Album Rating: 5.0

Agreed, John My Beloved is probably the weakest track on here. As an individual song it's around 3.5 territory, it's not bad but it just isn't as great as everything else.

Album Rating: 4.5

But "I am a man with a heart that offends / with its lonely and greedy demands / there’s only a shadow of me / in a manner of speaking I'm dead" from John My Beloved is one of the best lyrical passages on the album. And it is not that long a song...

Album Rating: 5.0 | Sound Off

idk I really like John My Beloved's lyrics. If I had to go with a least fave, It'd probably be the title track

Album Rating: 4.5

t/t is actually one of my favs. John My Beloved is beautiful too



Idk whats my problem with all of me is tbh. Something about it just rubs me in the wrong way

Album Rating: 4.5

It's basically impossible to pick a favorite from this though, so many powerful songs.

Album Rating: 4.5

the only thing is actually a clear favorite for me

Album Rating: 5.0

Title track is eeeeeasily last

John My Beloved has some of the best lyrics agreed hard



"There’s only a shadow of me; in a manner of speaking I'm dead" cuts so deep...

Album Rating: 4.5

I think the title track might be the most heartbreaking song besides the only thing. It also might have his best vocal perfomance on the album

Album Rating: 5.0

To each their own

It's the only song that hasn't done much emotionally to me

And I think he sounds off on it idk

Album Rating: 3.0

I think in general he sounds off. On all of his albums. His vocal delivery does nothing, it's so one dimensional and the sparse instrumentation only makes it less dynamic here, whereas his other albums had at least something to explore besides the lyricism. In general don't understand how this album can be heartbreaking or even just emotional when Sufjan fulfills the criteria of a talking pillow.



Let's think about how ethereal someone like Jeff Buckley's vocals are, or the purity and endearing qualities of Elliott Smith. They feel so dynamic and real, as well as their songwriting, it bites into you. There is a genuine and deserved emotional attachment you feel towards the songs they write, they feel so inspired by something going inside themselves. Here, I just don't understand, on every record he is on he comes across as an opaque vase or something like that. I feel no depth coming out of him, he may as well be a grasshopper that has lived his whole life in a hollowed cactus.

Album Rating: 5.0

I guess in a sense you could call his voice one-dimensional, but that would be looking at it from the wrong point of view. His whole style on this album is centered on fragility and weakness, compared to the ones you described who are more passionate. I guess it isn't for everyone, but calling it one-dimensional is a tad unfair.

John My Beloved is so damn gorgeous and the lyrics are spectacular, to me All of Me is easily the weakest song on here

Album Rating: 5.0

@Piglet Yeah I agree with Sinternet. His style is way different than Jeff Buckley and Elliott, but that doesn't make it less real.

This album in particular has a set art direction. Fragility based on the death of his mother. Every part of it hits like a truck. I'm not sure exactly what you're looking for, but that's why its subjective isn't it.

As for his voice, I love it. It's nothing amazing, but it works. Over the last few years this guy has somehow ingrained himself into my favorite artists ever. I just connect with his music so much and love his style.

Album Rating: 3.0

There is no lack of emotion at the core of this album, we are in agreement there, but I insist the way an artist conveys the emotion has a massive impact on how you aurally connect with it. Just imagine In The Aeroplane Over The Sea was mumbled out by an accountant or even a goldfish. The backbone of that album hinges on Jeff absolutely unabashedly and properly singing some very heartfelt stuff.

I'm not arguing that he has to emulate these other artists in style, just that for him to make me feel something more than lukewarm he has to have more personality to his voice. In fact at some points he actually hits some notes and the lyrics come through in a big way and those are my favourite parts of this record. But then, I think this album it's also faulted in instrumentation. For what you say is personal and stripped back I only see as airy and more alienating than anything.

I'm happy for you blokes though, because you all genuinely seem to enjoy it a lot so my loss I guess.

Album Rating: 4.5

I agree about his voice but the music more than makes up for it imo.

Album Rating: 4.5

Fourth of July is major song of the year material.

Album Rating: 5.0

Agreed hard

been thinking about my mom a lot lately who passed away when I was 13 (it's been almost 10 years now) and sat down and listened to this in full for the first time in about a month or so and it made me cry like a fucking baby lol
Nothing will top this for AOTY for me

Album Rating: 5.0 | Sound Off

i hear you, freddie. been doing a lot of thinking about mine as well, and this album has been both therapeutic and damaging to me. overall nothing in 2015 has affected me as much as this.

Album Rating: 4.0

can't believe I'm just hearing this now