Sufjan Stevens to Release ‘Intimate’ New Album ‘Javelin’ in October
variety.comEthan Shanfeld Sufjan Stevens is going “full singer-songwriter mode” on his next album, “Javelin,” out Oct. 6 via Asthmatic Kitty.
With the melancholy lead single “So You Are Tired,” “Javelin” marks Stevens’ first “intimate” album since 2015’s “Carrie & Lowell.” According to a press release, “At times, [‘Javelin’] has the feel of a big team album production — but it is decidedly not: almost every sound here is the result of Stevens at home, building by himself what sometimes feels like a testament to ’70s Los Angeles studio opulence.” It features Adrienne Maree Brown, Hannah Cohen, Pauline Delassus, Megan Lui and Nedelle Torrisi on harmonies and the National’s Bryce Dessner on guitar.
The 10-song album ends with a cover of Neil Young’s “There’s a World.” Along with “Javelin,” Stevens will release a 48-page book of his art and 10 short essays, which “offer little glimpses into loves and losses that have shaped him, and, in turn, these songs.” This year is a big one for Stevens, whose 2005 concept album “Illinois” graced the stage in a new musical that premiered this summer at Bard College’s Fisher Center in New York. “Featuring new arrangements of the entire album for a live band and three voices — ranging in style from DIY folk and indie rock to marching band and ambient electronics — ‘Illinois’ will lead us on a mighty journey through the American heartland, from campfire storytelling to the edges of the cosmos,” reads a description of the production.
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