Sufjan Stevens - Seven Swans
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Free Music Notes for Seven Swans
Free Music Review: What's not to love about Seven Swans?
Hit: 5 Stars
At first, I had a bit of a harder time with "Seven Swans", but then Sufjan released "Illinoise" in 2005, which eased my way into his music. I then went back to this album and rediscovered it. It is now one of the albums I find myself listening to most often, either by accident or on purpose. His unconventional approach to music keeps me going back to listen to his work over and over.
At the most elemental level, Sufjan's songwriting is captivating and simple. His ability to capture and transmit so beautifully a feeling of intimacy in his songs is mindboggling. His lyrics are weaved brilliantly around the songs' music, as the muscle and tissue are built around a backbone in order to lift up and sustain the body of his songs.
The songs on "Seven Swans", with a folksy bucholic feeling that runs through most of them, tell of spiritual tales. They tell of love that transcends the body and age. Sufjan can appeal equally to the Christian person as to the one who practices Zen Buddhism. And that is something few songwriters can accomplish. Keep an eye on Sufjan for years to come. With 48 more States to write about in his 50 State Project, there will be lots of good stuff to hear from him in the future.
Free Music Review: Sufjan Stevens: Seven Swans (Sounds Familyre, 2004)
Hit: 5 Stars
There are few albums that have impacted me over the years on the spiritual, mental, and artistic levels like Seven Swans has impacted me. Frankly, this album overwhelms me. It is simple and deep at the same time. Sufjan Stevens has proven himself to be a consummate singer songwriter. This is an album of sparse guitars, banjos, stripped down drums, sprinkles of keys along with open spiritual songs. With Sufjan's Michigan gaining such notoriety, I find it brave that he released a set of songs that were so openly religious and so strikingly honest. At the same time, he is able to do what few artists have done in the past. He is able to express his religious ideals without making his music clich? or over-the-top. He blends his own whimsical, breathtaking style but with a more personal approach on "Swans".
"All the Trees of the Field Will Clap Their Hands" begins the album with slow-tempo banjo and Sufjan's endearing voice. There are beautiful, female BVG's laced throughout the song and hints of piano. Sufjan uses the BVG's to build the song and then adds stripped down drums towards the end. Although the layers of the song are subtle, they are progressively beautiful in their simplicity. Lyrically, this song really sets the listener up for the rest of the LP's content. He expresses his need for a relationship with God and all that entails. Sufjan softly sings, "And I am throwing all my thoughts away / And I'm destroying every bit I've made / And I am joining all my thought to You / And I'm preparing every part for You." "The Dress Looks Nice on You" is a mid-tempo acoustic song with some eastern flavor thrown in. "In the Devil's Territory" is an acoustic layered piece with a classical/eastern feel. Sufjan throws in keys in the bridge giving it an "out of this world" flavor, connecting the spiritual content with that of the music. Lyrically, "Devil's" mixes images of the second coming and those of the beast with the church's longing to see the Christ. Although these images could be used in a clich? sort of way, Sufjan somehow paints the images with beautiful, poetic brushes and really conveys a feeling of anticipation for His coming.
"To Be Alone with You" is probably my favorite track on the entire LP. Here, Michigan makes another appearance in his lyrics. For me, this song embodies the power of this disc and is a pivotal track on the record. There is no crescendo in the music and very little build in that respect. Rather, Sufjan builds the song solely through lyrics, and does so masterfully.
I'd swim across Lake Michigan
I'd sell my shoes
I'd give my body to back again
In the rest of the room
To be alone with you (x4)
You gave your body to the lonely
They took your clothes
You gave up a wife and family
You gave your ghost
To be alone with me (x3)
You went up on the tree.
I never known a man who loved me.
Sufjan is simple, yet poignant. He lets the music really express what he is saying in words. Sufjan not only uses simple relational concepts between him and God as content, but he also takes Bible stories and retells them through song, such as "Abraham" and "The Transfiguration". "Abraham" is only 2:33 minutes in length, yet Sufjan says just enough about Abraham and his willingness to obey God's command to sacrifice his son to be powerful. "The Transfiguration" basically tells the story of Jesus' transfiguration found in the Gospels. This is done over banjo, beautiful female BVG's, xylophone, and horns.
I honestly have nothing bad to say about this album. It is perfect, and I don't say this about just any album.
Free Music Review: Better than the states, seriously...
Hit: 5 Stars
For the past eight years I've made it a point to buy a new album on Christmas Eve, call it tradition. Typically, I've been very lucky, "discovering" such albums as Beggars Banquet, Louder Than Bombs, and Space Oddity to name a few. 2004 left me despondent, not only was I left to make my momentous purchase on the 23rd, but I had zero inviting leads. After a snow storm and plenty of hot chocolate, I chose Sufjan Stevens' fourth album, Seven Swans over Rufus Wainwright's Want albums.
Once out to my car I realized that the snow had caused a serious traffic jam in the parking lot, and thus, I sat immobile in my car for an hour or so; just me and Sufjan. Upon my first listen I was relieved by the albums banjo-laden, non-grandiose sound; 2003's Greetings from Michigan, the Great Lake State's arrangements, while great, were often over-baked. Instead, Seven Swans presents a perfect blend of subtle playing, whispered secrets, and haunting motifs of spirituality, family, love, and self acceptance.
With a faint whisper not nearly as rich (although more approachable) as Nick Drake's, Sufjan enchants perspicacious banjo-driven compositions with often dark Christian themes. Without an ounce of heavy-handedness, Sufjan pays homage to his spirituality on what is his most professional and focused work to date. For the first time in his career, Stevens' focuses his energy equally on writing, playing, producing, and mixing; in turn putting him at a much higher level of artistic proficiency.
Stevens' acoustic strum, banjo-slammin, sparce percussion set-up dominates the preponderance of Swans' songs, thus leaving room to highlight Stevens' premium compositional skills. "Sister" offers a taste of variety as Stevens' reacquaints himself with the electric guitar for the largely instrumental epic jam-out. The closing tracks, "Seven Swans," and "Transfiguration" are two of the more exquisite songs released in 2004 and work as a perfect example of why Stevens' is being hailed as one of today's most important songwriters.
With no two projects sounding remotely similar, it will be interesting to see where Sufjan takes his sound for his next release. Will he continue his State-themed game plan or rather shift his focus to more spiritually themed topics; either way, I wont need an excuse (such as holiday tradition) to buy Swans follow-up. Had I purchased Stevens' latest album before committing my year-end Top 5 album list to WhatzUp, things certainly would've been different, with Seven Swans gingerly edging out Modest Mouse as one of my five essential albums of 2004. If nothing else, "The Transfiguration" could make any non-partisan listener fall in love with the banjo and possibly Stevens' vision. A modern-songwriter masterpiece.
Free Music Review: Faith and Love
Hit: 5 Stars
This album was my first introduction to Sufjan Stevens. I had heard of his Michigan album, but didn't have a lot of interest because, of course, it's an album about a state I don't care a lot about. I'm glad I heard this one first. It is Sufjan stripped down to the bare essentials. There are no grand productions like we see in "Illinois", and no electronic influences as in "Enjoy Your Rabbit." Rather, we are introduced to Sufjan Stevens in his simplest form. Ususally we don't get more than banjo and guitar, yet occasionally we are graced with Sufjan's amazing instrumentation. What's most important about this album is Sufjan's honesty. In today's age, it's nearly impossible to make Christian-ish music accessable to a secular audience. The reason, of course, is that non-Christians usually don't relate to Christian ideals and principles. However, Sufjan has managed to find common ground between these two extremes and use it to its full extent.
The beauty of this album is unquestionable. Sufjan plays and sings softly on all of the songs and his lyrics are earnest and meaningful. The Christian themes in the album are not forceful. Its as if Sufjan is saying, "This is what I believe. This is what I love. This is my faith." without forcing to make the listener do the same. I introduced my friend to this album and it made him "have a greater appreciation for the bible."
Of course, this really isn't a Christian album, but it's not entirely secular. As I stated before, it straddles the line. However, if you place those issues aside and give it an honest listen, you can't help but fall in love with the honestly and unashamed nature of this collection of songs. The conclusion of the album "The Transfiguration" is my favorite Sufjan Stevens song ever. It slowly crescendos from a banjo driven narrative, to full on rejoicing. As another review has stated, for a moment, you must conform to his faith...even if it is just for a moment. First and formost, this album is about love. And it is a beautiful album.
Free Music Review: LOVE
Hit: 5 Stars
Whilst Not a Christian Nor An Agnostic, AKA a gnostic Discorian, and a follower and studier of all faiths, religions, kreeds and sects, this album is about one thing that is the inner doctrines of all these LOVE.
and that my friends is why i am giving this album 5 stars...