15 Best Albums Of The Decade (So Far)

12. Sufjan Stevens - The Age Of Adz

Multi-instrumentalist singer-songwriter Sufjan Stevens is one of the most prolific American musicians working today, with a varied discography tucked comfortably under his belt (or guitar strap) which reflects his restless approach to both the style of music he wishes to explore and the collaborators who can help him to achieve the sound he's looking for.

Having already explored a number of approaches to music before this decade, his 2010 release The Age Of Adz marked a notable progression towards something which fused large scale ensembles - the choirs, overlaying xylophones, the horns and strings - with electronic noodlings. The effect is as you might expect for an album about a paranoid schizophrenic - restless, bounding, complex, and thought-provoking.

The Age Of Adz isn't without its share of more acoustic tracks familiar to fans of Illinois and Michigan, but mostly this feels like a progression from the experimentation of Enjoy Your Rabbit. If you'd prefer to hear Stevens at his most low-key and personal, then check out last year's haunting Carrie And Lowell.