Sufjan Stevens contemplates life and love on his thirteenth album, “Javelin.” His most personal music venture to date, “Javelin” revolves around the idea of how much love gives, and how much it takes away. With Stevens recently dedicating the album to his partner, Evans Richardson- who passed away in April, “Javelin” is heartbreakingly raw with beautiful, naturalistic undertones and moments of optimism despite the pain.
The deep breath that opens the album, “Goodbye Evergreen” sets the personal and powerful tone of the album. Sufjan speaks candidly throughout the 45-minute runtime about unconditional love- and how long it can last. “You know I love you/ But everything heaven-sent, must burn out in the end,” he proclaims on the aforementioned track. “A Running Start,” arguably the only ‘happy’ song on the album, has Stevens reflecting on the beauty of the feeling of being in love. Stevens’ observant eye for the little details is apparent on this track as he describes the overwhelming emotion of affection by focusing on the small, fuzzy feelings a person experiences when falling in love for the first time. The use of the flute on “Goodbye Evergreen” and “A Running Start” gives these songs uplifting moments of euphoric hopefulness. “Everything That Rises” has a buildup that brings on the feeling of climbing a mountain and finally, finally reaching the top and overlooking the view.
“Javelin” summarizes Stevens’ ever-evolving sound, with a song like “Genuflecting Ghost” that has lyrics that reflect Steven’s earlier work with an electronic edge in the instrumentals that the musician started experimenting with in his later career. Although using familiar sounds, the stories are entirely new and a romantic and emotional venture for both Sufjan and the listener. “My Red Little Fox” has a sound that would fit in perfectly with Stevens’ 2015 album, “Carrie & Lowell”, but a story that is so deeply personal to Stevens that it can only be on an album as reflective as this.
Stevens self-reflects his own shortcomings and relationship worries throughout “Javelin”. “Will Anybody Ever Love Me?” the second single from the album, has Stevens question if he is even worthy of love. “Will anybody ever love me? For good reasons, without grievance, not for sport,” he ponders. ”So You Are Tired” sees Stevens coming to terms with a relationship being over, as painful and difficult as it is to accept. “I was the man still in love with you/when I already knew it was done,” Stevens whispers with an angelic choir behind him. The reality of these songs is heavy-hitting and relatable as Stevens wears his heart on his sleeve and bargains for a way to keep the relationship intact. “So you are tired of me/So rest your head, turning back all that we had in our life/While I return to death,” he pleads. On the eight-minute epic “Sh*t Talk,” which features Bryce Dessner of The National on guitar, Stevens divulges into the topic of unconditional love and accepting the end of the relationship once again with one of his best vocal performances to date to convey how painful the realization is. “I will always love you, but I cannot look at you,” he potently states.
The album closes with a cover of “There’s a World” from Neil Young’s 1972 album, “Harvest.” Stevens cuts out the theatrical undercurrents from Young’s version to deliver a straightforward and elegant folk song. Religion has been a common thread in Stevens’ music since the beginning of his career, and his version of “There’s a World” solidifies his faith despite the harrowing experiences Stevens has faced over the past year.
“Javelin” recontextualizes Sufjan Stevens’ entire career as it takes the best aspects of his past work and adds a unique layer of introspectiveness to it. The album feels like a collection of the most important life lessons Stevens has learned from his 48 years here on Earth. Despite describing some of the darkest moments of his life on “Javelin,” the album ultimately champions the idea of hope and pushing forward through the blinding darkness.
Rating: 10/10
