It’s been a full five years since Sufjan Stevens blessed us with the release of Illinoise. In that duration, the Detroit-born artists abandoned his reported quest to release an album devoted to each of the American 50 states. Just two states down , Illinois and Michigan, Stevens announced that the goal was simply a marketing ploy which he never intended to complete. Additionally, Stevens dropped an experimental instrumental album, BQE, in 2009. The self-described “symphonic and cinematic exploration of New York City’s infamous Brooklyn-Queens Expressway” and its accompanying film seemed to pass by the collective musical consciousness with relatively notice. Finally, the banjo-strumming, orchestra-arranging, acoustic rooted Stevens demonstrated a monumental change to his traditional sound with 2010’s All Delighted People EP just weeks ago.

Sufjan’s new musical direction in Age of Adz steers towards hip-hop beats, heavy electronic accompaniments, vocals that are further down in the mix, and layers of reverb. The result is a completely new territory for Stevens, yet with strains of familiarity from past works. Those who were avid fans of the past records might have some adjustment troubles, but Apes on Tapes certainly enjoys the new styles Stevens explores.