sufjan

The Sufjan Stevens ethos may seem presumptuous to many: recording a concept album dedicated to one of the 50 states, inundating it with unambiguous references to his Christian faith and directing the indie dissenters to talk to the sheepskin on his banjo head. Those who made it to his sold-out September show at the Cradle witnessed firsthand the star-spangled tracksuits, pompom cheers and human pyramids. Stevens actually might have actually been susceptible to such criticisms of his cheekiness had his previous record Illinois not been one of the best albums of 2005.

As the story goes, Stevens recorded Christmas songs onto 3 EPs as gifts for his friends last winter, and, as no plans have been made for an official release, the EPs are now free and available online. Just google it. Surprisingly, even Sufjan's fans seem not to know about their existence, although they rank right up there with the best stuff he's ever made. Such church hymns as "Come Thou Font of Ev'ry Blessing" and "O Holy Night" recapture the sincerity and warmth of inner-child Christmas, and for those who have heard Illinois, "That was the Worst Christmas Ever" even manages to one-up "Casamir Pulaski Day." Give this to everyone you love, maybe even yourself: it's sure to penetrate to the hearts of all who still have them. And yes, there will be banjo.