Sometimes boundless ambition can be a problem. When Sufjan Stevens came out with his excellent Michigan, it was promised as the first of 50 albums in his journey to document each of the States in America. Michigan was relatively straightforward when compared to its much ballyhooed follow up, Illinois, but the album packs quite a punch. Highlighting Steven’s angelic voice and his simple but crushing melodies, often accompanied on his banjo, the album is a stunning testament to one of the premier singer/songwriters of the decade. Upon hearing Michigan, fans across the country began wondering which states were next and when their home state would get their time in the spotlight from Stevens, but not much has been heard from since. Other than 2005’s Illinois, Stevens has spent much of the last half of the decade in relative obscurity. Hopefully the next ten years will find him back to his project.

Sufjan Stevens “For the Widows in Paradise, For the Fatherless in Ypsilanti” (mp3)

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