Crazy Zany Radio Sunday - 'I Walked' by Sufjan Stevens

Every week our contributors will voice their opinion concerning one song, it’s a simple as that! The more the merrier, so people are always welcome to join in, just leave a note, eh.

Track of the week: ‘I Walked’ by Sufjan Stevens (listen here)
Average grade: 6.2

Anna: I'm not what you'd call a Stevens enthusiast, far from it actually, but this one I enjoyed. Moving from folk to a more electronic and dreamy landscape is pretty much a no-brainer, and he seemed to have taken the step with grace. Even a Sufjan naysayer like me can see that the arrangements on this tune are superb, although I would have liked the otherwise extremely skilful production to be much less polished.
6/10

Ilse: Quite synthy for a Sufjan Stevens track isn't it? And there's a lot going on: echoing vocals, a bit of electro, heavy drum beat, an angelic choir.... An interesting composition, but still it feels like there's something missing, perhaps a hook or a peak, so yeah, this kinda stops it from making it a remarkable or memorable track....
6.0/10

Craig: Stevens' music is always so impressively vast, whether it be the overall concepts, the subject matter he covers, or his constant digressions of sound. This may be inaccurate since I'm not so familiar with him, but it seems like this song is yet another aspect of his constant evolution. Though I'm not so much a fan of the sentimental subject matter, I find myself taken by his ability to generate ideas and reinvent himself so consistently—
8/10

Linda: Did I say last week that I'm intrigued by Justin Vernon? Well, not so much really when you compare him to this man. In an age when bands should be overjoyed to have the opportunity to be able to think about a second album, Sufjan Stevens conceived the plan to record an album for every state in America. And yes, it did turn out to be a bit too ambitious, but he did walk away with one of the best albums of the noughties under his belt. His 'All Delighted People' EP (a world exclusive in that it's going to be the first ever double vinyl EP) was a return to form, and this track brings the excellent electro-inspired 'You Are The Blood' to mind. But with Sufjan, you know he can do far better.
7.4/10

Danielle: When the intro started, I thought I had accidentally clicked on a track from The Notwist or some other such band. Sufjan has always had a well defined sound, and this is not it. When the initial shock wore off, I still had trouble with this one. There's not enough variation, and my brain tends to wander by the third or fourth minute. Other than that, its just an okay song.
5/10

Stef: I like songs that flow smoothly, and this is too botched up for my taste. I do like the angelic choir though, I love little additions like that, and I can respect the way he experiments here. But somehow, some bits sound off to my ears. What I think I want to say is, I like the idea and I respect it tremendously, I just wouldn’t want to put it on.
5/10