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Sufjan StevensSeven Swans Sounds Familyre/Spunk/Inertia Some people say this Sufjan is a genius. What can't be denied is he's right into melodies and hooks and he plays a lot of instruments. On 'Seven Swans' it's the banjo that's initially most immediate. He plucks these handsome minor chords and (sometimes) sings in a choral style. There are guests that lend their lungs and hands, all of them Smiths from The Danielson Famile, but it's mostly Stevens. The other famous indie Christian guy Daniel Smith (aka. Bro Danielson) handles the production. It's all reverb-y and full and spectral so the sound is stark but at the same time drenched and Stevens' voice whispers sweetly. Drums don't appear until Sister at the record's halfway mark, where they plod behind cascading guitars, an organ sweep and wordless criss-crossing coos until the noise builds to a stop. That's when Stevens comes in and sings about a sister with black hair and small hands. It goes from vague and spacey to hushed and primed. There is a 70s radio folk feel around 'Seven Swans'; it's dark but not unfriendly. The final song The Transfiguration bops and swoons like a teenage Godspeed at Sunday school. 'Seven Swans' is a woody warbly grey record filled with the low and lovely strains of a man exploring his faith. There are instances where you can clip quietly onto his Technicolor dream coat and eavesdrop on his conversations with God.  |
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