In March, Detroit-born singer-songwriter Sufjan Stevens released Carrie & Lowell, a welcome return to his folk roots featuring sparse instrumentation, brutally honest, introspective lyricism, and the sort of haunting melancholia that leaves you shaken long after you’ve finished listening to the album.
Now Stevens’ has released a new version of the album’s final track, “Blue Bucket of Gold,” fusing the acoustic minimalism of Carrie & Lowell with the electronic experimentation that he has come to embody in the past few years. The use of echoing drums and humming synth enhances the already haunting song, creating a lush, dreamlike quality.
The revamp is an interpretation of the live performance version of the song. In concert, “Blue Bucket of Gold” transforms from a simplistic album closer to a wall-of-sound powerhouse, complete with resplendent light show and deafening bass. The track is excellent for vastly different reasons in both its iterations, and the remix bridges this gap elegantly.
Listen to “Blue Bucket of Gold (Remix)” below: