Originally published in Hot Press in 2015:

After five years in absentia, Sufjan Stevens is back in full ethereal folk splendour. Not one for idle hands, his sabbatical saw him undertake an eclectic array of projects, including a ballet score, a soundtrack for a rodeo documentary, a Chinese zodiac-inspired electronica album, a release from his side-project Sisyphus, and a compilation of Christmas music.

Who knew what creative terrain he would explore on album number seven?

Whatever else he has been doing, Stevens has definitely grown up, and has had to deal with the enormous issues that come with losing a parent.

Named for both his mother who died in 2012 (Carrie) and his stepfather (Lowell), the album is primarily concerned with mortality and its unhappy bedfellows, love and loss.

In contrast to the experimental meanderings of 2010’s Age Of Adz, this collection feels altogether more focused, considered and complete. It is less a return to his folk roots than an evolution to an emotionally maturer sound, folk music mingling throughout with more experimental elements.

Musically, the arrangements are light with plenty of air to breathe. Lyrically, Stevens lays himself bare – the stories are intensely personal, straight from his “heart that offends with its lonely and greedy demands.”

To truly immerse yourself in the subtle beauty of Carrie & Lowell, you need isolation in a silent room and a heart with no fear of the dark...

– Helen Cullen

Listen to Carrie & Lowell below: