The Ascension
by Sufjan Stevens
- Type: Album
- Released: 25 September 2020
- Label: Asthmatic Kitty
- Country: United States
- Length: 1:20:38
- Community rating: 3.68/5 from 17 ratings
Album Notes & Community Reviews
Trading the acoustic intimacy of 'Carrie & Lowell' for expansive, heavily synthesized electronic arrangements, Stevens offers a sprawling critique of modern America and personal faith. The instrumentation is largely drum-machine-driven and highly textured, mirroring a deep sense of existential dread and societal collapse. Despite its synthetic shell, the lyrical core remains profoundly vulnerable and searching.
Genres
Descriptors: atmospheric, existential, electronic, synth, experimental
Tracklist
- Make Me An Offer I Cannot Refuse (5:18)
- Run Away With Me (4:07)
- Video Game (4:15)
- Lamentations (3:42)
- Tell Me You Love Me (4:21)
- Die Happy (5:46)
- Ativan (6:32)
- Ursa Major (3:42)
- Landslide (5:04)
- Gilgamesh (3:50)
- Death Star (4:04)
- Goodbye To All That (3:48)
- Sugar (7:36)
- The Ascension (5:56)
- America (12:29)
Credits
- Bryce Dessner - electric guitar
- Sufjan Stevens - primary artist, artwork [all original art], layout, design, typography, performer [all songs performed by], recorded by, engineer [engineered by], arranged by, mixed by, producer [produced by], drums, percussion, drum machine [tempest], electric guitar, synthesizer [prophet 08], synthesizer [prophet 6], synthesizer [prophet x], vocals, drums, percussion, drum machine [tempest], piano, synthesizer [prophet 08], synthesizer [prophet 6], vocals, drums, percussion, drum machine [tempest], synthesizer [prophet 08], synthesizer [prophet 6], vocals, drums, percussion, drum machine [tempest], synthesizer [prophet 08], synthesizer [prophet 6], synthesizer [prophet x], vocals, drums, percussion, drum machine [tempest], synthesizer [prophet 08], synthesizer [prophet 6], electric guitar, piano, vocals, drums, percussion, drum machine [tempest], synthesizer [prophet 08], synthesizer [prophet 6], synthesizer [prophet x], electric guitar, vocals, drums, percussion, drum machine [tempest], synthesizer [prophet 08], synthesizer [prophet 6], electric guitar, vocals, drums, percussion, drum machine [tempest], synthesizer [prophet 08], synthesizer [prophet 6], electric guitar, recorder [recorders], vocals, drums, percussion, drum machine [tempest], synthesizer [prophet 08], vocals, drums, percussion, synthesizer [prophet 08], synthesizer [prophet x], piano, vocals, drums, percussion, drum machine [tempest], synthesizer [prophet 08], synthesizer [prophet 6], synthesizer [prophet x], electric guitar, piano, recorder [recorders], vocals
- T.W. Walsh - mastered by
- Casey Foubert - bass guitar, vibraphone, recorded by [bass guitar & vibraphone], engineer [bass guitar & vibraphone engineered by], electric guitar, recorded by [bass guitar], engineer [bass guitar engineered by], recorded by [electric guitar], engineer [electric guitar engineered by], lead guitar [lead electric guitar], bass guitar, electric guitar, bass guitar
- Emil Nikolaisen - engineer [black magic engineered by], hang drum [black magic]
- James McAlister - drums [additional drums], percussion [additional percussion], recorded by [additional drums and percussion], engineer [additional drums and percussion engineered by], drums [additional drums], percussion [additional percussion], effects [vocal cut-up effects], recorded by [additional drums, percussion and vocal cut-up effects], engineer [additional drums, percussion and vocal cut-up effects engineered by]