Those who are solely fans of the acoustic heartbreak of Carrie and Lowell or the clear storytelling of Illinois will find this record obtuse and abrasive, but those ready to jump into the black hole and see what’s on the other side will find plenty to explore here.
Planetarium does the solar system justice with almost every conceivable sound — from metallic auto-tune to rippling organ, to angelic strings and forceful horns — from four powerful multi-instrumentalists at the top of their respective games.
It’s this sense of childlike awe at the stars above and the possibilities they represent which Planetarium most strongly evokes with its bold and varied take on the music of the spheres.
Progressive may be the apt term, as the planet-themed Planetarium is the kind of overarching conceptual work once considered de rigueur by prog-rockers like Rush and Yes, albeit effected within a modern sonic vocabulary of programmed beats, synthesised electronics, complex horn and string arrangements, and auto-tuned vocals.
In its entirety, the ambition and scope of the project is matched by the combined talent and imagination of four musical friends whose association seemed to just emerge from the ether.
The more you listen, the more Planetarium recalls Stevens’s glitchy, Auto-Tuned The Age of Adz album. Myth and science, astrology and astronomy, the personal and the political, religion and the profane commingle.
While a tad long, this is a great ambitious record to say the least. The jaw-dropping moments really warrant its release and overall it proves cool ambitious projects this weird should still exist.
The result is expansive and dense, if inconsistent, and scattered with gems.
To be sure, Planetarium is not perfect. That it hangs together as well as it does is a testament to the considerable talents of the people who created it.
Planetarium only occasionally feels absolutely essential, but it never dips below ‘pretty good’.
Although overly padded and repetitious at times, Planetarium is a poignant, adventurous, and highly promising debut; if the quartet can trim the fat in the future, they’ll truly reach their potential.
There are some lovely moments. ... But ultimately, the impossible ambition of Planetarium looms over every single moment.
It’s beautifully crafted, but if there’s a major criticism to be had of ‘Planetarium,’ it’s that its sheer size and scope is almost as enormous as the universe itself – perhaps too enormous.
Perhaps it’s because of the lack of a center to all this big-question reaching, or perhaps it’s because of its absurd detours, but I found much of Planetarium difficult to get close to.
Though the finished product feels less like an album and more of a huge score that happens to feature Stevens’ unmistakable voice on most of its tracks. Notably missing from the entire affair: anything resembling a traditional chorus or pop structure.
For an album inspired by the cosmos, Planetarium is lacking quite a bit in the way of flow and harmony.
Planetarium is a boldly ambitious statement from a lavishly talented group of individuals, but ultimately it doesn’t quite scale the lofty, intergalactic heights it aspires to.
Sufjan Stevens - 9/13
"Planetarium" sees Sufjan Stevens returning to the electronic soundscapes presented on "The Age of Adz", but with an even heavier emphasis on atmosphere. There are tons of fully ambient moments that appear on the album, making it one of his most unique and unusual projects to date. However, although I do appreciate Sufjan for switching up his sound yet again and experimenting this much, I must admit that this record is an absolute fucking snoozefest. ... read more
Sufjan enters his Aphex Twin phase
Hmmmm. I think this is a bit of an understated Sufjan project. While not as grand or as consistent as his best work, there are a lot of cool moments here that makes me want to return to it. Moon is my favorite song on here and it sounds like if he teamed up with Bjork during her Vespertine era and I love it. Pluto is also a top tier Sufjan song. GIVE PLUTO THE RECOGNITION IT DESERVES AS A PLANET AND A SONG. Mercury is a super hypnotizing and fantastic closer. ... read more
While "Planetarium" may have had the potential to be a transcendent musical experience, it ultimately falls short of the mark.
This album was fine, chill background music for the most part, it didnt do anything new and was pretty boring overall
1 | Neptune 3:04 | 77 |
2 | Jupiter 7:10 | 82 |
3 | Halley's Comet 0:30 | 58 |
4 | Venus 4:42 | 68 |
5 | Uranus 6:51 | 75 |
6 | Mars 7:08 | 70 |
7 | Black Energy 5:25 | 58 |
8 | Sun 3:59 | 60 |
9 | Tides 0:58 | 59 |
10 | Moon 3:42 | 72 |
11 | Pluto 4:23 | 76 |
12 | Kuiper Belt 2:04 | 68 |
13 | Black Hole 0:33 | 55 |
14 | Saturn 3:51 | 72 |
15 | In The Beginning 1:17 | 61 |
16 | Earth 15:10 | 72 |
17 | Mercury 5:12 | 82 |
#23 | / | Under the Radar |