March 3, 2004 Culture e the other press © Sufjan Stevens, Greetings from Michigan: The Great Lake State Lisa Terepocki OP Contributor Brooklyn-based_ singer/songwriter Sufjan Stevens’ newest album Greetings from Michigan: The Great Lake State, is a road trip for your ears. Like the diverse landscape of the state, Michigan is a compilation of songs ranging from simple guitar and banjo ballads to wildly engaging multi-layered numbers. Stevens himself plays more than 20 instru- ments on the album, including oboe, glockenspiel, and sleigh bells. The album features a map of Michigan, and Stevens points out all the towns, lakes and regions he refers to in the music. This helps the average North American unfamiliar with Michigan. The cover of the album looks like something that would be found among the LPs in my grandparents’ rec. room. Michigan opens with “Flint (for the Unemployed and Underpaid),” a morose song of elegant piano and mournful horns that focuses on the jobless aimlessly wandering around the former automobile building capitol. The beginning piano is sim- ple. Each note hints that a melan- choly but worthwhile tale is about to unfold. By the end of “Flint” Stevens has brought up the fear of dying alone, and hands that don't do anything right. He quickly gets us out of the gloom with a joyful, viva- cious piece called “All Good Naysayers, Speak Up!” Layers of gui- tar, piano, horns, vibraphones, beats, and vocals bounce on and off each other. The arrangement is com- plex yet seems effortlessly crafted. Stevens’ breathy vocals are match- less. In “Holland,” his boyhood town, he remembers “sleeping on Lake Michigan/factories and march- ing bands” with a voice so fragile that you can feel the ambivalent emotions of a teen and yet the lyrics are too personal to know the story behind it. Joined by the harmonies of Elin, Megan and Daniel Smith (members of the quirky Danielson Famile band), Stevens’ vocals are exquisite. Michigan's upbeat songs are full of jazz-inspired pulsations layered with vibraphones and almost cheesy vocal bleeps and blips, creating a sound reminiscent of Stereolab or Tortoise. In “They Also Moura Who Do Not Wear Black (for the Homeless in Muskegon),” the Smith siblings add bits of harmony, amplifying the happy-go-lucky folk-pop sound reminding me of commercials from the 60s. A master of lyrics, Stevens is not afraid to be introspective and con- fessional in his use of them. I think this is his biggest attraction as an artist. In “Romulus,” which is the highlight of Michigan for me, he talks unfettered about his estranged mother: “she smoked in her room and coloured her hair/and I was ashamed of her.” Living with his grandparents at the time, he recalls how he loathed and longed for her simultaneously: “I knew she didn’t care/she came to Romulus for a day/her Chevrolet broke down/we prayed itd never be fixed or found.” Besides using lyrics to disclose painful moments, Stevens proves he is an accomplished poet in his fre- quent depictions of Michigan's dead machinery and empty warehouses. Stevens’ “The Upper Peninsula” depicts the feelings of a dispirited local: “I live in America/with a pair of Payless shoes/The Upper Peninsula/ and the television news/I’ve seen my wife at the K-mart/In strange ideas we live apart.” In Michigan I was pleasantly sur- prised to hear the soft yet complex chimes, bells and xylophones in “Tahquamenon Falls” and “Alanson, Crooked River.” Bringing to mind Bjork’s Vespertine, Stevens lightens the mood and heightens the won- derment of the album by forming these beautifully delicate pieces and slotting them after an ultra-dismal song (“Holland”) and a hymn verg- ing on hopeless (“Sleeping bear, Sault Saint Marie”). Stevens’ ambitious plan is to make an album for every one of America’s 50 states, and Michigan is the begin- ning of the unusual endeavor. This seems fitting, because it is his home state. [/linois will be released late this year, and on March 16 Stevens releases Seven Swans, which is the extra recordings he couldn't fit on Michigan. The 50-state project should be worth watching because it’s a great idea and the music he cre- ates is always remarkable. With its ingenious vocals, images, and variety, Michigan is an innova- tive and consistently gratifying lis- ten. Every track on the album is a perfect little sample of the midwest- ern state. Upon visiting each of Stevens’ songs, you'll find it’s defi- nitely worth the trip. Elections will take place to elect the following student representatives: Do llege Bo Two Student Representatives io cil Two representatives for students attending New Westminster Campus The elections will be held on March 10 and 11, 2004. Polling stations will be available at both campuses. The polls will be open at New Westminster and Coquitlam from 9am to 4:30 pm on March 10. On March 11, polls will be open from 1lam to 7pm. WHERE WILL STUDENTS VOTE? Students who are taking courses at more than one campus must vote at the campus where they are taking more than 50 percent of their courses. Students who are registered in courses evenly split between campuses will vote at the New Westminster campus. Students’ polling stations are determined by the registration in courses as shown on the Douglas College Student Information System. http://www.otherpress.ca Page 17