Known for his highly orchestral, intensely focused works that span multi-disc Christmas music compilations, to film scores, to acting a musical historian of Illinois and Michigan, Sufjan Stevens has never failed to impress us with his penchant for uniting the fundamental and the ethereal. Carrie & Lowell is a testament to the work he’s done in the past.

Named for his late mother, Carrie & Lowell is heavy and stumbling, complete with unfinished, rough edges smoothed into the bright synth lines. “Should Have Known Better” plucks hard at your heartstrings, lamenting past regrets, underlining the theme for the whole album. Not delicate in any of its subject matter, it’s as messy and moody as dealing with the death of a loved one.

You’ll have to wait until the 31st to pick up a physical copy, but you can check out “No Shade In The Shadow Of The Cross” below and stream the full album over at Under The Radar, here.