Sufjan Stevens – The Age of Adz
It seems like it was just last week when Sufjan Stevens released the All Delighted People EP much to the surprise of more or less everyone on the Internet (oh wait, it actually was last week). Well today comes yet another new music announcement from the Sufjan camp, and this time it’s not just a paltry 60 minute EP, but rather his first full length album of original material in five years, The Age of Adz. The album is set to drop on October 12 on Asthmatic Kitty and is available for pre-order now until September 25, with pre-orders receiving music digitally two weeks prior to the physical release date. (Though somewhat expected, today’s news still sort of seems like it came out of nowhere too.)
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.
Album track listing and more Sufjan Stevens tour dates after the jump.
Sufjan Stevens – The Age of Adz
1. Futile Devices – 2:11
2. Too Much – 6:44
3. Age of Adz – 8:00
4. I Walked – 5:01
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
Sufjan Stevens 2010 Tour Dates
October 12 Metropolis Theater Montreal, QC
October 13 Massey Hall Toronto, ON
October 14 Royal Oak Music Theater (SOLD OUT) Royal Oak, MI
October 15 Chicago Theater (SOLD OUT) Chicago, IL
October 16 Orpheum Theater Minneapolis, MN
October 17 Uptown Theater Kansas City, MO
October 19 The Long Center for the Performing Arts Austin, TX
October 20 McFarlin Memorial Auditorium Dallas, TX
October 22 Mesa Arts Center-Ikeda Theater Mesa, AZ
October 23 The Wiltern (SOLD OUT) Los Angeles, CA
October 24 The Wiltern (SOLD OUT) Los Angeles, CA
October 25 The Paramount Theater Oakland, CA
October 26 The Paramount Theater (SOLD OUT) Oakland, CA
October 28 Orpheum Theater (SOLD OUT) Vancouver, BC
October 29 Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall Portland, OR
October 30 The Paramount Theatre Seattle, WA
November 1 Kingsbury Hall Salt Lake City, UT
November 2 Paramount Theatre Denver, CO
November 4 Hilbert Circle Theatre Indianapolis, IN
November 5 Bijou Theater (SOLD OUT) Knoxville, TN
November 6 The Tabernacle (SOLD OUT) Atlanta, GA
November 7 Thomas Wolfe Auditorium Asheville, NC
November 9 The National Richmond, VA
November 10 Kimmel Center Philadelphia, PA
November 11 Orpheum Theatre (SOLD OUT) Boston, MA
November 12 Orpheum Theatre Boston, MA
November 14 Beacon Theatre (SOLD OUT) New York, NY
November 15 Beacon Theatre (SOLD OUT) New York, NY