Welcome Wagon Not Welcome Here

Fellow MHGSer Luke Abernathy posted a review of 'The Welcome Wagon" on The Other Journal's blog roll. Luke is a prolific and acutely discerning music reviewer- and I totally respect his take on the album- but totally disagree. Here's my response to the uber-annoying, soggy saltine of an album: Welcome to the Welcome Wagon.I wish I could agree with you Luke- I found the Sufjanesque-ness painfully pretentiously precious. It's hard to imagine this album having taken eight years. It's sounds mannered and unconvincing- the musical equivalent of frat guys wearing plaid and Buddy Holly glasses to look unkempt and indie. it just feels like it's aping a style. While the fact that hypothetically it isn't fake because of the relationship and collaboration with Sufjan- it's really my whole Mamm Mia dilemma- i love ABBA too much to have it musical theaterized. I love Sufjan Stevens too much to have him poorly duplicated- even if he's a part of the duplication. (Benny and Bjorn from ABBA were part of their own duplication too- doesn't make it okay).