Sufjan Stevens: "To Be Alone with You"

I have to admit, I've always been a bit standoffish toward Sufjan Stevens.  I love the song "Chicago" as much as everyone else, but the enormous crossover success of his Come on Feel the Illinoize album, combined with his cute "one album per state" gimmick has often made the indie snob in me just a bit suspicious.  It wasn't until today, when my favorite fellow music obsessive Ali summoned me across the street to the Red Vic for an afternoon screening of Danielson: A Family Movie (in which Stevens, a longtime friend of the Danielson family, makes many appearances) that I really made up my mind about Stevens' work.  And the song that finally converted me was a live performance of the gorgeous ballad "To Be Alone with You," from Stevens' lesser known Seven Swans album.

Far from the heavily orchestrated extravaganzas of the Illinoize album, "To Be Alone with You" is a raw, guitar-and-vocal-only production, but its dark, secretive evocation of longing and sacrifice couldn't be more poignant.  It's truly a testament to what a lone voice with an acoustic guitar can make you feel.

To Be Alone with You

Sufjan Stevens