Sufjan Stevens built Convocations as a record of loss, and he chose to make it entirely without words. Across forty-nine tracks and 150 minutes, the Chicago musician sets grief down through piano, strings and electronics, working through four sections — Meditations, Lamentations, Revelations and Celebrations — before closing with nine Incantations. It is a massive, deliberate statement, and it asks a lot of the listener.
Walking Through the Four Sections
The record opens with Meditation I through Meditation X, ten brief piano studies that set the tone. Meditation V stands out as the strongest of the group, a quiet piece that earns its place among the album’s highlights.
Lamentation I follows, and it is the heart of the record. The title names the shape of the whole project, and this track carries that weight best of any on the album. Lamentation VII is shorter but no less striking, a brief, urgent burst that critics also singled out.
Revelations ease the strain somewhat, though none of its ten tracks reaches the heights of the earlier sections. Revelation IV and Revelation IX stand out, both strong enough to justify the middle stretch.
Celebrations are lighter, closer to dance music, and they provide some of the album’s most accessible moments. Celebration II runs longest at 5:56, and it is one of the few tracks that feels fully formed rather than padded.
Incantations close the record, and Incantation II and Incantation IX are the standout pieces here, dense and layered in a way that rewards repeated listening.
Where the Record Drags
Not everything holds up. The middle section drags in spots, and the sheer length means some tracks feel like filler rather than composition. The record’s ambition sometimes overwhelms its clarity, leaving listeners to work harder than they should to find the thread.
Still, the highs are high enough to carry the whole. The best moments — Lamentation I, Meditation V, Incantation IX — are genuinely moving, and the technical skill on display is consistent throughout.
Final Verdict
Convocations is a dense, ambitious record that rewards patience. Its best tracks are truly excellent, and its weaker stretches are never bad enough to sink the whole. This is a record about loss that finds beauty in silence, and it succeeds more often than it fails.
- Lamentation I — the centerpiece, fully earned
- Meditation V — quiet but essential
- Incantation IX — the most rewarding listen
- Incantation II — dense and satisfying
- Revelation IV — one of the stronger middle tracks
- Meditation I3:40
- Meditation II2:27
- Meditation III4:04
- Meditation IV2:10
- Meditation V2:11
- Meditation VI2:16
- Meditation VII2:34
- Meditation VIII1:48
- Meditation IX2:12
- Meditation X3:41
- Lamentation I3:49
- Lamentation II2:25
- Lamentation III3:18
- Lamentation IV1:59
- Lamentation V4:11
- Lamentation VI4:43
- Lamentation VII1:52
- Lamentation VIII3:35
- Lamentation IX3:29
- Lamentation X1:57
- Revelation I3:21
- Revelation II2:54
- Revelation III2:01
- Revelation IV4:10
- Revelation V2:52
- Revelation VI3:34
- Revelation VII4:04
- Revelation VIII2:52
- Revelation IX4:39
- Revelation X4:19
- Celebration I2:20
- Celebration II5:56
- Celebration III3:10
- Celebration IV3:23
- Celebration V2:59
- Celebration VI4:02
- Celebration VII3:41
- Celebration VIII3:26
- Celebration IX1:36
- Celebration X4:11
- Incantation I2:17
- Incantation II1:59
- Incantation III1:37
- Incantation IV2:00
- Incantation V3:15
- Incantation VI1:50
- Incantation VII1:54
- Incantation VIII2:56
- Incantation IX4:29
