Pitchfork

In lieu of doing work on his 50 States project (which seems increasingly unlikely to ever reach completion unless he launches some Art Brut-like satellite groups for writing help), Sufjan Stevens has lent his talents to two new albums by people not named Sufjan Stevens.

The first is songwriter Will Stratton's debut, What the Night Said. Sufjan played oboe on two songs on the record ("Katydid" and "I Don't Wanna Love"), and Jens Lekman collaborator Tony Rogers played cello and violin on it. Stunning Models on Display will release the album on July 24.

Hear the Sufjanesque "Katydid" by clicking on the link below.

The second lucky band is Clare & the Reasons, who will release their debut, The Movie, via Frog Stand Records on September 4. In addition to featuring Sufjan on a song called "Nothing/Nowhere", the album also features Van Dyke Parks, known the world over for arranging strings on Ys and also for working with the legendary Beach Babies or somebody like that.

What the Night Said tracklist:

01 Katydid *
02 So Ashamed
03 Fireflies
04 Night Will Come
05 Lost the Fear
06 I'd Hate to Leave You
07 Sonnet
08 Oh Quiet Night
09 Sleepwalk
10 Stay Awake
11 Sunol
12 I Don't Wanna Love *

The Movie tracklist:

01 Pluto
02 Nothing/Nowhere *
03 Under the Water
04 Alphabet City
05 Cook for You
06 Rodi
07 Go Back
08 Sugar in My Hair
09 Love Can Be a Crime
10 Science Fiction Man
11 Pluton

* features Sufjan