"Illinois," Sufjan Stevens: I always come back to this album that pays homage to the Midwestern state. With a hushed vocal delivery similar to Nick Drake, Stevens' songs range from gorgeous folk ballads to sing-alongs backed by what sounds like a middle school band. The lyrics paint pictures of childhood memories and curious exploration, often with spiritual undertones and lush instrumentation played almost entirely by Stevens himself. Favorite tracks include "The Man of Metropolis Steals Our Hearts," which alternates between contemplative verses and a triumphant chorus that acts as a cryptic ode to the monument of a hero. "Casimir Pulaski Day" is a quiet but emotional tale of a friend who died of cancer: "On the floor at the great divide/with my shirt tucked in and my shoes untied/I am crying in the bathroom." Some fans like his "Michigan" album better. Both albums are similar in texture, tone and ambition, but "Illinois" was my introduction to Stevens and remains the standard to which I compare his other works.
"The Legend of Johnny Cash," Johnny Cash: Few musicians in the last century had a presence as commanding as Johnny Cash. Whether he sings about shooting a man in Reno "just to watch him die," or telling the tale of a boy named Sue, Cash always sounds authentic - like a musical alpha male. The message in every song is clear and immediate, thanks to his velvety bass delivery and uncanny sense of storytelling. This particular collection of songs spans Cash's lifetime, from the "Folsom Prison Blues" and "Ring of Fire" days to "When the Man Comes Around" and his covers of alt-rock classics like "Rusty Cage" and "Hurt." A favorite track is "Jackson," a duet with June Carter about a couple fighting over whether the man should go sow more wild oats in the city where they fell in love.
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