Sufjan Stevens - Songs For Christmas

Annual round-ups rounded up in style

 Sure, there’s something a bit Xmas-cash-in about Rough Trade reissuing all of Stevens’ annual Christmas EPs (originally only sent out to his friends and family each year), but heck, it’s Christmas, and there aren’t that many festive-themed records you’d cheerfully put on over the season. Indeed, it would be a great pleasure to hear these 42 tracks (a mixture of standards and originals dating from 2001 to 2006) at any time of year. Such is Stevens’ deconstructive style (he once covered The Beatles’ What Goes On using only the lyrics), that even the most clichéd tracks – Jingle Bells or Silent Night – take on new personas. There are banjos, unexpected synths and, of course, sleigh bells galore. These are far from downer records. If you hate Christmas you won’t like them, obviously, and five fairly long CDs is a touch too much for anyone. But kudos goes to any artist brave enough to attempt such an exploration of Christmas annually, and extra points are certainly awarded for naming one track Get Behind Me Santa.

Rough Trade | RTRADCDX 450

Reviewed by Jake Kennedy
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