Pick four songs from any band and you can tell a lot about their sound. This summer, I’m featuring #RockBlocks, four picks from bands across various genres. They might be wildly different from each other, but what binds them together is the fact that they’re all a part of my life soundtrack.

Seven Swans isn’t just one of my favorite Sufjan Stevens albums, it’s one of my favorite albums period. It’s hard to come across another recording that’s as reflective, spiritual, melodic and personal. As the opener, “All the Trees” became an altar call for a new, pioneering musical expression.

The unique sound of “All the Trees” and the entire Seven Swans album is a musical paradox. It takes the banjo — an instrument typically used to accentuate energy, fast tempos and a sense of celebration — and turns it on his head. Sufjan used his slow, meandering banjo strums to create an aura of meditative reflection and slow down the tempo to a near halt. It’s not just about a spiritual experience. It’s a spiritual experience in itself.

“I am joining all my thoughts to you. And I'm preparing every part for you.”