By shelz.

Royal Robertson was a paranoid schizophrenic sign painter turned poster board artist who pulled some fame out of being pretty handy with a magic marker and glitter.  The raging misogynist was obsessed with aliens, numerology and the end of the world. He also served as Sufjan Steven’s muse for his latest release, The Age of Adz.

The album is an over the top genre-bending, construction-busting trip down the rabbit hole with more than its share of brilliant components.  Unfortunately, those sections are dismembered and then shuffled in between layers of conflicted instrumentation. Spiraling strings and feisty horns meet a tidal wave of synth, sound effects and bleeps and blips in a sonic battle royale that trumps the buried melody.  It’s the aural equivalent of splattering day-glow paint all over the Mona Lisa to make it more interesting. Royal probably would have approved of the act though, since he wasn’t a huge fan of women.

The Age of Adz starts with “Futile Devices,” a short placid acoustic piece about love and fixation.  Stevens plinks away as his breathy delivery gives a dreamy picture of a one-sided serenity, but this song quickly moves into the overly adorned, electro effect-ridden and discordant “Too Much.” The melody, if you can find it, is lovely.  The simple synth plays host to flurries of dramatic strings and an uncomplicated drum pattern. However, it gets lost in the glitch fest, which then morphs into a full orchestral section sprayed with random electro noise. And this is just the sampler plate.

The madness continues on the title track, a dense block of music that could have been plucked from the soundtrack of any old MGM epic.  Angry horns, strings, synth, drum, and wailing vocals fill the canvas; trudging slowly forward in unison. They part just enough for Stevens to weave an interesting tale of legacy.  80’s electro-pop is tackled with the dark “I Walked.” “Now That I’m Older” is a splicing of heavenly chorals and morbid hell-bound wailing infused with religious imagery followed up by “Get Real Get  Right,” an odd story about running from deliverance and into a barricaded bathroom.  Stevens says you need to do yourself a favor and get right with the Lord, but God showing up in a spaceship was probably a bit unsettling.  Understandable.

“Vesuvius” leads the album down its final ominous path as Stevens fights absorbing the deadly volcano’s murderous spirit over the odd electro-construction that you have undoubtedly gotten used to at this point. “All for Myself” starts with a needle stuck on a scratch in the vinyl looped to infinity.  It’s not hard to imagine slipping some thump under that and handing it to a member of the Wu; the Asian influences seal the deal. However, this song meanders into some pretty tedious territory.  RZA would never have let that happen.

“I Want To Be Well” pits a generally upbeat track with a stuttering, sputtering drum pattern playing foundation to an echoing oboe and Stevens’ blocky and halting delivery against a stoic narration about committing suicide… and taking you with him.  Surges of flutes and clarinets rain down as halcyon choral singers promise you peace in death.  The aesthetic goes from sinister to Disney happy and back while the electro cloud continues to hover.  The disturbing tone continues with the closer, “Impossible Soul.”

He loves you, but he can’t get to you.  He knows you love him, but he also knows it’s over and the unresolved finality will leave a scar.  It’s damage, obsession, distractions and missed opportunities that culminate with the final unveiling of a person who never really loved you at all.  The emotional roller coaster is supported by a journey through almost every genre known.   It’s almost 26 minutes of music that goes from a simple old school soul standard to distorted 60’s Woodstock rock to strobe light disco tune to space travel soundtrack to Revolution-esque funk and beyond.  “Impossible Soul” is massively ambitious and even enjoyable at times. It’s just..well… long.

The Age of Adz has its moments; portions that mine and display the talent we appreciated on Stevens’ previous recordings.  However, they are mired in heavy portions of distorted noise and random disjointed sound that just make the piece extra heavy.  This album is a snap shot of an artist in mid-stretch, moving ardently towards his personal next.  In Stevens’ desire to take that step, he has instituted drama for the sake of drama.  It will give the musical elite something to debate and pick apart, but it’s not really for mass consumption.  Royal would have loved it.

2.75 out of 5

Sufjan Stevens – “Too Much”

02 – Too Much
Sufjan Stevens – “Impossible Soul”

11 – Impossible Soul

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