For Sufjan, ‘Seven Swans’ has remained a work in constant motion, something to revisit and reinvent at each stage in his evolution. 20 years after its initial release, it marks a definitive moment in his immaculate and diverse body of work. With an atmosphere that feels equally cozy and cosmic, the album is carried by the refined pluck of Stevens’ banjo and acoustic guitar, the confessional tug of his voice, the tension of his melodies, and the profound questions of devotion and doubt that drive his songwriting to this day. 

And, much like the world, ‘Third Time At The Beach’ is brilliantly diverse. There are neo-classical piano flurries, booming industrial thumps, skittering electronics, head-cuffing guitars, ocean-straddling beats, haunting spoken word, and infectious vocals that grip you by your lapels and bellow their assertions straight down your oesophagus and into your hungry belly. 
Finishing this record is like turning the final page on an epoch-spanning novel. It'll sit with you for some time after. Three trips to this particular beach just might not be enough.