Sufjan Stevens

'Age of Adz' and the EP that preceded it by a few weeks 'All Delighted People' were the first songs from Sufjan Stevens since the 2005 concept album 'Illinoise'. But instead of the usual narrative, conceptual, somewhat precious folkie sound, 'Age of Adz' is brash, primally aggressive in parts and mixes Stevens' swirling orchestral work with malfunctioning electronics. It's not an easy album, but repeated listening is rewarding. Kirsten Johnstone got Sufjan on the phone.