Sufjan Stevens is back with his 10th studio album, “Javelin.” Stevens has left an indelible mark on music, dating back to his 2000 debut album, “A Sun Came.” Known for his polished lyricism and folk perfectionism, Stevens has a long and decorated discography, making my anticipation for this record unusually high.
During my first listen of this record, I interpreted it as a gorgeous vignette of grief, particularly having to do with the loss of a close relationship. Stevens seamlessly blends the acoustic finger-picking that defined his earlier days with the lush electronics he has been experimenting with in the past few years. The instrumentation accompanies his voice like a soft cloud.
However, after some digging, I learned some crucial context behind the construction of this album. Evans Richardson IV, Stevens’ partner of 14 years, passed away this past April and Stevens publicly dedicated the album to him upon its release. On top of that, in late August, Stevens was admitted to a hospital and diagnosed with Guillain-Barre syndrome which severely hampered his ability to walk. It has been a brutal, devastating few months for Sufjan.
Given this newfound context, I had an entirely new outlook on the album’s meaning when I listened to it for the second time. The emotions in the music hit me much, much harder. Stevens has always had emotionally-driven lyrics, but they are rarely as direct and poignant as they are on Javelin. The opening track, “Goodbye Evergreen,” immediately sets the tone for the rest of the record. Hushed, monotone keys support the crushing heartbreak of the first lyrics: “Goodbye Evergreen, you know I love you / But everything heaven-sent must burn out in the end.” Queue the waterworks.
The second track, “A Running Start,” while still incredibly emotional, is a bit more sweet and lighthearted. Stevens delivers some of his most poetic lyrics to date, backed by his trademark, gentle acoustic finger-picking. “The winter pines, the lonely drake / The light between the frozen lake / A pair of eyes, a gentle breeze / Forgotten tales, a wild beast / I know, I know the time has come to ask you for a kiss / Don’t go, my lovely pantomime, receive of me my only wish.” These lyrics send chills down my spine. This song can be interpreted in many ways, but I believe it’s a story of how Stevens and Richardson IV began their intimate relationship. Steven’s descriptive storytelling of positive memories perhaps relieves some of the sorrow that comes with loss.
In the third track, “Will Anybody Ever Love Me?” Stevens returns to themes of loneliness and grief seen on “Goodbye Evergreen.” In a similar fashion to the first two songs, it starts with simple, stripped-back production with Stevens softly singing in his delicate falsetto. This time, however, Stevens seems to be fully embracing the soul-crushing pain he is feeling. And while the first two songs are a step in the right direction toward emotional honesty, this track is where he really lays it all out on the table. Third time’s the charm as they say.
Backed by pulsing drum machines, female vocal harmonies and faint acoustic guitar, Stevens seems to have given up, crooning, “Take my suffering as I take my vow / Wash me now, anoint me with that golden blade / Tie me to the final wooden stake / Burn my body, celebrate the afterglow.” The song has a slow build sonically that eventually explodes near the end, when Stevens sings, “Pledge allegiance to my heart, my burning heart” and “Will anybody ever love me?” Another agonizing ballad that crushes your soul.
Throughout the rest of the record, Stevens takes us on his rollercoaster journey of grief. Displays of guilt take the forefront on “Genuflecting Ghost” and “So You Are Tired” while songs like “Everything That Rises” and eight and a half minute epic “Shit Talk” show signs of growth amidst the suffocating feelings Stevens has been feeling throughout the entire record.
“Shit Talk” is not only the longest song on the record, it’s also the emotional climax. During the first eight songs, Stevens takes listeners through his depths of hell, but on the ninth track he goes through an emotional catharsis. The song opens with Stevens pleading his partner and possibly himself to stop fighting, later repeating the lyric, “I don’t wanna fight at all.” Stevens masters the art of repetition in this song. Lyrics “Hold me closely / Hold me tightly lest I fall,” “I will always love you,” and “No, I don’t wanna fight at all,” remain constants throughout, but the lyrics change meaning as the song progresses.
Stevens sings these lyrics backed by his classic acoustic guitars and it feels intimate, directed at a specific person. What makes the delivery of these lyrics so touching is knowing who this song is directed to. The thought of Stevens saying these words to Richardson, potentially in his final moments of life, is painful yet validating. Near the end of the song when these lyrics are reintroduced, they are backed by a monstrous female chorus, clattering percussion and soaring synths as the song bursts into a theatrical conclusion. Belting out these lyrics in this context creates an image of Stevens shouting them into the void, having accepted his grief and released all of his pent up emotions. “Shit Talk” is Stevens’ magnum opus.
For the majority of Sufjan Stevens’ career, he has provided his fans with songs and albums that really make them feel. The difference between all of his prior work and “Javelin” is the standpoint in which Stevens is coming from. “Javelin” finds Stevens at his most personal, his most direct. Oftentimes, tragic moments in life can lead to poignant, powerful responses, and there couldn’t be a better example of that than this. “Javelin” is indeed a tough listen, but one so emotionally relatable and liberating it makes it worth it.
