The Winter Solstice

The winter solstice is many things. It is the shortest, or rather, the darkest day of the year. In this forsaken year of two thousand twenty, it will fall on Dec 21st. It is also the last song from Sufjan’s first batch of Christmas Records found at the end of the Peace collection recorded in 2006. 

Each of his Christmas offerings gives us a glimpse into the mindset he might have in the studio. You can hear sounds reminiscent of 2005’s Illinois throughout this holiday soundtrack.

One of the things I love about “The Winter Solstice” is that it is an instrumental piece that harkens to tracks like "Tahquamenon Falls" and "Alanson, Crooked River" from his 2003 release Greetings from Michigan. These tracks are purely musical and don’t so much tell a story as they create an atmosphere for you to imagine the scene yourself.

I’ve always imagined “The Winter Solstice” to exist inside a blizzard. It’s like a waterfall, always moving, but the appearance doesn’t really change much at each glance. In each note, I feel like I can hear the musical equivalent of snowflakes dancing through the dark sky, catching a glimpse of amber light from a nearby lamp post (pre-LED, of course). 

It allows for reflection, as would the darkest day of the year. I recommend playing this one on repeat during a heavy snowfall, perhaps on Dec 21st. I’ve always loved listening to Sufjan’s music in the proper setting and as close to the scene the songs seek to depict as I can. 

It’s a wonderful and fitting way to end an EP with a title like Peace.

Enjoy.
Merry Christmas.
Be Safe.
Love you.

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Mike Larson currently resides in NE Minneapolis, MN, with his girlfriend, their cat, and her dog. Screenprinter by day and a guitarist and singer in a new band called Rat Castle Jazz Ensemble that will launch in 2021. You can find him on Instagram @Holdingcaufield and at www.facebook.com/KanyeOberst