Music Review: Welcome to the Welcome Wagon

Grade: A-

The Sunday Morning Gospel Hour meets Great Lakes brass-ified (Sufjan-ified) eccentric indie-pop.

While we all wait for Sufjan Stevens’ next legitimate album, this will more than do.

Welcome to the Welcome Wagon is the brainchild of Vito Aiuto (pastor of Resurrection Presbyterian Church in Brooklyn and the same Vito from “Vito’s Ordination Song”), his wife Monique, and the previously-mention Stevens.  And while this is not technically a Sufjan Stevens album (here he serves as producer and backup vocalist/instrumentalist), you can’t really separate this album from the Stevens canon.  His fingerprints are all over it.

That being said, this album still stands on its own as something unique, fresh, and pleasing.  While injected with some of the same brass and backup vocal armies traditionally found in Sufjan’s elaborate compositions, Welcome to the Welcome Wagon strikes a simpler, slower, more reverent tone.

Welcome to the Welcome Wagon, simply put, is church music.  It’s perhaps an unfair label to put on artists who have no interest of entering the brand-Christian music market, but Aiuto is a pastor, after all.  But when I say this is church music, don’t make the mistake of conjuring images of (at times) wishy-washy “I’m in love with Jesus” arena anthems.  We’re moreso talking about hymns here– amazingly, thankfully, this type of music is still being written.  Not unlike Sufjan’s own songs of faith, Welcome Wagon relies almost exclusively on biblical imagery and narrative, and specifically those dealing with atonement and holy week (making it a great listen for the drive to this morning’s Easter Sunday service).  The combination of rarely-heard Biblically-focused writing, old-style folk, and brassy, indie-licious trim make this one of the oddest albums I’ve ever encountered.  But that’s part of what makes it so endearing.

If you’re a fan of Sufjan Stevens (or Denison Witmer, Rosie Thomas, Danielson Famile, etc.), Welcome to the Welcome Wagon will fit into your library quite comfortably.  If you’re new to this circle of unique, thoughtful musicians, you may be surprised at just how enjoyable this album is.

5 tracks to check out:

1.  Up on a Mountain

2. Hail to the Lord’s Annointed

3.  I Am a Stranger

4.  But For You Who Fear My Name

5.  Sold! To the Nice Rich Man