illinois by sufjan stevens
Probably like a lot of people, Illinoise was my first Sufjan album.
I liked it, but apart from some standout tracks (Casimir Pulasaki Day, Predatory Wasp of the Palisades), I felt like it sounded like a novelty album in a lot of parts. I appreciated he tried so hard with the arrangements, but they could sound saccharine and basic after awhile.
Since then, however, he's become one of my favorites. Michigan is my favorite of his, and I've even grown to love Enjoy Your Rabbit and Age of Adz. It's wild how musically varied, but still overall consistently quality, his output has been. Carrie & Lowell is as good as anything he's ever put out.