjan Stevens” sound — gloomy yet beautiful — but this time he adds an electronic and orchestral twist.
It is not uncommon for people to label Sufjan Stevens’ music as sad and grief-stricken. Take for example his album “Carrie & Lowell” (2015) which follows the atypical relationship he had with his mother, who was diagnosed bipolar and schizophrenic, and abandoned Stevens when he was a child. He has even said himself that the songwriting progress was a way to process his grief and come to terms with his mother’s death in 2012. Despite this, “Javelin” is brighter, uplifting and even more hopeful in some ways. Most songs start slow and soft, typically with some sort of acoustic instrumentation or piano, but as the song progresses, it bursts into something loud and electronic or orchestral. Although some of the song titles — such as “Will Anybody Ever Love Me?” — may be seen as negative and depressing, there is no doubt that “Javelin” is far more hopeful than any of his previous albums which fans might not expect from him.
According to a post on Stevens’ Instagram, “Javelin” is dedicated to his partner who passed away in April, which makes the album even more heartfelt than it already is. On top of that, Stevens’ has been undergoing treatment for Guillain-Barré syndrome, a disorder that has left him learning to walk again, as he lost feeling in his hands, arms and legs. Although he has expressed sorrow on social media because of this, there is also an underlying feeling of hope. Stevens has even said the following in an Instagram and Tumblr post, regarding his disorder: “This whole experience has been a blessing in disguise…I know I’ve often been the poster child of pain, loss and loneliness. And I can be a misanthrope at times. But the past month has renewed my hope in humanity.” He goes on to thank the nurses, doctors and specialists who have cared for those in need, which, as he says, are examples of “love in action.”
To speak more in-depth about the songs on the album, I would say that the album opener, “Goodbye Evergreen” is my favorite. It’s a great beginning to the album and songs to come. There is soft piano in the beginning, but as the song nears the middle, it gets much louder, incorporating many different sounds such as percussion, background vocals and woodwind instruments. The same goes for “Genuflecting Ghost” — another favorite of mine — it starts gentle, but at the very end, begins to incorporate other instruments and even has a bit of an electronic vibe. On the other hand, the lyricism throughout the album speaks for itself. It’s classic Sufjan Stevens songwriting, yet in a way, it is more simple — which is not necessarily a bad thing — but still vulnerable and beautiful.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed Sufjan Stevens’ new album, “Javelin.” It added something new to his discography and combined a lot of the sound of his previous releases into one. Even after being in the music industry for over 20 years now, Stevens is still able to put out yet another magnificent album that wows fans. While I am typically not a huge fan of indie-folk music, I thoroughly enjoyed this album, especially considering it incorporates so much more — regarding instruments and overall sound — than expected.
Ava Werner is a third-year Psychology major with a minor in Women’s & Gender Studies. AW973732@wcupa.edu.