Sufjan Stevens – Javelin

Javelin is the tenth studio album by American musician Sufjan Stevens. It was released on October 6, 2023, through Asthmatic Kitty. The album is dedicated to his late partner, Evans Richardson. Javelin is a deeply personal album that deals with topics of loss, grief, and how to heal with life. The album received widespread critical acclaim on release.

The lead single “So You Are Tired” is a major shift back to the scaled-down, acoustic instrumentation of Carrie & Lowell. The album features a cover of Neil Young’s “There’s a World” from his 1972 album Harvest. The album release was accompanied by a 48-page book of imaginative visual art and 10 short essays tied to the songs.

Javelin might feel like a “big team” production at times but assures the listener that every track is a product of Stevens “at home”, “building by himself” and creating a sentiment of “’70s Los Angeles studio opulence”. The album is a tribute to Sufjan’s enduring exploration of death, loss, love, and the complexities of relationships – with oneself, others, and the divine.