Sufjan has a new album, sorta! Fans of file-sharing and Sufjan have managed to get snatches of Sufjan's Christmas EP's, which he releases privately each year. This year, he's releasing all of them in a box set that includes stickers and an essay by Rick Moody.
While you'll get your share of "Jingle Bells" and other traditional classics, like all of Stevens' work,
Songs for Christmas is all about approaching the familiar at right angles. This means "We Three Kings" is a dirge on organ and banjo, Mexican elves, Santa Claus, Jesus, Mary, the Tower of Babel, snow plows and 'Aunt Edna' are all name-checked in the same song or as you can hear on
Sister Winter, the music evokes the loneliness and trepidation of the season. Some times the results are unlistenable (this is an experimental side project after-all), but as is typical with Sufjan, when he nails it, you're listening to songs that sound like a lost heirloom rediscovered.
Songs for Christmas will be released Nov. 21. Bring it home and drive your family nuts.
