Sufjan Stevens

"The Ascension is at heart a pop record, Sufjan Stevens' first. And when it came to writing these songs, Sufjan’s goal was simple: keep it moving. Eighties and early nineties jams informed Sufjan’s songwriting on this record, with Janet Jackson’s brilliant Rhythm Nation, produced by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, as guiding light - both for the pop framework and the underlying political themes. The beats on The Ascension sound a lot like those great eighties beats: honed, skillful, yes, but also big and loud and thick and, well, just straight up fun. The hooks are obvious and catchy and like any good pop song, last way past when you’re done listening to the song. Sufjan’s vocals on The Ascension are soft, beautiful, natural, real, true..." - Asthmatic Kitty