Sufjan's sixth installment in his Christmas series, and the first in his second box set, is a solid collection of songs old and new. It features the Dessner's, which brings a nice sound pallet to these tracks. Lumberjack Christmas and Baracola are very solid original pieces. While in some parts the songs feel stale, this is an overall solid release.

An incredible output by Sufjan that completely eclipses the previous 4 EPs.

The first thing that stands out is its pacing and sequencing on side A. Sufjan continuously alternates between traditional instrumental piece and original banger. Get Behind Me Santa is a hilarious and fun track that sounds like its straight off of Illinois, as does the heart-felt Christmas in July. We then get the pair of Jupiter Winter and Sister Winter, the latter of which is a beautifully climactic work that closes ... read more

"I only grabbed your wrist
Or would you rather we kissed?"

Sufjan's slight reference to domestic abuse here is a tough listen. Did I Make You Cry is a hard-hitting song, and acts as the center-piece of this EP. The freak-folk track The Incarnation continues this emotional poignant attitude, and serves as a taste of the genius to come. Hey Guys! It's Christmas Time is a hokey piece but the guitar piece is pretty stale. The traditional pieces here are good, but nothing ... read more

Right off the bat, Sufjan creates an ominous soundscape in the opening rendition of O Come O Come Emmanuel which serves as a foreshadowing of the darkness to come on this EP. While we immediately get the joyous Come On! Let's Boogie to the Elf Dance! (an excellent original), eventually we arrive at a tragic piece: That Was the Worst Christmas Ever! This track takes the subtle sadness of Hark! and amps it up, though its brevity prevents it from being as impactful as it could be. In addition, ... read more