I will be attending Calvin College’s Festival of Faith & Music, March 31-April 2. Leading up to the festival, there will be a series of reviews of artists scheduled to appear as a preview of what to expect. Click on the icon for more information about the Festival.
Otherwordly banjo grounded in folk rock roots with odd, mystical musings on Christ. Sufjan Stevens, along with the Danielson Familie, Sixteen Horsepower/Woven Hand, Liz Janes, and others on the Sounds Familyre and Asthmatic Kitty labels, create music that explores God’s Word while making you feel as if you’re at once in Old Testament times, New Testament days, and the American Civil War period.
On “All the Trees of the Fields Will Clap Their Hands,” the album opener for Seven Swans, Stevens picks a melodic banjo over tunes that wander, stagger, and surge forward, rowing aural canoes against the waves, into the wind, down the backside of the rapids, and across tranquil bays. Appalachia especially comes to mind on “In the Devil’s Territory” with some mean saw warbling. Banjo and other acoustic accruements would normally prepare him a place in the American Folk category.
However, other tracks pile up the instruments, experimenting in the mix, which leads me to place Stevens in the College Rock section near other folk-like songwriters whose less-than-straightforward arrangements aren’t like the Art Rock compositions by Sonic Youth and others without the distortion and full electrics. Stevens, then, lands in fine company with King Creosote, Cass McCombs, Liz Janes, and ill lit.
“Sister” is one song which moves beyond the folk realm, led by a distorted lead guitar, jazz-like musings over a bluesy vamp. “He Woke Me Up Again” has the banjo but also a Garage Band keyboard, drum track, and chorus vocals.
Stevens’ vocals at times recall Jonathan Rundman’s basement recording but tender voice. I look forward to having the experience of hearing Stevens live at the Festival, soaking in the vocals which approach the faith in slightly odd angles. It is no surprise to find Stevens recalling Flannery O’Connor with “A Good Hard is Hard to Find,” O’Connor a writer who also approaches Christianity from somewhat strange geography.
Thanks to Sufjan Stevens and Sounds Familyre Records for the review
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