Stevens last full-length album of new, original tunes—2005’s Illinois—left critics breathless and fans with a new hipster hero to worship, and an unusually worthy one at that, given Stevens’ undeniable songwriting chops on that slab of conceptual pop. Stevens new collection, The Age of Adz, is sonically miles away from Illinois, relying on a slew of electronic loops and synthesizers instead of the acoustic instruments he formerly favored. Gone, too, are the bevy of historical allusions, in favor of lyrics that are more personal, perhaps as a means of offsetting the colder musical background. Where the two works don’t differ, though, is in their presentation of an artist easily bored with the status quo, always pushing himself in new directions. And what more could a fan want than that? Kingsbury Hall, 1395 E. President’s Circle, 8 p.m., $34
