That Was the Worst Christmas Ever
By Sufjan Stevens
From the Album: Songs for Christmas
Free Week of: Dec. 25
With a title like that, you might suspect that the only people who’d want to listen to this song around Christmas are those overcome with humbug, but that’s not really true.
Though Stevens doesn’t deliver a sweetly nostalgic tale of hot cocoa and good will towards men, he does offer a soft, lilting indie folk song furnished with pretty harmonies and a relaxed banjo strum.
In “Worst Christmas Ever,” Stevens gives us a series of Christmas memories, perhaps all from the same year: sledding, shoveling snow, a father yelling and burning presents in a woodstove, a sister running away. The title starts to seem apropos.
Stevens is perhaps best well known for his 50 States project, in which he plans to release an album of songs about every state (he’s two done so far: Michigan, with Greetings from Michigan, the Great Lakes State; and Illinois, with Come on Feel the Illinoise).
Songs for Christmas is a departure from that project, but still carries through the songwriting and style his fans love.
Will be enjoyed by: Fans of somewhat darker singer/songwriters, Iron and Wine, or more broad-ranging roots music fans.
Worth the Download: Definitely
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