Sufjan Stevens - The Ascension Review
It’s almost reminiscent of Sufjan’s 2010 epic Age of Adz, although this time instead of an imaginary world under apocalypse it is our own.
It’s been five long years since the release of Sufjan Stevens last critically acclaimed album Carrie and Lowell. Since then, Stevens has released a variety of projects including an ambient project with his father Lowell. The Ascension is potentially the most ambitious release of Stevens’ to date, an album that thematically revolves around the decaying state of late capitalism and its effects on Sufjan and the people he holds so dearly. The Ascension is definitely Sufjan’s most politically vocal album. Sufjan says the foundations of the album are “a call for personal transformation and a refusal to play along with the systems around us.” It’s almost reminiscent of Sufjan’s 2010 epic Age of Adz, although this time instead of an imaginary world under apocalypse it is our own.
The album opens with glitchy ‘Make me an Offer I Cannot Refuse’ a track that kicks off a theme of political apathy and a disappointment with the current state of capitalist society. We hear Stevens seemingly addressing god and giving him an ultimatum of sorts. Musically, this track paves the way for the rest of the record. Devoid of the orchestral flutterings of Age of Adz and Illinois, instead we are left with a soundscape of pulsating rhythms and textures.
‘Video Game’ one of the precursor singles from the album is a breezy pop track that really gives the album some much needed melody. Stevens’ throw back to 80s sounds and video game imagery really create a chilling back drop for the theme and absent soundscape he has created for this album.
Stevens’ use of space on this album is his best yet. Where on Age of Adz you felt bombarded with instruments, this record feels the exact opposite as, with less instrumentation and a tighter arrangement, he successfully creates this nigh-hollow world of despair. ‘Lamentations’ is another song that uses glitchy percussive rhythms and bizarre vocal samples. This anxiety-ridden track extends the themes previously made apparent but self-actualises in the musical arrangement. The ghostly harmonies towards the end of the track that flow over the cascading drumbeats are haunting. ‘Die Happy’ is an incredibly powerful track to follow. As the track builds, Stevens’ regular repetition of ‘I wanna die happy’ becomes more and more soul-destroying. The despair and Sufjan’s pessimism is apparent throughout.
‘Ativan’ is one of the strongest tracks on the album. With its flickering harsh sounds you feel the dark progressive nature of the track right from the get go. The lyrical content on this track is so poignant when Stevens asks ‘Is it all for something? Is it all part of a plan?’; you can’t help but equate this to the life-changing events of the past year. This track features a more complex arrangement and instrumental palette than others on the record. The similarity between this and Stevens’ previous work on the Age of Adz is clear but the warmth and happiness evident in his previous project has disappeared to be replaced with a desperate lack of clarity.
On a track like ‘Landslide’ you really feel Stevens giving the album space to breath. The guitars and beautiful fluttering melodies are really complemented by the space that Stevens gives it. The track has an almost robotic element to it with its Kid A-reminiscent synth bleeps. The way Stevens’ voice sounds like it’s being powered up when he sings the word ‘Landslide’ adds to this cold backdrop that is consistent throughout the record. ‘Death Star’ is an interesting follow-up, with a faster tempo to the percussive beat and a melody that wouldn’t be out of place in modern day chart music. The track ends with the most ethereal vocals, Stevens almost makes himself angelic here, indulging in the titular ‘ascension’. Somehow these angelic vocals are combined with the wonky synths and percussive drums beats to a surprising success.
There are moments on the album, especially on first listen, where you’re left wanting more, feeling that the often-prevalent melody in Stevens’ work has been replaced with cold instrumentation and harsher percussive sounds. On a further listen I find this sparseness only enhances the record as a whole project. The moments where the melody and arrangement give space to breathe are some of the most powerful. The penultimate and title track, ‘The Ascension’, is one of Stevens’ best-written songs and an incredibly climactic moment on the album. The song is beautiful in its simplistic yet powerful nature.
Stevens’ apparent questioning of his faith on this record comes as no surprise. The political climate in America is enough to make any sane person question the supposed order offered by religious institutions like Christianity. This is summarised in the monstrous epic ‘America’ which closes the album on resentfully angry note. The lyrical content of this track is one of the most ambitious on the album, seemingly questioning god, faith and the nature of modern America. Stevens, I feel, can be quite a Marmite artist due to his voice; but musically this is Stevens at his best. The sonic textures he creates on this record are both cold and beautiful in a way reminiscent to Radiohead’s aforementioned Kid A. The album is dense in its content but leaves beautiful space in the mix to allow the arrangement and instrumentation to shine through.
In an interview with Spencer Kornhaber for The Atlantic Magazine, in a comparison of The Ascension with his previous works, Stevens stated: I have changed. I’ve grown old and world-weary. I’m exhausted. I’m disenchanted. I’m a curmudgeon. There’s a lot of criticism on those [early] records; it’s all just hidden behind a facade of joyfulness, but I’m inherently a pessimist… For the first time ever, on The Ascension, I’m being honest about what I feel about the world.
Stevens’ honesty rides strong throughout this record. It’s apparent from his lyrical takes on love, death, and an all-encompassing theme calling to defy modern society’s lies, idol worship, and capitalistic nature. This album feels like a revelation for Stevens and is certainly a revelation for its listener as it’s an album that rewards repeat listens and an attention to the detail Stevens has bestowed upon it. This may be Stevens’ greatest album. His openness on this record is unparalleled and the production and sonic choices are perfect for the themes and truths Stevens is trying to convey.
