CD Review

By now the mission of Sufjan Stevens and his lofty pursuit to record an album about all fifty states is old news. His second album in the series of fifty, 2005’s Illinois was number one on most critic’s year end picks for best album, with its ambitious run of chamber folk. Illinois was originally conceived as a double album, as it culminated in (surprise) – fifty songs. With the project snipped in half, that left quite a few songs on the mixing board floor waiting to be discovered.

With The Avalanche: Outtakes and Extras from the Illinois Album, Stevens presents 21 tracks, including three versions of “Chicago” – acoustic, adult contemporary and multiple personality. The highlight is the title track – “The Avalanche,” a number that stirs in Steven’s lush tuneful arrangements and leaves off where its predecessor ended. The Avalanche works like a theatrical history book of the Prairie State, as the orchestrated truths and tales of Adlai Stevenson, Ann Landers, Saul Bellow unravel alongside nods at Christianity. Surprisingly you’d think Stevens would throw in a song about the curse of the Cubs. Through it all, Illinois is the real deal, while Avalanche is a strong sequel that can be enjoyed even if you haven't made it to the Windy City.