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Rating: I think talking about the relationship each of us has or had with our own mother is something difficult for anyone. We are talking about something that is hard to explain and articulate to oneself, even before to others, and for this reason, I believe that 'Carrie & Lowell' (Asthmatic Kitty, 2015) has been one of the most important albums Sufjan Stevens has made in his career, and the one in which he rediscovered, in some way, himself by recounting the death of his mother, which occurred in 2012. A mother he felt both close and distant, who due to problems with depression and schizophrenia, substance abuse, abandoned him when he was just a child. An album that he significantly wanted to dedicate to her and his stepfather Lowell, who is the person that helped him set up his production house (Ed. Asthmatic Kitty.).
'Carrie & Lowell' has somehow marked his career and his discography, firstly because it signaled his return to the songwriting greatness reached in 'Michigan: The Great Lake State' and 'Illinoise'; secondly, because he finally returned to reveal and expose himself after a series of experimental projects ('The Age of Adz', Sisyphus, 'Planetarium') with varying degrees of success. Inevitably followed the release of the dedicated live album last April and that of 'The Greatest Gift,' a mixtape containing outtakes, remixes, and demos of material from the 'Carrie & Lowell' recording sessions.
The album contains two versions of 'Drawn to the Blood,' the first a remixed version by Sufjan Stevens himself, the second his reinterpretation of the track using fingerpicking. Then there is the remix of 'Death with Dignity' by Roberto Carlos Lange aka Helado Negro; the remix of 'Exploding Whale' (previously released in 7" format) by pianist and producer Thomas Bartlett aka Doveman; the remix of 'Fourth of July' by James McAlister aka 900x. Three unreleased tracks: 'The Greatest Gift,' 'The Hidden River of My Life,' 'City or Roses.' Embryonic demo versions of 'John My Beloved' and 'Carrie & Lowell.'
It subsequently oscillates between more minimal and acoustic recordings and those that are remixed with a synthetic interpretation of the original tracks, adding more nuances to songs that were already undoubtedly touching and contained significant emotional content in their original form. The final result, even without arguably adding anything new in terms of overall quality compared to the original version of 'Carrie & Lowell,' is nonetheless a compact album in its content and deserving of all your attention. In case, it's another way to approach (if you haven't already) one of the most sensitive - but also most celebrated - authors of his generation.
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