Sufjan Stevens has announced his new album, Javelin, due out October 6th. As a preview, he’s shared its the first single, “So You Are Tired.”
Javelin was recorded almost entirely by Stevens himself, but includes contributions from The National’s Bryce Dessner and vocalists adrienne maree brown, Hannah Cohen, Pauline de Lassus (aka Mina Tindle), Megan Lui, and Nedelle Torrisi. The 10-track project notably concludes with a cover of Neil Young’s “Thereʼs a World” from his 1972 classic Harvest. The physical release will also be include a 48-page book featuring artwork by Stevens as well as 10 short essays giving insights into the songs.
The album’s first single “So You Are Tired” marks a major shift back to the scaled-down, acoustic instrumentation reminiscent of 2015’s Carrie & Lowell in lieu of Stevens’ more recent electronic offerings like 2020’s The Ascension and 2021’s five-volume ambient project Convocations. The song proves that the enigmatic singer-songwriter’s intervening years of largely instrumental works haven’t dulled his knack for poignant lyricism though, as he punctuates another honest yet heartbreaking tale by asking “Was it really all just a joke?” Stream “So You Are Tired” below.
Javelin follows the release of Sufjan Stevens’ ballet score Reflections in May and a vinyl reissue of his 2003 LP Michigan in June. It arrives on October 6th via Sufjan Steven’s own Asthmatic Kitty Records. Pre-orders are ongoing.
Javelin Artwork:
Javelin Tracklist:
01. Goodbye Evergreen
02. A Running Start
03. Will Anybody Ever Love Me?
04. Everything That Rises
05. Genuflecting Ghost
06. My Red Little Fox
07. So You Are Tired
08. Javelin (To Have and To Hold)
09. Shit Talk
10. Thereʼs a World
