AGCS Reviews EVERY Sufjan Stevens Christmas EP - Part Two

Yesterday I reviewed Vol. I, Vol. II, and Vol. III of Sufjan Stevens’ Christmas EP’s, and today in part two of our Suf-stravaganza I’ll be looking at Vol. IV and Vol. V. As I mentioned yesterday, these releases are a fascinating way to track Sufjan’s progress across the years, and these two EPs are no exception. Indeed, despite being separated by only a year they’re two very different beasts…

Vol. IV: Joy

Recorded at the end of the year Sufjan broke through, with the hugely ambitious Illinois gaining him critical acclaim and legions of new fans, this EP can largely be seen as a return to the basics. Given it was never intended for the public, Sufjan didn’t really have anything to prove with this EP, so there’s no attempts here to replicate the exquisite orchestration of songs like Come On Feel The Illinoise or The Predatory Wasp Of The Palisades Is Out To Get Us. Instead we’re left with, on the whole, a collection of softly sung carols. The one exception is Hey Guys! It’s Christmas Time, which roars into being with a fuzzed out alt-rock guitar riff before segueing effortlessly into, for want of a better phrase, the “standard” Sufjan sound. This veering between the expected and unexpected is the undoubted highlight of Joy; who doesn’t enjoy it when Sufjan decides to rock out (see also: The Man Of Metropolis Steals Our Hearts).

The other originals on the EP are unfortunately less exciting, with Did I Make You Cry On Christmas (Well You Deserved It!) sounding oddly flat. The Incarnation is the real dud here though, its two and a half minutes of aimless guitar noodling perhaps best left unheard. The Christmassy covers fare a lot better, with the too short The First Noel an aural delight. Joy To The World is the real highlight though, featuring some truly brilliant vocal counter-play. Nonetheless, viewed as a whole the EP is one of the weaker entrants into the Songs For Christmas canon. 6/10

Vol. V: Peace

Peace is unique amongst these EPs in being the only one deliberately intended for public consumption. The fifth installment in the Songs For Christmas collection was written and recorded in June 2006 for an official release alongside Vols. I-IV, and so where the first four EPs had seen Sufjan writing music purely for himself and a few close friends, with this EP he knew he was writing for a much larger audience. And boy, does it show. This is a much slicker affair than it’s predeccesors and, at 11 songs and 35 minutes long, is far closer to being an album than an EP. Oh, and the songs? Turns out that when he knows the world is watching, Sufjan starts writing hits.

See, as brilliant as songs like That Was The Worst Christmas Ever and Only At Christmas Time undoubtedly are, Christmas is a time for merriment and it’s here by the bucketload in Get Behind Me, Santa!, which may be the purest pop song Sufjan’s yet written. From the opening horn blasts through to the group chants of C-H-R-I-S-T-M-A-S it’s unashamedly joyous and should by rights be inducted to the pantheon of Christmas classics. Christmas In July (perhaps a reference to the EP being recorded at the height of summer) is a close second, featuring an insanely catchy, woozy waltz of a chorus. It’s not all happiness and light though, with the EP’s centerpieces Jupiter Winter and Sister Winter showing Sufjan’s darker side and the seven minute long Star Of Wonder’s pounding drums and burbling synths illustrating his songwriting versatility.

It’s a testament to Peace’s coherence that I’ve only mentioned 5 of the tracks (all original Sufjan compositions, by the way) and there’s still so many more great moments I could highlight (the sheer beauty of Holy, Holy, Holy is astounding). For the first time (but not the last) Sufjan had created a Christmas EP which hung together as a consistent, always enjoyable record. And that’s why, to my mind, this is the best of Sufjan’s Christmas releases. 9/10

Part Three, reviewing Vol. VI & Vol. VIII, will be posted tomorrow.

Jed. x