Sufjan Stevens has a habit of naming tracks after rather minute details in his songs. Such is the case in “Casimir Pulaski Day”, which, to the dismay of many Polish-Americans, does not spend a lot of time commemorating the “Father of the American Cavalry.” Instead, the narrator tells the story of the loss of a childhood sweetheart who fell victim to “cancer of the bones” and finally passed away on the first of March (Casimir Pulaski Day). The effortless acoustic guitar allows the song to flow, and the melodic banjo parts compliment it brilliantly. Aside from the beautiful, yet simplistic instrumentation (and the fantastic backup singing!), the strengths of the song are the details in the lyrics, which underscore the gravity of the main events. For example: “In the morning when you finally go, and the nurse runs in with her head hung low, and the cardinal hits the window.” Note: the cardinal is the state bird of Illinois. Oooh, symbolism! Think about it, and in the meantime download this track, one of Sufjan Stevens’ finest to date.