Jackson Free Press

Sufjan Stevens — "Illinois" Sufjan Stevens, a singer/songwriter from Michigan by way of New York, devised a lofty goal to create an album for each state in the union. The first installment, 2003's "Greetings from Michigan: The Great Lakes State," was a beautiful post-rock and folk inspired take on the state for which it is named; one could almost see the glistening lakes and smell the towering pines while listening. The second installment, simply titled "Illinois," evokes images of its namesake as well. The buoyant title track "Come on feel the Illinoise" has a Tortoise-meets-Polyphonic Spree feel with its jazzy/post-rock vibe, choral vocals and Vince Guaraldi inspired piano. The most notable track, however, is the grisly ode to "John Wayne Gacy." The lyrics are heartbreaking as they describe the deaths of "27 people, even more, they were boys, with their cars and summer jobs, Oh My God." With 22 tracks covering the good and bad of Illinois, Sufjan has amassed a second success in his 50-part installment—very highly recommended!