It's official. Christmas is now here, and we have the modern-indie bard Sufjan Stevens to laud for it. His new 5 CD box set Songs for Christmas started five years ago as a simple EP for family and friends, and has since transformed into a full-blown masterwork.

As jazz Christmas music is to be played in Manhattan, is Sufjan's Christmas music in Brooklyn. Or as the Boston Globe puts it: "Consider this Christmas music for hipsters huddled around a puny tinsel tree in their Williamsburg apartments."

It's worth mentioning that a significant number of songs are not really Christmas tunes, but Sufjan presents them in a package that just makes sense. "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing" might seem to belong in a praise and worship session, but next to the story of "O Holy Night" there's more than meets the eye:

Truly He taught us to love one another,
His law is love and His gospel is peace.

There's as much history from the ancient Jewish tradition to the mystery of incarnation as there is a nod to medieval symbolism and the modern winter festival. The entire collection has a light and lifting spirit that celebrates both the secular and sacred sides of the holiday in the same breath. For example, the lyrics of "Come On! Let's Boogey to the Elf Dance!" ingeniously presents a modified "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" layered on top of "Away in a Manager" in the energetic style of "Chicago" on his Illinois album from last year.

I'm ashamed to say I bought the album on iTunes, because this is one box set that deserves to have a place of honor next to the hi-fi (or at least the iMac). All it took was one stellar review in the Times to make the box set fly off the shelves (of every single music store I visited in the city) faster than a Tickle-Me-Elmo at Toys-R-Us in Times Square. Thus I was forced to go the (temporary) digital route until I can visit my local record shop back home in rural Virginia, where the album might not be discovered quite yet. The stickers, chord charts, lyrics, poster, animated video, and album art will just have to wait. A chance to spread out the holiday cheer!

Meanwhile, I'll be enjoying the music, especially the delightful little interludes sprinkled throughout, probably best illustrated by the guitar picking antics in "Holy, Holy, Etc." that is interrupted briefly by the musicians cracking themselves up. Merry Christmas!

Chestnuts and fire, holly and hay,
Jesus and Mary, what a great day!
Get up off the floor and give a shout,
There's a lot to shout about!