Sufjan Stevens' latest addition to his discography, Javelin, is a piercing piece of poetic narrative that showcases the artist's ability of skillful storytelling. Dedicated to the passing of his partner and best friend, the album breaks down into a personal work of art that delves into Sufjan's psyche as he explores ideas of life, love, and most importantly, loss. The album consists of 10 mesmerising tracks, with a total runtime of 42 minutes and 4 seconds, Javelin draws inspiration from and combines the folk instrumentation of Carrie & Lowell as well as the use of electronic themes and orchestration similar to The Ascension. 

The first track, "Goodbye Evergreen", is a ballad with melancholy seeping from its sombre piano tunes. The track beautifully sets the main theme of the record: painful but gradual acceptance of loss. The use of arpeggiated piano layers and the buildup to the crescendo skillfully sets up the song for a swift transition to the next track. 

All the tension and dread from bidding adieu dissipates as Sufjan transitions to the next song, "A Running Start". Loss is replaced with longing with soft guitar plucks and mellow flute sections with orchestrated choir bits that resemble Sufjan's iconic tone from the Illinois record. 

As the artist wishes for his pantomime to not leave, the third record of the track settles in. "Will Anybody Ever Love Me?"  Sufjan fills the track with vivid imagery and in the process, allows the overarching themes of the record such as coming to terms with loss, and coping with the perpetual ache of longing to settle in. The track "Everything That Rises" symbolises the continuation of life and the repetition of the cycle of yin and yang through the lens of love and loss. 

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"So You Are Tired," "My Little Red Fox," and the title track "Javelin" are key highlights of the album as Sufjan's quiet expression of grief unfolds into a beautiful resolution. Through the track "Javelin", Sufjan criticises the human nature of conflict and gives in to yearning. As the singer-songwriter requests his lost lover to hold him once again in a warm embrace. The album then reaches its conclusion with its final track "There's A World." 

The ending track shares a striking resemblance to the song "Death With Dignity" from Carrie & Lowell. The two-and-a-half-minute ending track is a cover of a 1972 Neil Young song with the same title with Sufjan taking the musical liberty of the instrumentation and ending the record with a hopeful afterthought of all the good things that surround us. 

With soft fingerpicking patterns on the guitar, hushed whispered voices, and tasteful consonant vocal harmonies, Sufjan Stevens' Javelin has it all. In fact, Javelin seems to be one of his most ambitious pieces of work. The songwriter has set a new bar for the indie-folk genre with his new studio album. It is a touching piece of creative work capable of sending the listener to a bittersweet yet nostalgic feeling of home and is a must-listen record for both old and new fans. 

Fahad graduated from Saint Joseph Higher Secondary School and is a university aspirant.