David Bowie
“The homeward road is long.
You’ve left your prayers and song.”
Pop
A Sun Came
Amidst the crowded sea of influences and potential, the core of the future Sufjan is visible.
In Space
The result is a net negative for the band’s legacy (hence why I prefer to pretend that this doesn’t exist).
Third/Sister Lovers
Third/Sister Lovers slots in as a cult classic, an unpalatable album that has nevertheless found a home amongst misfits and outsiders.
Bridge to Quiet
With low stakes and a restrained sonic palette forced on them by the quarantine life, they sound like they’re having fun again.
2 Nights
That their job entails jumping around on stage and singing psychedelic pop songs is a welcome perk—but it’s still a job.
Ballet Slippers
It’s a worthy celebration of a remarkable decade, and miles better than a meaningless greatest hits collection that many modern bands would have been content with.
The Painters
It’s an inessential blip in the Animal Collective canon, but it’s in the same vein as Painting With—an enjoyable if unremarkable collection of songs.
Painting With
Putting out something that is not intentionally pushing boundaries or sensibilities feels like an innovation in itself.