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Podobne ako chlapík, ktorý sám seba nazval "Spiderman" a vyliezol na chicagskú Seers Tower bez bezpečnostného lana, aj Sufjan Stevens sa vydáva na dobrodružnú cestu po prašných prériách, hutníckych závodoch a dvoch storočiach histórie, v druhom pokračovaní svojho '50 State Project'-u, "Illinois", 22-stopovej symfonickej básne tentoraz venovanej "Štátu prérie".

Je to strhujúca okružná jazda po opustených mestách, starých mlynoch, nemocničných izbách a Meste Širokých Pliec, s hosťovaním básnika, prezidenta, sériového vraha, UFO, Supermana, kozy, ktorá prekliala Cubs a slávneho decaturského Chickenmobile-u. Sufjan splieta rozmanité hudobné štýly (džez, funk, pop, folk a rodgersovské a hammersteinovské aranžmány) a textúry 25 inštrumentov do tapisérie osôb a miest, slávnych i neslávnych, vychýrených i anonymných. Vzývajúc múzu básnika Carla Sandburga, "Illinois" nám ponúka slávnostné trúbkové pochody, sláčikové kvartetá, ženské spevácke zbory a ambientné klavírne motívy usporiadané okolo Sufjanovho jemného falzeta.

Tracklist:
01. Concerning the UFO sighting near Highland, Illinois
02. The Black Hawk War, or, How To Demolish An Entire Civilization and Still Feel Good About Yourself in the Morning, or, We Apologize for the Inconvenience But You're Going To Have To Leave Now, or, "I have fought the Big Knives and will continue to fight them till they are off our lands!"
03. Come On! Feel the Illinoise! / Part I: The World's Columbian Exposition / Part II: Carl Sandburg Visits Me In A Dream
04. John Wayne Gacy, Jr.
05. Jacksonville
06. A short reprise for Mary Todd, who went insane, but for very good reasons
07. Decatur, or, Round of Applause for Your Step-Mother!
08. One last "Whoo-hoo!" for the Pullman
09. Chicago
10. Casimir Pulaski Day
11. To The Workers of The Rock River Valley Region, I have an idea concerning your predicament, and it involves an inner tube, bath mats, and 21 able-bodied men
12. The Man of Metropolis Steals Our Hearts
13. Prairie Fire That Wanders About
14. A conjunction of drones simulating the way in which Sufjan Stevens has an existential crisis in the Great Godfrey Maze
15. The Predatory Wasp of The Palisades Is Out To Get Us
16. They Are Night Zombies!! They Are Neighbors!! They Have Come Back From the Dead!! Ahhhh!
17. Let's hear that string part again, because I don’t think they heard it all the way out in Bushnell
18. In This Temple As in The Hearts of Man For Whom He Saved The Earth
19. The Seer's Tower
20. The Tallest Man, the Broadest Shoulders / Part I: The Great Frontier / Part II: Come to Me Only With Playthings Now
21. Riffs and Variations on a single note for Jelly Roll, Earl Hines, Louis Armstrong, Baby Dodds, and the King of Swing, to name a few
22. Out of Egypt, into the Great Laugh of Mankind, and I shake the dirt from my sandals as I run