SUFJAN STEVENS
CARRIE & LOWELL
(2015, Asthmatic Kitty)

black vinyl LP

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One of the best albums of the 2010’s, Sufjan Stevens’ sixth LP, 2015’s Carrie & Lowell deals with the death of his estranged mother, whose name appears in the title.

With blunt honesty, Sufjan tackles his own personal demons, manifested in memories of abandonment (“Should Have Known Better”), as well as crippling grief (“The Only Thing,” “No Shade in The Shadow of The Cross”) and strained love (“All of Me Wants All of You”), all of which is delivered through Sufjan’s distinct use of Biblical references and mythical allusions. Perhaps the album’s most poignant and crushing moment comes during “Fourth of July,” where Sufjan imagines a hypothetical conversation between himself and the spirit of his dead mother. Through this imaginary conversation, Sufjan dissects his own personal struggles with loss, as he reaches for a sense of hope and closure that he might not ever reach in real life.

Tracklist:
1. Death with Dignity
2. Should Have Known Better
3. All of Me Wants All of You
4. Drawn to the Blood
5. Eugene
6. Fourth of July
7. The Only Thing
8. Carrie & Lowell
9. John My Beloved
10. No Shade in the Shadow of the Cross
11. Blue Bucket of Gold