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Title: One Illinoisian's Verdict: Dull, Vapid, Gimmicky
Review: I'm completely astonished by the rave reviews for this album. Singer-songwriter stuff works best when the artist makes you feel he's singing about experiences or events that have greatly affected him. These dilettantish songs, on the other hand, sound totally forced, like they're based on encyclopedia entries (Or am I to believe that Stevens has strong personal feelings about Casimir Pulaski, Mary Todd Lincoln, Carl Sandburg, and the Columbian Exposition?).The lame lyrics could be somewhat forgiven if the music had a pulse, but this album is totally D.O.A -- no energy whatsoever, melodies that are completely innocuous and instantly forgettable.As for the song about John Wayne Gacy, Stevens is seemingly trying to be profound but in the end has nothing remotely insightful to say (Serial killers are people too? Wow, how heavy!!!!).
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