{"id":27930,"date":"2017-10-16T13:47:15","date_gmt":"2017-10-16T21:47:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thelefortreport.com\/blog\/?p=27930"},"modified":"2017-10-17T12:19:30","modified_gmt":"2017-10-17T20:19:30","slug":"listen-to-sufjan-stevens-haunting-wallowa-lake-monster-from-impending-carrie-lowell-mixtape","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thelefortreport.com\/blog\/2017-10\/listen-to-sufjan-stevens-haunting-wallowa-lake-monster-from-impending-carrie-lowell-mixtape\/","title":{"rendered":"Listen to Sufjan Stevens’ Haunting “Wallowa Lake Monster” From Impending “Carrie & Lowell” Mixtape"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Sufjan Stevens<\/strong><\/a> will release a Carrie & Lowell <\/em><\/strong>“mixtape” entitled The Greatest Gift<\/em><\/strong>, on 11\/24 via Asthmatic Kitty<\/strong>. The mixtape will include unreleased outtakes, remixes, and demos from the album, which is said to be an\u00a0“investigation of love, life, death, God, and the beautiful state of Oregon.” A portion of the proceeds from The Greatest Gift <\/em><\/strong>will be donated to Cancer Community Support<\/strong>, which it is said “is dedicated to ensuring that all people impacted by cancer are empowered by knowledge, strengthened by action, and sustained by community.”<\/p>\n

Stevens<\/strong>\u00a0has given us a glimpse of The Greatest Gift<\/strong><\/em> via\u00a0Wallowa Lake Monster<\/em><\/strong>, <\/em>one of four new songs (“outtakes”) on the new mixtape (see tracklist below).\u00a0The new song was recorded during the Carrie & Lowell<\/strong><\/em> sessions, but for some reason was left off the album. As much as any other song on Carrie & Lowell<\/strong><\/em>, the new song is about his and his family’s relationship with his troubled mother, Carrie<\/strong>. Wallowa Lake is an Oregon lake in the northeast corner of Oregon that carries the legend of a water-bound monster. During the song Stevens<\/strong>\u00a0alludes to the monster and manages to weave in haunting allusions to\u00a0Carrie<\/strong> abandoning her children on a rainy day, being drunk and eventually passing from this earth (see lyrics at bottom). And just like much of Carrie & Lowell<\/strong><\/em>, the song wallows in stirring and sophisticated melodies, but this time particularly cloaked in a rapturous ghost-choir treatment. Few in music are doing what Stevens seems so to do so effectively, whether on his own or with others (e.g. Planetarium<\/strong><\/em><\/a>). Bravo!<\/p>\n

You can pre-order The Greatest Gift<\/strong><\/em> HERE<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n