Sufjan Stevens Christmas Album

Sufjan Stevens Christmas Album
By Sarshar Hosseinnia
It seems that Sufjan Stevens has enough time on his hands that he can produce an album which is, as he says, " A contrast between the excesses of Christmas and the spirit of it" (or the "sacred and the profane"). The Muslim Folk singer, whose name predates Islam, is a Detroit, Michigan native who is taking America by storm with his multi-instrumentalist talent, and his ability to please his listeners with a frequent shifting of genre.
Recently, Stevens claimed that he would make an album for each of the 50 states in the U.S. and has already released Michigan (2003) and Illinois (2005), and is now set to release a five c.d. box set entitled, Songs for Christmas, due out Winter 2006.
The album is designed to make Stevens "appreciate Christmas more", this is due to his requirement of devoting attention to both sides of his American-Armenian mixed-heritage.
The album follows in the tradition of Stevens’ annual release of a Christmas album. Missing only 2004, he gives the album an odd feel about it, playing around with any instrument he can pick up, and with a gathering of his closest friends, creating a family vibe.
The songs aren’t like the ones used on Stevens’ previous four compilations; new songs like, Get Behind Me, Santa and Christmas in July take centre stage, making for a unique seasonal experience.
Sufjan Stevens is gradually making a name for himself as a unique experience himself, and by releasing Songs for Christmas, he can embody his diversity into Christmas, and in the spirit of things, can prove a major hit at music stores worldwide.