but for you who fear my name

(I believe the "you" is plural)

Well, far be it from me to write an album review since I'm barely qualified.

I'll back that up now. To me, music reviewers are the kind of people who know about artists and passionately love (or hate) them even before they've made it big, before they've scored a record deal...dude, if you've "discovered" them by the time they're in the process of recording their first album, you've missed the boat and are sooo 2008. Our finest case in point here, where their ever so slightly patronizing tone never lets the reader forget that their first (implicit) objective is mockery. Of the ironic sort, of course. (How dare you call my Decemberists "pretty ridic"? Who ARE you? I hate Pitchfork and their pretty ridic rating system.)

Reason #2 why I am not qualified: I dislike most music the first time around. And the second, and the seventh...it's not my fault; it sometimes takes a kid 20 times before she'll eat a new food. Fortunately, I have a loving friend whose middle name is perseverance--she persistently introduces new music to me and smiles as I initially fight it and eventually surrender.

Speaking of said loving friend...she sent me a package full of happy that I received today! I was so excited that I called her right away:

S: THANK YOU!!!!!!!

D: Did you listen to it yet?

S: I'm so excited to read the David Sedaris book, and to eat the Oatmeal Squares...

D: Did you listen to it yet?

S: ...and to use my new floss, and to make my Peet's Fair Trade coffee...

D: DID YOU LISTEN TO IT YET?!!

S: Well no, I called you first.

D: Go listen to it now. Email me when you've finished. (hangs up)

"It" refers to this, a recent Sufjan Stevens production of a couple and their forays into folky-but not-hokey song. Here's a picture of how I feel about the album:


(It means I like it a lot!* Hat tip to Jena for the reminder to take joyous pictures with Photobooth with things you love.)

Anyway, it will probably be at least 2 weeks before I can give a solid two cents on the album, but seriously, while none of the songs are penned by Mr. Stevens himself, the album is full of Sufjan soul and heart. The horn interludes, the gentle choir crooning, and the lonely banjo strums are all Sufjan trademarks, trademarks that I happen to enjoy quite a bit. I repeated #6 multiple times today (the title of this post). It comes straight of Malachi: triple point word score all around! It's clappy and easily sing-a-longable, which is a high priority of mine. Plus, inside the little booklet is a 4 page essay of Sufjan ramblings about musicians' "proclivities" and attempts to "extricate" meaning from life. Well, stick a fork of obtuse vernacular in me, I'm sold!

*Pitchfork actually gave a decent review for the album and managed to not make fun of Faith in the process. A thrill of hope...?