Sufjan Stevens is best known for writing intimate, bare folk music. He expanded to lush productions, peaking with his chamber-pop masterpiece, Illinois, in 2005.
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His songs often explore themes of religion, so it’s fitting and without irony that Stevens produced a sprawling collection of traditional Christmas songs and carols—punctuated with original compositions. Songs for Christmas, a five-EP set, was recorded between 2001 and 2006. A follow-up collection, Silver & Gold, was released in 2012.
One might roll their eyes at such a collection, but you’d be poorer for dismissing this work. The half-decade progression of Songs for Christmas shows Stevens’ growth from raw folk musician to chamber maestro.
Hearing the original compositions beside the traditional carols is a fascinating view of Stevens’ work. His connection to religious music extends beyond the spiritual themes of his original albums—clear threads of chordal and melodic structure from traditional folk music run through his work. Combining choir and banjo isn’t new territory for him.
The Brooklyn-by-Detroit folk singer takes on “Amazing Grace” on Songs for Christmas. Stevens’ weapon of choice is frequently the banjo—an instrument invented by enslaved Africans. Before poet John Newton became an English Anglican clergyman, he was involved in the Atlantic slave trade. He later became an abolitionist and, in 1772, wrote “Amazing Grace.” Stevens’ take on “Amazing Grace” works as a raw history map. It’s the bare and plaintive moments where he’s the most compelling.
The stunning height of Stevens’ best album, Carrie & Lowell (2015), probably wouldn’t have been possible without his exposure to traditional hymns. His Christmas songs are the chance to read the rough drafts before the novel. The traditional carols collection here is odd and whimsical, like a Christmas tree. So, when the winter solstice rolls around, hang glitter from an evergreen and listen to Sufjan Stevens’ must-hear Christmas songs.
5. “Coventry Carol” from Silver & Gold (2012)
Traditional, 16th-century English carol
The Nativity narrative in Matthew’s gospel is the tale of Herod who, searching for the king of the Jews, ordered the murder of all male children in Bethlehem aged two and under. While scholars view the story as unhistorical, Christians honor the slain children as the first Christian martyrs. Sufjan Stevens produces a chamber-pop version of the murder lullaby, retaining the Englishness of a 16th-century play. The somber vocal melody reveals the seeds of Stevens’ own compositions.
4. “That Was the Worst Christmas Ever!” from Songs for Christmas (2006)
Words and music by Sufjan Stevens
Hearing Stevens sing traditional carols is a view of his songs’ source material. “That Was the Worst Christmas Ever!” is a delicate reflection on an innocuous childhood episode. When he sings, Can you be what you want? it reveals how little, seemingly insignificant moments in a child’s life accumulate into the fragments adults spend years trying to fix. Like his best work, this Christmas original is emotional and exposed. The vocal melody could have been plucked from an old English carol.
3. “Silent Night” from Silver & Gold (2012)
Words by Joseph Mohr, music by Franz Xaver Gruber, English translation by John Freeman Young
The earnest lyric and wintry melancholy of this 19th-century Christmas carol fits naturally with Sufjan Stevens. His compositions resemble old hymns, and that’s not accidental. The cabin-in-the-woods guitar and fireside choir setting are probably not dissimilar to the small town in Austria where the carol originated. Over his career, Stevens has established himself as a prolific arranger. With kindness and reverence, Stevens’ take on “Silent Night” brings the humility of a child born into poverty to the surface.
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2. “Christmas in the Room” from Silver & Gold (2012)
Words and music by Sufjan Stevens
“Christmas in the Room” is a weary and tender ballad. Because of his immense musical gifts, Stevens can sing a lyric that would be cringe-inducing from the mouths of most singers. His earnestness is bound in wrought production, with layered voices and muted guitars. Forget about the outside world. Never mind the sadness of death. He sings, But I don’t care to think of silence / For now, I hear you laughing. Stevens’ partner, Evans Richardson, passed away five years after this song was released. The folk music of Sufjan Stevens might be too sorrowful to receive until the ones you love are no longer here.
1. “Sister Winter” from Songs for Christmas (2006)
Words and music by Sufjan Stevens
This song would be a stand-out track on any Sufjan Stevens album. “Sister Winter” explodes like the best of his defining work, Illinois. He sounds weary. He’s glimpsing at happy moments while incurably anchored to sadness. The lush strings build over a repetitive chorus, turning the indie-folk song into another eternal hymn. The song reaches high with exultations and choral peaks before breaking on scattered horns over a droning organ. The outro sounds like the fading voices of Christmas carolers walking away into a cold Christmas Eve night.
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