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Sufjan Stevens' projects are nothing if not grandiose. (Something of a completist as well, he has announced his intention to release a record for each of the 50 states, and has already begun making good with his Michigan and Illinoise releases.) In fact, it was Heather Havrilesky's mention of Illinoise on the rabbit blog that first alerted me to the potential importance of Sufjan Stevens Presents Songs for Christmas, Singalong. And although I was unable to finesse a copy of this title last season when it was red hot, I have managed to get my hands on one now, and it is still warm enough to leave marks on my fingers whenever I pick it up.

Instrumentally lush, Stevens recordings are often classified under the made up genre called "baroque pop", placing him (according to the Wikipedia) in the company of Fiona Apple, The Shins, and The Beatles. Which is not to say he sounds very much like any of these artists, except possibly The Shins. Ambling and rambling, Songs for Christmas was, according to media accounts, recorded over a period of years and reflects Stevens attempt to reconcile the conflicts between sacred and secular aspects of Christmas, as it is celebrated in the good old U.S. of A. That he has such a rangy and excessive artistic vision is one thing; that he manages to weave these 42 songs into a coherent artistic work is the real trick, and he pulls it off much better than I would have thought possible before I listened to the thing.

This magnum opus is structured as five CD volumes, each integrating unique arrangements of Christmas classics with Sufjan Stevens originals. It is always interesting to me to hear how an artist treats the 800-pound gorilla of Christmas songs, Silent Night. With all respect to Mel Torme, Silent Night is the quintessential chestnut: in honor of Silent Night, open fires are set in large numbers every year, the smoke visible for miles. It is said that one Christmas Eve night, World War I came to a complete halt simply to roast this one nut. I hear Comedy Central may even be planning a roast. Rare is the artist with the courage to extirpate this charred nut from their holiday set list. But instead of either featuring it or avoiding it, Stevens treats it as a brief overture, dismissing it in 44 seconds flat. Bravo!

Having dispatched the gorilla, Stevens embarks on his epic journey, weaving his own melodies through a lengthy list of well-known public domain carols. These songs add flavor and texture to the mix, but it is Stevens' own compositions that make Songs for Christmas so much fun to listen to. It is fun because Stevens seems to be having so much fun himself. From song titles such as What Child Is This Anyway? and Did I Make You Cry On Christmas? (Well, You Deserved It!), to his sweet, laid-back arrangements, from the copious liner notes to the menagerie of Christmas stickers and "It was the Worst Christmas EVER" comic strip poster, everything about this release is clever and playful.

A pretty busy guy myself, I often dread long musical journeys. But listening to Sufjan Stevens' Songs for Christmas was no chore at all. His easygoing chamber pop meshes seamlessly with my own predilection for indie and singer-songwriter fare, and the 42 multi-layered instrumental arrangements are as overwhelming and intoxicating as a fruity drink served in a big Hurricane glass.

Value priced in the $20 range at Amazon, Sufjan Stevens Sufjan Stevens Presents Songs for Christmas, Singalong is every bit as entertaining and important as I knew it would be, and everyone with an interest in nifty pop holiday arrangements should hear it.

--Richard Banks
(Reviewed in 2007)

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From the liner notes:

Matt Morgan: vocals, electric guitar, lead vocals, banjo, many electric guitars nimbly played

Vito Aiuto: backing vocals, elvin chuckles and reindeer giggles, vocals, acoustic guitar, guitar, holly, ivy, creepy vocals

Monique Aiuto: backing vocals, elvin chuckles and reindeer giggles,vocals, holly, ivy, creepy vocals

Marla Hansen: backing vocals, vocals

James McAlister: drums and percussion

Denison Witmer: vocals, acoustic guitar

Laura Myers: backing vocals, Christmas cheer

Colin Stevens: backing vocals, Christmas cheer

Shara Worden: vocals, high notes, Christmas cheer, angelic vocals

Bridgit DeCook: vocals

C.J. Camerieri: trumpet

Ben Lanz: trombone

Sufjan Stevens: electric and acoustic guitars, vocals, banjo, drums, recorder, reverb, backing vocals, sleigh bells, stocking stuffers, glock, electric organ, mistletoe, Gloria in Eggshells Faygo, various bells and glockenspiels, electronic keyboard, piano, electronic piano, oboe, bass, bells and glockenspiels played through various special effects, that creepy Christmas feeling, gold, frankencense, myrrh, telephone, tambourine, flutes, shakers, awesome lyrics, funny recorders, shaker, bravado, sad feelings, more of that creepy Christmas feeling, nostalgia, eggnog, drums and percussion, positive feedback, negative feedback, Christmas cheer, loneliness, irony, even more of that creepy Christmas feeling, tidings of comfort and joy, four slightly out-of-tune pianos, Hammond organ, Rhodes, weird synthesizer sounds, mashed potatoes and gravy, chestnuts roasting on an open fire, multiple pianos played very earnestly, figgy pudding, apologies, funny synthesizer sounds, vibraphone, etc.

String quartet: Rob Moose (violin), Naho Tsutsui (violin), Marla Hansen (viola), Maria Bella Jeffers (cello)

The Narrator: Sufjan Stevens
The Donkey: Denison Witmer
The Cow: Laura Myers
The Sheep: Shara Worden
The Doves: Vito & Monique Aiuto
(On The Friendly Beasts)

Sufjan Stevens

Sufjan Stevens Presents Songs for Christmas,
Singalong
(5-CD Box Set)

Order from Amazon

Track List

Track List, Volume 2

Track List, Volume 3

Track List, Volume 4

Track List, Volume 5