On the back of the just released All Delighted People EP, Sufjan Stevens has announced details of his next long player The Age Of Adz which will hit the digital streets on October 12th and on 2LP on November 5th via Asthmatic Kitty.

The label has described the new album as…

We can say it shows an extensive use of electronics (banjos and acoustic guitars give way to drum machines and analog synthesizers), and an obsession with cosmic fantasies (space, heaven, aliens, love), to create an explicit pop-song extravaganza, augmented by heavy orchestration, and maybe even a few danceable moments. Enjoy Your Rabbit meets the BQE. But with songs. Verse, chorus, bridge, backbeat. Gated reverb. Space echo. Get your boogey on.

The “Adz” of the title loosely refers to the apocalyptic paintings of outsider artist Royal Robertson (1930-1997), whose work is used for the album cover, interior design, and as general inspiration for the tone of the album.

I’m kind of disappointed to hear it isn’t along the same lines as All Delighted People as it is a fantastic sounding EP with a stronger backbone to some of Stevens’ recent efforts and a beguiling mix of classic rock guitar solos, choirs, delicate folk and swelling strings. The electronic angle on the new one does sound interesting though and inevitably it will be more of Stevens’ experimental take on pop and classic art rock.

You can stream or buy the EP for a measly $5 over at his Bandcamp page . Great value for a 60 minute long release that is apparently “a dramatic homage to the Apocalypse, existential ennui, and Paul Simon’s “Sounds of Silence“. Check out the epic Djohariah.