It’s surely been a long time coming—David Bazan, the Pedro the Lion leader turned solo artist who’s spent the better part of the last two decades grappling publicly with his Christian faith or lack thereof, has gone the way of cultishly beloved singer/songwriters everywhere: He’s released a Christmas album. And surprise! It’s mostly hymns. Luckily, anyone scarred by, say, Bob Dylan’s Christmas in the Heart can rest easy. The songs on Dark Sacred Night, culled from past small releases, aren’t trite or a deviation from what Bazan fans love about his music. The serpentine melody of “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” is particularly suited to his hushed delivery, and sits over minor-key guitar in a way that’s frankly reminiscent of Pedro the Lion’s early ’00s Jade Tree output. And that’s even before two new Bazan verses pivot the carol toward a quiet meditation on how evolving personal values color the adult experience of the holidays. NATHAN TUCKER