The Ascension is the eighth studio album from singer, songwriter and composer Sufjan Stevens and is the long-awaited follow-up to Stevens’ Carrie & Lowell. One of the most acclaimed albums of 2015, The New York Times praised Carrie & Lowell as "restrained and meticulous" while Pitchfork declared it "a masterpiece."
In the time between Carrie & Lowell and the forthcoming The Ascension, Stevens also released Oscar-nominated music for the Luca Guadagnino film Call Me By Your Name; a collaborative album entitled Planetarium with Nico Muhly, Bryce Dessner (The National) and James Mcalister; The Decalogue, a solo piano work performed by Timo Andres; and scored several works for ballet: Reflections (Houston Ballet) and Principia (NYCB).
The Ascension is musically expansive and sweeping in thematic scope.
A1. Make Me An Offer I Cannot Refuse
A2. Run Away With Me
A3. Video Game
A4. Lamentations
A5. Tell Me You Love Me
B6. Die Happy
B7. Ativan
B8. Ursa Major
B9. Landslide
C10. Gilgamesh
C11. Death Star
C12. Goodbye To All That
C13. Sugar
D14. The Ascension
D15. America