Album Rating: 4.5

Y’all might be onto something with this Michigan > Illinois. Will investigate soon

Album Rating: 4.0

Michigan was definitely the best Sufjan album in 2003. Then all the others happened.

Why would anyone voluntarily choose to listen to Michigan when Illinois exists?

Album Rating: 4.0

^ lol seriously though, it's pretty weak compared to most of his albums, including Seven Swans

Album Rating: 4.0

I prefer Michigan but they're both great

Album Rating: 4.0

doing a discog run of his stuff atm (actually only heard a few tracks from this but i'm excited to get to it!). Michigan is just... a lot of the tracks fall flat for me and it peaks early on too --tbf this is a problem with Sufjan albums in general but it's esp noticeable here. currently constructing a playlist on spotify and the only tracks i ended up taking from Michigan were: all good naysayers, widows, redford, and vito's ordination song = [

Album Rating: 4.5 | Sound Off

Michigan is a 3.5, Seven Swans is a 4, Illinois is a 4.5

Album Rating: 4.0

Illinois is sometimes just a bit too much, depending on my mood, although in the right space it's glorious. Michigan is a bit grittier and more understated. Great record.

Album Rating: 4.5 | Sound Off

Illinois has Gacy Jr, Predatory Wasp, Casamir Pulaski…those three songs are more important to me than all of Michigan tbh



There’s another six or seven good ones on Illinois too, but they’re def top three



Redford is prob the best thing on Michigan and it’s a two minute instrumental…album has been superseded a bit by his discog for me, it happens

Album Rating: 4.0

I love those songs too, but then I love widows, Romulus and oh god as much

Album Rating: 4.5 | Sound Off

I guess overall I maybe find the album a bit too flat and one toned, it’s good though, need to revisit as haven’t probably listened to it for five years

Album Rating: 4.0

"Michigan is a 3.5, Seven Swans is a 4, Illinois is a 4.5"



^ exactly this except i'd maybe lower Michigan to a 3

Album Rating: 4.0

"I guess overall I maybe find the album a bit too flat and one toned"



also same here, and despite my high rating, an issue i have with Seven Swans too, but the highlights there are just so damn good. much prefer the variety and amazing writing of illinois, even if it is bloated (i mean... so is Michigan tbh)

Album Rating: 4.5 | Sound Off

The fact Illinois rambles and is a bit ludicrous adds to the charm…but def an album you turn into a mixtape of ten songs at some point in your listening

Album Rating: 4.0

"Illinois has Gacy Jr, Predatory Wasp, Casamir Pulaski…those three songs are more important to me than all of Michigan tbh"



you left out my favourite track, Come On, Feel the Illinois!, but otherwise can't argue much with this list.

Album Rating: 4.5 | Sound Off

Yeah, that would be up there too - second half of that song in particular is classic



The first ten tracks on Illinois (including the short sections) flows so well…then it just goes all over the place but in a mostly endearing way

"very bloated album but it does also have predatory wasp which is like top 5 sufjan"

a point for bloated: Illinois is one of my all time favorite albums and I have no idea what that song is lmao

Album Rating: 4.0

goddamn lmao i feel that way about like everything else on that album but that one gripped me right away, along with casimir pulaski day

Album Rating: 4.0

Even now after 15 years and hundreds of listens I still feel like I don't know Illinois completely. I'd be lying if I said I get to the end every time though.

Same, the first two thirds have about twice as many plays as the last third for me

Album Rating: 4.5

Let's not be for want

Wanting is a sin

I don't want anything at all…