overlooking the lyrics of "Fourth of July" and simply calling them "morbid" and jokingly addressing the lyric "we're all gonna die" seems like a very shallow thing for a music critic to do. it's one of the saddest and most gut wrenching songs on the entire album. the vocals may be small, but it matches the feel and emotional depth of the album.

@bennyyin6797

5 жыл бұрын

I completely agree with you that 4th of July is an amazing track on this album, very likely my favorite song on it. However, i feel like fantano didn't mean calling it mobid in a negative way. I feel like he just meant the lyric was just negative/related to death. He never said he disliked the song, on the contrary. Personnally, i see "we're all gonna die" as Sujan consoling himself of his mothers death: she was going to die in the end no matter what, we're all gonna die. When i think about it like that, then that line defenetly is morbid, but not in the repulsive way.

@eisubeats

5 жыл бұрын

I read somewhere that the song is actually a conversation between him and his mother on her death bed

@mariomena7141

4 жыл бұрын

Stfu

@raphinakiller

4 жыл бұрын

Mario Mena fool

@bobsmith7631

4 жыл бұрын

@@mariomena7141 why you can't say stfu and expect people to listen to your toxicity without any reason to back it up

4 years later and I'm still salty about this. Sufjan bled himself dry for this album. Shame on you melon.

@edgarroberts8740

4 жыл бұрын

Somebody once told me(lon) that Carrie & Lowell is an amazing album, but he didn't seem to get it. I guess he ain't the sharpest tool in the shed.

@MiguelGonzalez-vz6qi

4 жыл бұрын

Agreed

@mackielunkey2205

4 жыл бұрын

@@edgarroberts8740 I guess he looks kind of dumb, like he had his finger and his thumb in the shape of an "L" on his forehead.

@daishoryujin95

4 жыл бұрын

He liked it. He just didn't love it. Leave the melon man alone.

@PLAGUE-KARM

4 жыл бұрын

(Meanwhile in 2020) WELL THE 8s START COMING AND THEY DON’T STOP COMING

solid 6 , light 7??? WHAT??? This album is beyond space and time

@monaqvi1326

6 жыл бұрын

john caceci it's ok

@ThatOneGuy7550

5 жыл бұрын

It's like an 8-9.

@mineingmo

4 жыл бұрын

Yo if you like this album you'll be in love with Gregory and the Hawk's music

@omenp6203

3 жыл бұрын

Look: I love Sufjan Stevens, but some tracks were a little underwhelming, especially in structure. If anything, this should be a strong 7 at worst

@williamepperson3443

3 жыл бұрын

Right?

strong 6 to a 7 for Carrie and Lowell? This might be the most embarrassing thing that you've posted. Yet.

@Karlnonac

9 жыл бұрын

Pythagoras Theorem Agreed.

@HandsUp12100

9 жыл бұрын

Pythagoras Theorem If you ever give an opinion that's different than Pitchfork, you should be embarrassed!! *rolls eyes*

@WE-qc5fx

9 жыл бұрын

Sean Byrne Personally, I disagree with the Pitchfork review - a 9.3 is appropriate, but it's an easy 10 for me. P.S. I think C&L has a 91 average on Metacritic from 39 different reviews. I'm sure they're all Pitchfork. *rolls eyes*

@WE-qc5fx

9 жыл бұрын

But don't get me wrong, that review was really pleasant to read.

@Karlnonac

9 жыл бұрын

Pythagoras Theorem What's pitchfork?

In an interview with Stevens for this album, he stated that his mother left him when he was one year old because she needed time alone. In her lifetime, Carrie struggled with Bipolar Disorder, depression, schizophrenia, alcoholism, and more. In the song Eugene he says "I just wanted to be near you", showing that he did not want to be away from his mother, it was quite the opposite. Stevens said on Carrie's deathbed, he would regret not spending enough time with her. At times his form of grieving would be emotionless, and he would go into a cold state. Other times would be incredibly emotional. This is reflected in his whispering voice and minimal instrumentation. He said he doesn't want the listener to feel sorry for him, he just wanted to make an album reflecting on the passing of his mother.

@nicepeoplenicepeople

7 жыл бұрын

*citation needed*

@PantherPlayerCLAW

6 жыл бұрын

Isn’t Eugene about Eugene though

@ajesco

5 жыл бұрын

@@PantherPlayerCLAW Eugene, Oregon. The hometown of his mother.

CONFIRMED: Melon gets his album ratings from a random number generator, then challenges himself to justify that number in the review.

@mateusbidoiacavallari6423

2 ай бұрын

Here after the Sexyy Red incident, the theory just proves itself as times goes by

This review gets more painful to listen to as the years go by. Carrie and Lowell stands the test of time and will be a career defining record when it's all said and done. Hard 10/10

@greatwesternsky

4 жыл бұрын

It already is a career defining record.

@mackielunkey2205

3 жыл бұрын

Too bad it came out the same year as To Pimp A Butterfly.

@guitarmaniac004

3 жыл бұрын

@@mackielunkey2205 TPAB hardly overshadowed this record. These 2 albums are a testament to the peak of 2015's music.

@mackielunkey2205

3 жыл бұрын

@@guitarmaniac004 Like Carrie and Lowell’s fantastic, and Imo much easier to listen to than TPAB. But you can’t deny the significance of TPAB.

@JH-dr4xo

3 жыл бұрын

Was it though? I feel like Come on Feel the Illinois was his career defining record

I was expecting a nine. You failed me Anthony.

@acc2876

5 жыл бұрын

I love your pfp

It's funny. The exact quality you didn't enjoy is the exact quality I thought was the best feature of the album. Grief doesn't make you feel strong -- why should he express it in a forceful way?

the fact that this album got a 7, yet still has more than 50% dislikes just shows how good this album is.

@IveGotToast

2 жыл бұрын

What are you talking about. It has 0 dislikes.

@subwoofer7302

2 жыл бұрын

@@IveGotToast KZread changed the rules so users cannot see number of dislikes anymore

@cam-iw6je

Жыл бұрын

@@IveGotToast youtube removed dislikes so you cant see them anymore

@user295.

Жыл бұрын

@@cam-iw6je you missed the joke buddy

@mackevv

11 ай бұрын

yea cus the general opinion makes an album objectively good or not

The video thumb is kinda disrespectful imo...

@vynyx4684

5 жыл бұрын

Trying to get attention from viewers

@ggthewhale

5 жыл бұрын

imo? In everyone's fucking opinion!!

@stoneyardband

5 жыл бұрын

Yeah that’s what I thought

@zeroscorpio3692

4 жыл бұрын

how even? giving it a fairly positive score is disrespectful?

@outlet6018

4 жыл бұрын

Zero Scorpio he said himself the thumbnails are kinda supposed to be representative of his thoughts on the album ... so he’s laughing about an extremely heartfelt and painful album about how his mother’s death left him feeling empty ???

Four years later and you still need to retract this one.

this record is one of my favorites of all time

7/10?? This is the best album of the year so far!!!!!

@BraedenSawyer

9 жыл бұрын

Yes

@nonyashblob

9 жыл бұрын

BonoLightier tpab and honeybear tho

@nonyashblob

9 жыл бұрын

Nothing Really fair enough

@nothingreally6680

9 жыл бұрын

King Matty B Raps I doubt Anthony's going to budge though. When he gives a 10, he means it. He could be listening to To Be Kind as we speak.

@user-rx3js1no3s

9 жыл бұрын

oh honeybear, hondeybear. honeybeaaaar you're full of shit.

It's kind of odd to say that a track with a huge outro 'ends abruptly.'

@ymbertbonaventuredickens8878

6 жыл бұрын

Graham Hadden if this is a huge outro for you, i would really suggest listening to swans' to be kind

@fannytoothnana6853

5 жыл бұрын

Ymbert Bonaventure Dickens Not really the point of his comment

@waterglas21

4 жыл бұрын

He always complains about songs ending abruptly not only on this review. I don't know what's his problem? Not all songs have to end with a symphonic orchestra finish.

@MyBeautifulDarkTwistedFantasy6

Жыл бұрын

@@ymbertbonaventuredickens8878 this is the most stereotypical fantano fan comment i think ive ever seen

@velvetcorridor

Жыл бұрын

@@ymbertbonaventuredickens8878do you think you need something as grand as to be kind to have a good outro? lol

I believe Sufjan stated that this album is not meant to reflect his artistry and rather it was something he was compelled to do in the process grief. He deemed it necessary to chronicle his life and that really comes across in all of the extremely specific references to his childhood he used. In using muted vocals, simpler instrumentals than on any of his other albums, and very blunt lyrics such as "we're all going to die" to express his intense emotions, he comments profoundly on the lack of theatricality in grief and masterfully creates a very raw, very real, purely visceral effect. I loved this album and I'd give it a 9/10.

@mackielunkey2205

4 жыл бұрын

Well, to me, he unintentionally did that. In an amazing way.

@vinamraparashar7590

4 жыл бұрын

Just giving us the power to silently observe that process and make what we want of it is nothing short of Brilliant

10 out of 10 review it again

@nicolasmichaud9628

4 жыл бұрын

lol no. Im almost feel this album like a billboarder

@driziiD

2 жыл бұрын

100% and im not even into this genre lol its just so clearly brilliant

You gave Mount Eerie a 9 for the same reasons you gave this a 7.

@blahblah24681357

7 жыл бұрын

RussianBear28 yesss!! this!! i came to this review just to see if someone else felt the same way!! oh my god why do people take his opinion seriously? i listened to that mount eerie album and, sad as it was, it took the supposed "flaws" of carrie and lowell and put it into overdrive to the point that i found it blatantly jarring and unlistenable at times. like, really? if carrie and lowell has songs that end abruptly, then mount eerie's got songs that end before they even start. oh please. carrie and lowell was at least beautifully poetic and melodic while being totally depressing. i could at least sing along to it while i cry lol if you ask me, the scores should be reversed.

@SunFreezFilms

6 жыл бұрын

!!!!

@IskaRiot84

5 жыл бұрын

A crow looked at me is just brutally sad to a point where you can’t really manage to listen to it anymore. It rips your heart out and shreds it. Carrie and Lowell is sad but beautiful at the same time and probably my favorite sufjan album, but I can see why Melon rated Mount Eerie higher because it’s unique in its mental self destruction. I still think Carrie and Lowell should have been an 8 at least.

@sohakes

5 жыл бұрын

I love them both but so much this. I think Anthony just don't mind Sufjan much, and so he didn't feel as much empathy with the music. It's not supposed to be a instrumentally awesome album with loud vocals for the same reason a crow looked at me is not. It's like he "got" the mount eerie album but not this one, even if the concept of both are really similar.

@sohakes

5 жыл бұрын

But this doesn't take the merit of his opinions or anyone's. Asking "why do people take his opinion seriously" is kinda dumb. He had a different opinion, it's okay, that's all.

I'll rate this video a strong 6 to light 7

@rflcain

4 жыл бұрын

or a hard 0

@andyzhao7822

3 жыл бұрын

Naby Leafar “Hard” ain’t in his rating system, bud.

@nateschoenbrodt5769

3 жыл бұрын

Can you go into negatives?

@stevenbrule5285

3 жыл бұрын

That's being incredibly generous

The 'We are all going to die" bit I think is not Sufjan saying it. It is his mum. I can see him sitting next to her hospital bed and her saying "Why do you cry? We are all going to die." And she says all the bits that goes with "Why do you cry?".

Who's that loser with the 38 string or whatever at the end?

@Menegoth

9 жыл бұрын

LOL he plays slayer on a banjo! those two aren't expected to go together XDD

@SasquatchLegend

9 жыл бұрын

CaptainFoxButt *joke whizzes past him*

@theneedledrop

9 жыл бұрын

Rob Scallon HE'S MY NEW CRUSH!

@Menegoth

9 жыл бұрын

Lorenzo And what joke would that be then, hm?

@therealjeff8086

9 жыл бұрын

Seriously.. oh..wait..

Who's watching this in 2019 and feeling sorry for Fantano for not grasping one of the best and saddest albums of the decade?

@hawthorne6243

5 жыл бұрын

Mauricio Ortega Fucking exactly.

@aleatoric909

3 жыл бұрын

Doing it in 2021

@VinegarMan1

3 жыл бұрын

The album must've grown on him because he put it in his top 200 albums of the 2010's

@Cloud007.

3 жыл бұрын

Guess what? Personal opinion.

@mauricioortega1261

3 жыл бұрын

@@Cloud007. Guess what? The fact that it is a personal opinion doesn’t mean I can’t critic/comment about the way he reviews an album

>watch review >"feeling a 7 on this album" >damn that's a low score >well, it's ok i get what you're saying >go to the comment section >niggas is MAD as F U C K >meme arrows

@gatosospechosop3

6 жыл бұрын

Hax Fraarf o

@gatosospechosop3

6 жыл бұрын

Hax Fraarf oo

I respect your opinion. But I fuckin love this album, one of the best this year!

To be honest, how many stripped-down singer-songwriter records are known particularly for variety? I don't agree with your larger assessment of Carrie & Lowell but I think you make a lot of fair points throughout the review. But making a relative lack of variety such a major gripe seems like a strange (and kind of basic) critical sword to fall on, especially considering your love for Benji. Do you have similar issues with Elliott Smith's earlier work? Pink Moon? All of them stick to a relatively uniform sound throughout, and I don't think variety is a real necessity when it comes to enjoying any of them. I understand why you don't love this and I respect that, but I don't understand how a lack of variety was really an issue that mattered. It's far from a one-dimensional album, sorry. I wish you had used the time to mention the lyrics on the latter half of the album at least nominally, specifically "John My Beloved" and "No Shade In the Shadow of the Cross". These are such lyrical high points and it's frustrating to see you not even bother to mention them in this review.

@ClydeNut

9 жыл бұрын

***** yes! thanks so much for pointing that out

@cagedbutterfly93

9 жыл бұрын

I agree. I don't mind the whispery vocals. Especially since I'm a huge fan of Elliott Smith

@walterlemmon9127

9 жыл бұрын

ribbit John My Beloved and No Shade In the Shadow of the Cross are my favorites.

@Youcantleavethisempty01

8 жыл бұрын

+ribbit Don't expect so much from an amateur "journalist." He's just a plebeian.

@weme1111

8 жыл бұрын

In response to your last paragraph. YES! Those last songs are what drew me in! I actually got "should have known better" for free on itunes loved it and since then I have been hooked on his music, but what made me stay was the last few songs. He uses such vivid pictures and beautiful word choices I just had to listen.

I don't know how he has anything negative to say about this album. By far the most beautiful Sufjan Stevens album. Devastatingly sad. The non endings are obviously intentional, nothing about this album seems unintentional. I see so many people giving this a 9/10. When do we get to give an album 10/10? This might be the most sincere album I've ever heard, nothing contrived, nothing put on, not about showing off skill or artistry or production. Just raw emotion.

@MrAquabubbles

7 жыл бұрын

ScissorTail the ambient 'non-endings' for me are the way Sufjan repressed the memories because of how hurting they are. He talks about an issue/memory and cue the ambience. Very clever. Fuck Antony. (Missed a letter of his name like he did with Sufjan). This review actually makes me livid. I used to watch this guy and when he reviewed this I stopped until very recently. How someone who calls themselves a 'music nerd' can take such a robotic and emotionless approach to this kind of artistry is beyond me.

@Poopmannn

4 жыл бұрын

You’re allowed to give an album a 10/10 whenever you’d like. It’s just opinions my guy

@user-ey8yc7st7k

2 жыл бұрын

there isn't a collective conscience on art, that everyone has to agree on something for it to be good, or great.

@ns5223

Жыл бұрын

I dunno, I think this is a 9/10 album. The songs just vary too much in quality, imo, for it to be a 10. I still like them, but Drawn to the Blood and the title track are definitely not on the same level as Fourth of July or Death With Dignity. I do think Illinois is a 10, though.

@elihfisher1059

5 ай бұрын

If I make a song you don’t like then say it was intentionally made are you therefore obligated to say that it’s a good piece of art? If the answer is anything but no - congratulations, you are a sad person trying to make ur personal opinions on music mean something more to the outside world than what it is: a thing you enjoy.

I think he's way off the mark on this review. The album is brilliant. Perfection in my opinion.

Been listening to this album for about 3-4 months and it still amazes me. Along with the fact that you didn't delve deep with the lyrics, I definitely disagree with your score. This will be a classic. Musically, it's easily accessible, very intimate, beautifully layered, and just devastatingly sad. The lyrics match the atmosphere perfectly. Simply saying there's no variety in his singing because it's soft does it no justice; it's an album mourning the death of an alcoholic,schizophrenic, drug-addicted parent that abandoned you. Even without the background, you stiill get the feelings of love, betrayal, longing, etc.. I woudn't say this is innovative, but it's extremely honest.

7/10 to an album that is on its way to becoming a certified classic?! Okay then.

I just relistened to this album, and it’s nothing short of a 10. Absolute beauty.

my AOTY so far

@theneedledrop

9 жыл бұрын

modern_thing glad you dig it.

@MacIntoshMann

9 жыл бұрын

theneedledrop sounds cool. never listened to much of his work besides Chicago, but i'll give this a try.

@ladyinwight

9 жыл бұрын

Kal Demetro he already did

@ennui_cherub

9 жыл бұрын

Gabriel Tiller never listened to much of his work besides that ONE song???

@MacIntoshMann

9 жыл бұрын

Sam Ramos yes. i might have heard a couple of songs from one of his more recent efforts, but i don't quite remember.

"Sufan Stevens"

@theneedledrop

9 жыл бұрын

Joe Schueller FIXED: twitter.com/theneedledrop/status/580458070314217473

@joe__

9 жыл бұрын

yer the best 9thony

@johnnystevens1248

6 жыл бұрын

he couldnt quite pronounce my first name

@Rain-rn4hl

4 жыл бұрын

@@johnnystevens1248 "Eugene" aahahahahahahhaha

If this review was done by anyone without the rabid and cultish following that Anthony has they would be ousted from being considered even a mediocre critic.

Definitely Fantano’s worst review... even all these years later. Surprising lack of emotion insight/overall borderline sociopathy oozing from the hot takes on individual songs off this LP. To overlook the up-close themes revolving around death, cancer, emotional abandonment, and childhood trauma-I don’t understand how he doesn’t “get” it? Tracks like “Drawn to the Blood” or “All of Me” were done perfectly. The sonic representations of smallness, resentment, grief, and suicidality were done very well. Big and boisterous on a death record? From Sufjan? Even his Christmas records lay low to the ground sonically, and those are songs of religious CELEBRATION from him. It’s almost as if Fantano refused to contextualize who Sufjan is as an artist in order to create this review. Regarding Sufjan’s vocal delivery and it’s meekness-it’s not like his approach to the songs varied too much from Mount Eerie’s “A Crow Looked At Me” which is an album of similar substance and intention. Personally, this is the only album that I listen to that makes me cry every time (and “Fourth of July” IS THAT SONG... like... how can anyone not tremble in empathy at a deathbed sequence unfolding lyrically and... crack a joke about it?) again this energy from Fantano was nowhere to be found on Mount Eerie’s record which makes me think he has a thing about Sufjan (is it because he’s Christian?) idk... this review has always grossed me out. C & L is a gorgeous album-only someone without a heart or soul couldn’t see its brilliance. Considering how emotionally available Fantano is to MOST artists’ work; it’s just so odd to see that courtesy disinvited for Sufjan’s work. Makes no sense, man 🤷🏽‍♀️

@tendaimabingani5201

3 жыл бұрын

BTW I’m not saying the album is perfect. It definitely loses steam in the final three tracks, but it deserves better and more thoughtful analysis. It deserves a better emotional microscope. It deserves grace, because it gives grace. The “expectations” that it didn’t meet for Fantano seemed like weird expectations to have in the first place. That’s all.

This is one of the best albums in the last fifteen years. 10/10

Enjoying the new Sufjan Stevens album, I hope you are as well. I hope you're doing okay, too. I am fine, thank you for asking. I love you and you're the best.

@mingster96

9 жыл бұрын

I HATE YOU YOU RUINED MY LIFE

@Hardbody94

9 жыл бұрын

Death Grips are playing in New York in July! I hope to see you there buddy!

@MrCameronFord

9 жыл бұрын

I just pre-ordered it without listening. Tell me, should I wait for the record to show up or should I just jog on over to the NPR website and listen?

@chrisstrutt4964

9 жыл бұрын

MrCameronFord I think it's worth listening now. I did! It's quite amazing! But then again, there's something nice about waiting for the vinyl to arrive.

@chrisstrutt4964

9 жыл бұрын

I love it! Thanks for reviewing it Mr Fandango.

you will never be forgiven for this

dude..... i think you failed to see the beauty of this album! This wasn't meant to be complete and full like Illinois and most other of your "best" albums, and you shouldn't have reviewed it with the same standards, or at all. I felt like you were critiquing a marathon-runner's sprinting technique or something.... This seems like a transition album, and even though you acknowledged that, I don't think you saw it for what it was worth. just my opinion...

@isaiahdemeule8090

2 жыл бұрын

At all? I think its a reviewers job to review music no matter if the album clicks or not.

years later and i'm still mad about this review

This is a 9/10 for me. Sufjan continues to be one of the best singer/songwriters in modern music.

This album is as gorgeous as it is depressing. Sales in Kleenex tissue boxes skyrocketed after this album released.

First time listening to Sufjan, and I couldn't be more satisfied. The lack of variety does not bother me at all, and I love the whispery vocals. Also, the reverse reverb thingy he uses on some tracks give so much power to them. Decent 9 for me. Gonna check his discography for sure.

Sufjan, quote: “With this record, I needed to extract myself out of this environment of make-believe. It's not really trying to say anything new, or prove anything, or innovate. This is not my art project; this is my life.” I think this album is more about the healing effect of musical expression of certain emotions that are harder to express by means other than music. Many artists make music for the healing effect, but few have the balls, let alone the talent, to go this far/deep. And that is what we should learn to appreciate.

Damn, Anthony. You've been shitting on a lot of great albums as of late. Grizzly Bear, Mac DeMarco, Weezer, Mount Eerie, Of Montreal, Modest Mouse, now Sufjan?

@pirateunicorn42

9 жыл бұрын

he gave it a seven lol

@Jordan-gw7ct

9 жыл бұрын

Phebe Palmer He gave it a 6/7. His main complaint was that the vocals were soft. On a Sufjan Stevens album. About grieving for a parent...

@ymbertbonaventuredickens8878

6 жыл бұрын

Jordan Delker this was not his main complaint

@vynyx4684

5 жыл бұрын

Ymbert Bonaventure Dickens It actually was

@ymbertbonaventuredickens8878

5 жыл бұрын

@@vynyx4684 damn you really did convince me

This take is worse than mbdtf bro 💀

at least, change the thumbnail

On the surface, all the criticisms you gave here, especially of the quiet vocal, could also be applied to albums like Pink Moon or Either/Or-yet nobody in their right mind would call those records “one dimensional”. And this record is every bit as strong as those records-if anything it’s even more immediate. So unless you’re underwhelmed by those other albums too, this review doesn’t make sense to me.

@user-ey8yc7st7k

2 жыл бұрын

the review isn't an objective look at the quality of the music, he has no obligation to justify his opinion to you. The video exists to share his perspective on a work of art, and provoke thought, not to be "correct"

I think the context of this album is extremely important to consider in appreciating it fully. There is a great interview from Pitchfork with Sufjan that really set the tone of the record for me and allowed me to access more of what is going on emotionally within it. One of the stand-out quotes from the interview is that this album isn't art, it's life, and while this obviously doesn't legitimize bad or lackluster songwriting, I do believe it adds yet another level to a seemingly - and superficially - skeletal album. Despite its relatively bare sheen, there is so much to digest lyrically and the stripped down, beautiful melodies and harmonies set the stage perfectly for the melancholy of these events in Sufjan's life. Perhaps my appreciation for the record is increased due to the myriad references to Oregon, where I grew up. I just feel like there is more to be considered, more to be appreciated, and more to be digested.

What a awful thumbnail wow

Change this thumbnail

lol did he really have to laugh on the thumbnail for this album specifically

What a terrible thumbnail

I love that nobody agrees with you on this

This album took me a while to get into but bah gawd it made me cry so much when it all clicked.

@Snailsunderthemold

9 жыл бұрын

TheKevlar4 Me too, I saw him play last night in Houston and I can't stop thinking about it.

@popeopera

9 жыл бұрын

TheKevlar4 For sure yo, within the silences after my first listen i knew something was up because it was like i could still hear it's emotion and beauty being processed subconsciously... And fuck, just last night 'John my beloved' did me in so good. So i propose whatever tears Mr. Stevens shed during making this album has translated successfully into your/our understanding and experience...makes it kinda hard to believe that we are ever alone.

4:59 four years later and billie eilish whispers for the majority of her career but gets a better review.

I think you completely missed or didn't care for the emotional beats of the album. That's what makes it so heartbreakingly awesome.

Also I'm very surprised you adored Benji but weren't that big on this. I felt this to be a much more impacting experience and the lack of variety didn't bother me as much as it seemed to bother you. This felt more sincere and rewarding than Benji for me too. His whisper voice wasn't an issue for me; I barely noticed it.

Giving no attention to “Should Have Know Better” is insane. One of his best song to date in my opinion and probably one of my favorite songs of all time. This album is so compelling, so emotional and extremely well executed. I understand the perspective that the record was not as varied as it could have been but I’ve never heard someone pull off such a hugely impactful album in such a subtle way.

@capybara1331

4 жыл бұрын

Look at his best songs of the decade

@andyspendlove1019

2 жыл бұрын

The chord progression in the first half of that song is bananas

It's been four years and YES I'm still pressed about this. Absolute buffoonery. Not just the opinion, the reasoning behind it too. I may not be a judge but god is and I hope she's merciful to this fool

u gave Mount Eerie - A Crow Looked At Me - 9 how come carrie & lowell is worse?

@torrent8446

4 жыл бұрын

i dont know, maybe in the 2 years between both reviews he changed his perception with these kind of albums?

@freindmaker4473

3 жыл бұрын

theyre 2 different albums which execute things differently

@nothingsochildish

3 жыл бұрын

@@freindmaker4473 Not that different. I guess A Crow melodies is simply more catchy for him idk

whenever I search Sufjan on youtube this video pops up and I have to see that fucking disrespectful thumbnail and I get pissed off all over again, anthony can you please change it 😑

@TurtleStormer

Жыл бұрын

Wait did he change it? I don’t see what’s disrespectful he just looks mid sentence

@johnny-vu6rl

Жыл бұрын

@@TurtleStormer yes he did change it

this thumbnail is disrespectful, everything about this is disrespecful at best

The songs are supposed to end abruptly. I think the record is supposed to feel as broken as Sufjan felt while writing it.

You should record a review of Illinois as a classic, it's a year old tomorrow.

@nothingreally6680

9 жыл бұрын

Ethan Hubbard Ten, you mean.

@JarkerousGaming

9 жыл бұрын

Nothing Really woah major comment error my bad

@mackielunkey2205

3 жыл бұрын

@@nothingreally6680 Now it's fifteen

I honestly thought this was 7/10 when I heard it the first time, especially considering I was hoping for "super lush instrumentals and orgamsic composition" Sufjan Stevens and not something that was pretty bare bones. However it has REALLY grown on me to the point where it could be my favorite now.

Going back to Romulus from Michigan, it's always been rather apparent that his relationship with his mother wasn't the best.

@donrory3073

9 жыл бұрын

spooks giles corey there ohh

@feelyourlines

9 жыл бұрын

Don Rory They're nice songs.

@donrory3073

9 жыл бұрын

very very nice... the second half of "no one is ever going to want me" is one of my favorite moments in music ever

I was a little uncomfortable with the album when I first heard it. I was hoping for something dynamic to happen at some point but when that didn't happen, I thought to instead listen to it on it's own terms. I.e. without expectation of what have now become Sufjan tropes in his music. With each new listen I found myself loving something new about the album. A lot of what Sufjan sings about on this record is unresolved, such as the past, his relationship with his mother, things he wishes he'd rather not done and would probably change if he could, learning to live with the memory/ghost of someone who is no longer here, and although his lyrics pertain to his mother, the listener can certainly relate them to someone in their own life. I find a lot of these songs, and particularly the ending to be unresolved for that reason. Life keeps going, and more often than not, it doesn't give us answers, solutions or resolution. It's a theme that is both lyrical and musical. In that way, I find this album very satisfying.

Best album of the century, it hits you like a stone. If you can’t appreciate that, then I’m not so sure about your judgement.

every once in a while i come back to this video in order to feel RIGHTEOUS ANGER AGAIN. i respect your right to your personal opinion, but my god fantano, you did this record SO DIRTY with this one.

Dunkey was right about you

imagine thinking the second half of this album "falls apart"

I am a lover of Hip-Hop and i do not listen to this type of music that much, but personally i would give this album a 9. Sufjan has influenced so many more people then you know and after searching up what some of the meant it was hard not to cry tbh

Sufjan's voice is so graceful in this, especially on Should Have Known Better. His voice goes together flawlessly with the acoustics. It's not a 10, but I do think you're undermining it.

Don’t listen to Anthony, guys. This is one of the best albums I’ve ever heard.

if you listen to Romulus on the michigan album and then listen to this new album-- the story makes more sense

I only like albums that make me feel like I'm gonna die soon. I like this album.

@blip_blop6777

3 жыл бұрын

that's a bit morbid. hope ur doing well my man.

@Nathan.Nevada

3 жыл бұрын

@@blip_blop6777 I forgot about this post. I’m happy now. Lol

@JairCobos

3 жыл бұрын

@@Nathan.Nevada lmao

This a joke right? Light 7? One dimensional? Are you fucking kidding me? I'm not going to waste my time ever listening to this guys opinion on music ever again, but I'd love to hear what he has to say about other records that say, aren't the best album to come out in years. I'm not even a Sufjan fan, but this record is perfect. 10.

@llllemomn

9 жыл бұрын

Instead of basing your opinion on this guy based off of the SCORE, you should base it off of what he says in the review. Jesus, it seems like people only care about the score

The second half was actually my favorite half. His vocals drew me in and then his music captured me. Because he whispers I automatically was drawn to listen closer then his words transported me into a reminiscing the past events that are full of mixed emotions. By allowing the open ending to the songs musically you are left feeling that it will continue and maybe that is what he intended because of his situation. I do agree that at times the songs can drag on but over all it carries the theme well.

Sorry but I disagree that Sufjan hasn't forgiven his Mother. See the lyric, really early on "I forgive you, Mother". The key is that he hasn't forgotten the things that hurt him as a child and how he wished he'd had the emotional maturity to deal with them constructively. Forgiveness is a huge theme in this album, and he stresses just how hard it is to forgive somebody who has had such a negative effect on your character. He still loves his Mother, and relies on his faith to hold true to that. He has pet names for her, hears her voice and feels her ghost passing through him. It's an incredibly complex, emotional album displaying a massive tension in his mentality and emotions, not least because his Mother was actually schizophrenic. The main themes are definitely forgiveness, faith and love, and the virtues of all three even in these most difficult of circumstances. I don't disagree with everything you say here but couldn't help pick up on that.

first, yes i know this is just your opinion. just like my opinion is that dissecting music can obliterate one's ability to just feel it. oh opinions.....anyways, it's not like i'm one of these nutso fanatic people who thinks you should never say a negative thing about ___(insert beloved artist here), but sorry, i just don't get how you can use the term "one dimensional" to describe this album (or any of sufjan's work). one dimensional??? to me that's....just mind-blowing. this album feels like a delicately crafted work of art that has the heart missing from 90% of music out there today.

EARL AND BRONSON'S ALBUMS. Review them, please. PLEASE.

Pitchthony Forktano

His goal was to express grief, and he did it effectively and with heart wrenching beauty

I'm getting to see sufjan in july! but it's a 9, not a 6 or 7

I really hated how boring this album was when it first came out, now I absolutely love it.

It's still difficult for me to listen to anything without that wince, that reminder of To Pimp a Butterfly's greatness. Glad people are still putting out music. It's all overshadowed, though, for good reason.

I've been listening to this album on repeat as of late and I don't think I'd be able to justify it not being a 10. While Melon's main critique of the album is that it's really one note, I find that while yes, the vocals themselves stay around the same register and volume, there is a uniqueness in tone for each track on this album that to me keeps it very interesting. This album merits a revisit I think

I keep coming back to this record and it never fails to floor me. Hug your moms, people.

This is one of those albums, where if you don't have personal connection with it early on, the songwriting will take a while to grow on you, so I understand his review even if though i think it deserves a higher rating than a 7!

wow. Way to laugh at Sufjan’s grief on the thumbnail.

While I normally too, do not perfer raw emotion at the expense of musical quality (but love when the two meet i.e. Simon and Garfunkel), I personally feel as though the vocal and compositional imperfections added to this particular album. In specific, I loved how abruptly many of the songs end in "Carrie & Lowell," especially the closing track's "non-ending," as it metaphorically embodied Sufjan's own lack of resolution and closure with his mother, who the album memorializes in the first place. Additionally, it may not have been intentional as "Carrie & Lowell" seems to be a very subconscious, therapeutic way to grieve the passing of his mother, I loved how each song (though possessing some minor individuality, character and distinguishability) almost sounded like one continuous song, because I think that's how Sufjan might be feeling, this underlying depression that is present regardless of circumstance. Incidentally, I saw him perform this album live last night, and at some points he could hardly hit his own notes and even stumbled to get the lyrics out occasionally during the show, but these performance "mistakes" made it that much more moving as I realized that it wasn't much of a performance at all but a relived funeral service!

Cool review! Will check out more of your reviews fo sho!

A FUCKING 7?? HAS NOBODY IN YOUR LIFE EVER DIED? Damn Fantano...

The fact you give this the same score as Post Malone’s Beerbongs and Bentleys ruins your credibility for me.

Missed the boat with this one, Anthony. Only three years later and it's holding up fantastically. Strong 8 at least.

love your reviews. Just wondering...where do you find the time? Each of these reviews sound like they have been prepared after numerous deep listens. Given the volume of music, and the volume of reviews you do, I cant figure out how you do it...

its confirmed that u don't know what you're talking about

You can say the same words on a Nick Drake's Album. Am i wrong?

So much is being released this month, I hope you can get to it all, really digging the new Liturgy album and would love to hear your thoughts on it

Dude what?