Listen to this when
Carrie & Lowell
Grieving a parent who wasn't there is still grief. Nobody gives you a word for it, so here's an album instead. 🕊️
Who it's for
Stevens wrote the album after the 2012 death of his mother, Carrie, who left him when he was about a year old and whose life involved depression, schizophrenia and substance abuse, as sources describe.
Feelings it meets
What it is
Carrie & Lowell is a 2015 album by Sufjan Stevens on Asthmatic Kitty, produced with Thomas Bartlett. It draws on the 2012 death of his mother, Carrie, who left him when he was a year old and who struggled with mental illness and substance use, and on his relationship with his stepfather Lowell Brams and childhood family trips to Oregon. Musically it returns to sparse, quiet indie folk.
Where to find it
Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, Amazon Music, Tidal; CD/vinyl widely available.
Before you start
Heads up: Suicidal thoughts and a parent's death.
Age: Not verified (suggested 16+)
Suffering has been stronger than all other teaching,Charles Dickens, Great Expectations, Chapter LIX
