How pain and loss frame Sufjan Stevens’ new album

Plus, Bob Boilen signs off, a beautiful tribute to Pharoah Sanders and more.

View this email online by Stephen Thompson This week, the announcement of a personal loss places Sufjan Stevens’ Javelin in context; plus, Bob Boilen signs off, a beautiful tribute to Pharoah Sanders and more. I’ve been listening to Sufjan Stevens’ new album, Javelin, for the last week as we’ve prepared to discuss it on this week’s episode of New Music Friday. My initial takes mirrored a lot of the most facile observations that have surrounded the record, which came out yesterday: vintage Sufjan, sad and delicate, a return to the whispered intimacy and grief of Carrie & Lowell, that sort of thing. When Ann Powers, John Morrison and I discussed the record, we managed to dig a little deeper than that, which helped me arrive at a greater appreciation of his versatility and singular creative voice. But still, we didn’t know what we didn’t know. In a post on his website Friday, Stevens provided greater context for Javelin’s themes, writing, “This album is dedicated to the light of my life, my beloved partner and best friend Evans Richardson, who passed away in April. He was an absolute gem of a person, full of life, love, laughter, curiosity, integrity, and joy. He was one of those rare and beautiful ones you find only once in a lifetime — precious, impeccable, and absolutely exceptional in every way.” Reading Stevens’ words sent me back to Javelin for another listen, at which point it snapped into focus. The very first track, “Goodbye Evergreen,” had seemed like a mere breakup song — or, just from scanning the title, perhaps a meditation on environmental devastation. But the song’s first lines couldn’t be clearer now: Goodbye, Evergreen You know I love you But everything heaven sent Must burn out in the end Stevens had always maintained a certain amount of privacy about his personal life, but the events of this year — he’s also been hospitalized with Guillain-Barré Syndrome, an autoimmune disorder that left him temporarily paralyzed — clearly compelled him to reveal more than he’s ever let the public know. To be sure, he’d never shied away from delving into his experiences in his songs, through which he’s shared with listeners his religious faith, his upbringing and his troubled relationship with his mother, among other topics. But any public persona is a series of decisions about what you choose to reveal and keep to yourself, and I find myself dearly hoping that Stevens experiences an outpouring of love, support and appreciation as he comes out publicly — while simultaneously grieving — amid this deeply destabilizing year. I’ll spend this weekend revisiting Javelin with a fresh perspective, reveling in its wisdom as well as the beauty and grace Stevens pours into every recording. And I’ll try to live by the advice that closes Friday’s post: “I know relationships can be very difficult sometimes, but it’s always worth it to put in the hard work and care for the ones you love, especially the beautiful ones, who are few and far between. If you happen to find that kind of love, hold it close, hold it tight, savor it, tend to it, and give it everything you’ve got, especially in times of trouble. Be kind, be strong, be patient, be forgiving, be vigorous, be wise, and be yourself. Live every day as if it is your last, with fullness and grace, with reverence and love, with gratitude and joy. This is the day the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it.” Newsletter continues after sponsor message More to read, watch and hear Last week, I was handed one of the toughest assignments I’ve received in my 17-plus years at NPR: I was asked, repeatedly, to say kind words about Bob Boilen on the occasion of his retirement. This included hopping into the studio for the tail-end of his final episode of All Songs Considered, which features lovely and heartfelt words from some of the artists with whom he has connected along the way. Harmony Holiday crafts a beautiful tribute to Pharoah Sanders that encompasses the great saxophonist’s expansive legacy, his friendship with John Coltrane, his newly reissued 1977 album Harvest Time and the autumnal nature of jazz. The annual announcement of MacArthur “genius grants” came out this week, and one newly minted genius — composer, pianist and scholar Courtney Bryan, whose works touch on jazz, classical and church music — recently spoke to WRTI’s Nate Chinen (a genius in his own right, albeit an unofficial one). Speaking of unofficial geniuses, my colleague and friend Anastasia Tsioulcas broke down the controversy surrounding a North Carolina radio station’s refusal to air six contemporary works from the Metropolitan Opera. The station, WCPE, recently changed course, but not before generating significant controversy surrounding censorship — its objections, as Anastasia reports, include “the presence of LGBTQ subject material” — and allegations of racism. In addition to Sufjan Stevens' Javelin, the new albums featured on this week's New Music Friday from All Songs Considered — guest-hosted by yours truly — included works by Earl Sweatshirt & The Alchemist and Jolie Holland. Here’s your occasional reminder that Tiny Desk concerts aren’t the only fabulous performance videos public radio has to offer. From 90.9 FM The Bridge in Kansas City, here’s a lovely session and interview with Dana Foote, lead singer of the Vermont band Sir Chloe. Tiny Desk The “El Tiny” takeover of the Tiny Desk continues with Alex Cuba and what Felix Contreras describes as “the barest of musical essentials: a percussive guitar rhythm, the soft scratch of a güiro and a miniature choir.” Also this week: Revel in the socially conscious lyricism and unfiltered joy of Puerto Rican trap and reggae star Villano Antillano. One More Thing I mentioned it on the Friday episodes of All Songs Considered and Pop Culture Happy Hour, but I’m in love with this new song from singer-songwriter Omar Apollo. Listen to your local NPR station. Visit NPR.org to hear live radio from WUFT 89.1 (edit station). What do you think of today's email? 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