A string quartet tackling songs by Sufjan Stevens is an unusual proposition. This is not ‘pop goes philharmonic’ but a very physical workout evoking the subjects of Stevens’ songs.
Stevens is a successful alternative singer songwriter these days. Back in 2001 he released an album of weird and wonderfully bizarre instrumentals based on the animals of the Chinese Zodiac called ‘Enjoy Your Rabbit’. It’s fair to say that the album bombed at the time and that only the most hardcore fans who got into Stevens in recent years ever bothered to check it out.
Now the instrumentals get a new lease of life on ‘Run Rabbit Run’, this time arranged for and interpreted by a string quartet. Played by bow and string the songs sound more decisive and the drama is enhanced by the newly found dynamic between quiet and loud passages. In that sense, the new versions without exception improve on the originals.
If you like the mellow alternative rock and soothing voice on Sufjan Stevens’ more recent albums you will be in for a bit of a shock. ‘Run Rabbit Run’ is by no means an easy album to get into. It’s played in a very physical way, working on your senses with shock tactics, dischords and shards of recognition. Fans of the more avantgarde end of contemporary music will have fun with ‘Run Rabbit Run’.
Listen to Osso playing Sufjan Stevens‘ ‘Enjoy Your Rabbit’ on the MP3 player below. Simply click on the ‘Play’ button or download the track for free from our CSS feed.
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
The new arrangements use silence as much as sound, they burst with energy and engage all parts of the instruments used. The result is very evocative of the animals portrayed yet challenging at the same time. I’d recommend this to readers who are into works by cellist Aaron Martin, Dutch composer Machinefabriek, Sylvain Chauveau, Arthur Russell or Phillip Glass.
For best results, play ‘Run Rabbit Run’ loud through an old-fashioned HiFi system. On MP3 and through puny plastic speakers you won’t get a full picture of what’s going on here.
The quartet playing on this album is Osso, an ensemble that appeared on Sufjan’s albums ‘Illinois’ and ‘My Brightest Diamond’s Bring Me The Workhorse’. Osso are Rob Moose and Olivier Manchon on violin, Marla Hansen on viola and Maria Bella Jeffers on cello. Osso are well versed in working with non-classical material, having previously played with Jay-Z and Kanye West and other pop artists.
The album is due to be released on CD, Vinyl and MP3 on 9th November.
We say: 
