Songs for Christmas by Sufjan Stevens

Sufjan Brings Friends and Cheer

Winter break is upon many of us and Christmas is only a few days away. It is a time for celebration, holiday cheer, family, steaming mugs of hot chocolate, using unused back muscles to balance on icy sidewalks, tromping with muffled steps through the snow, and festive sweets. Music has a particularly fuzzy role in many of our candy cane striped hearts that truly red-ribbon wraps up all the cheer of the season. In service of that: Sufjan Stevens' Songs For Christmas.

The indie folk pop king released the collection of five EPs in 2006. The EP's were recorded and given as gifts to friends and family over the previous six years. With dozens of traditional hymns and holiday favorites given a Sufjan spin and accompanied by a couple of original compositions, this album serves as the quintessential indie Christmas album. This season, Sufjan has plenty of reasons to sing, and so do we.