Barely a week ago, Sufjan Stevens fans were graced with a surprise announcement from Asthmatic Kitty of the sudden and unexpected arrival of his new EP, All Delighted People. I bought the album immediately and after a few listens I had fallen in love. But then again, Sufjan can record an hour of his bowel movement and it’ll sound like Handel’s f**king Messiah to me. So you can imagine how thrilled I was this morning when Asthmatic Kitty announced that on October 12th Sufjan will release The Age of Adz, his first song-based full-length follow-up to 2005’s Illinois. I’ve already ordered it on vinyl, which includes a free digital download of the album which will be available two weeks in advance of the October 12th. So you can expect another post about the album after I listen to it a couple of times. Sweet Moses, it is sickening how big of a fanboy I have become. Asthmatic Kitty writes: The Age of Adz (pronounced “odds”) differs from Stevens’ previous works in its lack of conceptual underpinnings. The album relinquishes the songwriter’s former story-telling techniques for more basic proclamations unhindered by concepts: there are few narrative conceits or character sketches, no historical panoramas, no civic gestures, no scene, setting, conflict, resolution or denouement. Rather, the themes developed here are neither historical nor polemical, but rather personal and primal: love, sex, death, disease, illness, anxiety and suicide all figure in the songwriting.The title The Age of Adz is a reference to the apocalyptic art of Royal Robertson (1930-1997), a Louisiana-based sign-maker (and self-proclaimed prophet) who suffered from schizophrenia. Robertson’s work depicts his vivid dreams and visions of space aliens, futuristic automobiles, eccentric monsters and signs of the Last Judgment. Portions of Stevens’ album use Robertson’s work as an idealistic springboard and a selection of Robertson’s drawings (his primary media were poster board, magic marker, and glitter) appear throughout the album art. Here’s the full tracklist for Age of Adz: 1. Futile Devices - 2:11 2. Too Much - 6:44 3. Age of Adz - 8:00 4. I Walked - 5:01 DOWNLOAD ME! 5. Now That I’m Older - 4:56 6. Get Real Get Right - 5:10 7. Bad Communication - 2:24 8. Vesuvius - 5:26 9. All for Myself - 2:55 10. I Want To Be Well - 6:27 11. Impossible Soul - 25:35

Barely a week ago, Sufjan Stevens fans were graced with a surprise announcement from Asthmatic Kitty of the sudden and unexpected arrival of his new EP, All Delighted People.

I bought the album immediately and after a few listens I had fallen in love. But then again, Sufjan can record an hour of his bowel movement and it’ll sound like Handel’s f**king Messiah to me.

So you can imagine how thrilled I was this morning when Asthmatic Kitty announced that on October 12th Sufjan will release The Age of Adz, his first song-based full-length follow-up to 2005’s Illinois.

I’ve already ordered it on vinyl, which includes a free digital download of the album which will be available two weeks in advance of the October 12th. So you can expect another post about the album after I listen to it a couple of times.

Sweet Moses, it is sickening how big of a fanboy I have become.

Asthmatic Kitty writes:

The Age of Adz (pronounced “odds”) differs from Stevens’ previous works in its lack of conceptual underpinnings. The album relinquishes the songwriter’s former story-telling techniques for more basic proclamations unhindered by concepts: there are few narrative conceits or character sketches, no historical panoramas, no civic gestures, no scene, setting, conflict, resolution or denouement. Rather, the themes developed here are neither historical nor polemical, but rather personal and primal: love, sex, death, disease, illness, anxiety and suicide all figure in the songwriting.

The title The Age of Adz is a reference to the apocalyptic art of Royal Robertson (1930-1997), a Louisiana-based sign-maker (and self-proclaimed prophet) who suffered from schizophrenia. Robertson’s work depicts his vivid dreams and visions of space aliens, futuristic automobiles, eccentric monsters and signs of the Last Judgment. Portions of Stevens’ album use Robertson’s work as an idealistic springboard and a selection of Robertson’s drawings (his primary media were poster board, magic marker, and glitter) appear throughout the album art.

Here’s the full tracklist for Age of Adz:

1. Futile Devices - 2:11
2. Too Much - 6:44
3. Age of Adz - 8:00
4. I Walked - 5:01 DOWNLOAD ME!
5. Now That I’m Older - 4:56
6. Get Real Get Right - 5:10
7. Bad Communication - 2:24
8. Vesuvius - 5:26
9. All for Myself - 2:55
10. I Want To Be Well - 6:27
11. Impossible Soul - 25:35