Every year, millions wait in anticipation for him to fill their homes and hearts with joy. After months of sugar plum dreams and yuletide hopes, Santa has made an early arrival this year with good tidings for the season. "Santa Claus?" you say. No, Santa Sufjan is that jolly old elf, here to bring his musical holiday cheer to the masses.
After nearly five years of recording and untold gallons of eggnog, Sufjan Stevens has finally released his box set of Christmas songs, Songs for Christmas, on Asthmatic Kitty.
This boxed set, complete with stories, a few stray reindeer and some sleigh bells, is Christmas done the Sufjan Stevens way. From drawing the cover art to adding his comical comments in the lyrics booklet, Stevens involved himself in nearly every aspect of this collection of good cheer. The artist also adds a whimsical, personal touch to the packaging with stickers, a poster and a comic strip to make Songs for Christmas the perfect stocking stuffer.
With all of this yuletide enthusiasm, it's hard to imagine that Sufjan used to be more of a Scrooge than a Santa. As a child, "Christmas vacation" meant what his father defined as family time: hauling wood and cleaning. After years of these Christmas chores, some cabin fever and toxic tube socks finally pushed him over the edge. Stevens eventually grew to despise the holidays, leading him to boycott family Christmas gatherings altogether.
But in 2001, inspired by his sister's words of encouragement, Stevens succumbed to the joyful tunes of classic Bing Crosby and Amy Grant Christmas albums. It was then that Stevens found what he'd been missing all along: his holiday spirit. That year, Stevens collaborated with friends and family to create a small collection of traditional and authentic holiday tunes. Every year since (excluding 2004, when Stevens recorded his critically acclaimed album Illinois), he has continued this tradition, and the end result is the comfort and joy of Songs for Christmas.
Fortunately for fans everywhere, Stevens does the traditional tunes his own way — complete with his distinctive irony, "insipid piano" and the banjo that is undoubtedly the main reason for Stevens' recent popularity. Old-fashioned carols like "Silent Night" and "Lo! How a Rose E'er Blooming," both of which usually involve classical instruments like piano or violin, showcase Stevens' ability to develop and layer a traditional melody with the gentle strumming of his electric guitar. On "Bring A Torch, Jeanette, Isabella," Sufjan adds a nostalgic flair as he sings the French carol over the telephone, guaranteeing this obscure tune's place as a new holiday favorite.
Stevens chooses to stray from popular instrumental and vocal melodies on some of Song for Christmas' most traditional tracks. Utilizing heavy drumbeats, cascading bells and haunting vocals from My Brightest Diamond's Shara Warden, Stevens transforms the melody of "O Holy Night" to create what he calls "that creepy Christmas feeling." On his revamped version of that traditional Christmas carol, he calls "What Child Is This Anyway?" Stevens' boyish vocals float above the same heavy percussive line.
With his frequent innovations, Stevens also demonstrates his ability to perform one classic in many different ways. On his initial recording of "O Come, O Come Emmanuel," Stevens creates a soothing, ethereal tune with the use of recorders, reverb and vocal harmonies. The other two versions of this carol stay closer to traditional instrumentation, featuring Stevens' simple vocals and delicate piano playing.
Stevens also made room on these five discs for his own Christmas creations. Once again combining his signature plucky banjo with trilling orchestration, Stevens creates tunes like "We're Goin' to the Country!" and "That Was the Worst Christmas Ever!" that recall the comfort of home. Up-tempo tunes like "Did I Make You Cry on Christmas? (Well, You Deserved It!)," "Christmas In July" and the White Stripes-inspired "Get Behind Me Santa" are far from conventional carols, yet they still manage to inspire holiday spirit.
From the complex vocal and instrumental harmonies on reinvented classic carols to quirky soon-to-be holiday favorites, it's evident on Songs for Christmas that Sufjan Stevens can do no wrong. Even his inclusion of obscure elements like a telephone or reverb only adds to the nostalgic effect of this holiday album.
Despite all of his musical accomplishments, Stevens demonstrates an important lesson: The holiday spirit is never a lost cause, as even a Scrooge can become a Santa Sufjan.
Grade: 5 out of 5
