Sufjan Stevens 'The BQE' (Asthmatic Kitty) Released 19/10/09

A conceptual orchestral song suite about a stretch of motorway isn’t the most mouth-watering of prospects. But if anyone can make the wacky scheme work, it’s Sufjan Stevens.

In the past, the Chicago-based multi-instrumentalist has managed to squeeze utterly gripping albums from the illustrious but – to non-natives, at least – slightly musty history of the states of Michigan and Illinois. The latter work – 2005’s ‘Come On Feel the Illinoise’ – especially was nothing short of a miraculous masterpiece, a ridiculously rich, endlessly rewarding musical journey through the past, most of its breathtakingly diverse orchestrations conjured by Stevens in his bedroom on a shoe-string budget that wouldn’t sort out most bands’ snare sound in the studio. Keeping this in mind, there’s no reason ‘The BQE’ shouldn’t hit the same lofty standards, even if the scope’s narrowed from entire states to, well, a stretch of road.

But ‘The BQE’ is very different from its predecessors. Firstly, it’s entirely instrumental, the absence of Sufjan’s gentle voice and undeniable gifts as a lyricist meaning there’s nothing as heart-rending as ‘John Wayne Gacy, Jr’ here.  Secondly, rather than being an actual stand-alone album, it’s a soundtrack to Stevens’ silent film about NYC’s Brooklyn-Queens Expressway.

There’s no denying Stevens’ ambition and talent. The 13 tracks take in a dizzying array of styles, from the grandiose orchestrations of ‘Introductory Fanfare for the Hooper Heroes’ to the 80’s-tinged electro leanings of ‘Movement IV: Traffic Shock’. Whereas on earlier records Stevens’ expansive skills as a musician and an arranger have played a second fiddle to the songs, this time it feels as if many of the fiddly melodies are just an excuse for Sufjan to show us how agilely he can attack the keyboard. Notable exceptions are the moments when the tempo drops below frantic and the overwhelming swirl of elements is stripped back to bare bones, particularly the concluding ‘Postlude: Critical Mass’. Oozing with spine-tingling beauty, it proves Sufjan’s still got the ability to move the listener.

Sadly, such moments of beguiling calm are few and far between. The result’s a record that’s undeniably impressive, but mainly as an example of craftsmanship rather than anything that radiates warmth and emotion. Maybe it all makes perfect sense with the images it was made to accompany, but for the time being – with ‘Run Rabbit Run’, an orchestral reworking of Stevens’ home-electro workout ‘Enjoy Your Rabbit’ in the works – the impression ‘The BQE’ leaves is that of an amazing songwriter doggedly refusing to do justice to his enormous talent.