It's been 5 years since Sufjan Stevens released Illinois, 4 since Avalanche (a b-sides record), and last years BQE was an instrumental experimental piece. So it's been a while since Sufjan has released a proper album. And it came as a surprise to his fans when All Delighted People was suddenly available on bandcamp.
All Delighted Peopled starts with the title track, an epic 11 and half minute master piece with full blown orchestration. While it seems a little different from what Stevens has done in the past, it doesn't come across as weird or abnormal. It's an interesting track and a great way to kick off the ep.
Then we get into some classic Sufjan Stevens. Enchanting Ghost, Heirloom, and The Owl and the Tanager are simple acoustic guitar and banjo tracks. All really nice. From the Mouth Of Gabriel breaks things up slightly, trading guitar and banjo for crazy synthesizers and abstract sounds.
Then Sufjan gives us another take on All Delighted People, giving us an 8 minuet "classic rock" version. It's ok but it seems so unnecessary. It's a different interpretation of the song and some might like it more but it doesn't do anything for me. Arnika falls back into the guitar and banjo rhythm, a really relaxed and low key song.
The ep ends with Djohariah, a 17 minute funk jam, that's awesome. It's a weird track that as it ends, dies and moves in weird directions but it's fitting for an ep that's a little all over the place.
I'm excited to have new music from Sufjan Stevens and it's a good ep. I can't wait for a new full-length but this ep is a good way to tide me over until the next one comes out.
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