Seven Swans is the fourth studio album by Sufjan Stevens, released on March 16, 2004 on Sounds Familyre Records. It features songs about Christian spiritual themes, figures such as Abraham, and Christ's Transfiguration. The songs are primarily "lush acoustic compositions" with Stevens' banjo.

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| rev2 = Drowned in Sound

| rev2Score = 8/10

| rev3 = Entertainment Weekly

| rev3Score = A−

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| rev6 = Pitchfork

| rev6Score = 8.1/10

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| rev9 = Spin

| rev9Score = A−

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Seven Swans has a score of 87 out of 100 based on 23 reviews at Metacritic, indicating a "universal acclaim" rating from the site.

Thematic elements

Many of the songs on Seven Swans tell stories directly from the Bible. "Abraham" references the bible story wherein Abraham is tested by God and told to sacrifice his only son Isaac. Abraham, at the last moment and with a knife in hand, is stopped by an angel and instead sacrifices a ram to God. The final song, "Transfiguration", is a "bittersweet note of Jesus' requisite suffering".

Track listing

"The Dress Looks Nice on You"

A 7" limited edition single of "The Dress Looks Nice on You" was released by Rough Trade in support of the album on March 8, 2004. The single features the song "Borderline" as a B-side.

  1. "The Dress Looks Nice on You"  – 2:32
  2. "Borderline"  – 3:25

References

  • Rough Trade official website