How does a dedicated Christmas music artist operate? We get an inkling of how by following one Elizabeth Chan. Those who’ve been reading this column these past years might be familiar with the name, as Ms. Chan has graced this particular part of the entertainment page several times already in the past. It’s quite inevitable not to when, one, we like writing about music and two, you’re the type of artist who, like clockwork, puts out stuff during a particular season.

And New York City-based Elizabeth Chan has been specializing in original Christmas songs since her debut more than a decade ago. And from the start, she’s made her intention clear, she’s exclusively into Christmas music, and her dream is to write an eventual Holiday classic. She’s made good strides to that end and continues the grind. In fact, she’s released a new album to bring her closer to her aspirations. Her latest record, “Christmas Unhinged,” feels different from her usual fare, though. Whereas her previous dealt with the typical warm, fuzzy feelings associated with the season, this time around feels a bit personal for Chan probably because it is.

Separation is a theme that pretty much hangs in the air around “Christmas Unhinged.” In her recent interviews, Elizabeth admits that she recently went through a divorce after an almost 20-year marriage. That explains her cover of the John Lennon song “Happy Ex-Mas (War is Over).” Tackling this particular song for a Yule-themed release was a bit obvious, but given the episode EC went through, it fits, seeing how protracted and messy these things go. Notice the little wordplay in the title? The easily recognizable choruses of the song, it turns out, are actually a sigh of relief for the singer. “War is over if you want it,” indeed. Oh, and she lovingly takes George Harrison’s “Something” for a spin.

In “Cold War,” she beckons a partner (whether the old or a prospective new one): “We can start the new year right / if we end this cold war tonight,” amid a dramatic, slowly rising piano and strings. In “Love Me Right (Or Leave Me Alone)” she sings “I’m not trying to pretend / I’m starting all over again / for a beginning with no end,” emphasizing further the recent upending of her marriage. The instrumentation, a moody synth with a funky but brooding bassline to boot, seems to match her reality. ‘Hey, I’m just keeping it real,’ she seems to say.

To her credit, Elizabeth Chan is not all Christmas bells and a backing choir as far as sonics are concerned. In “Vixen,” I half expect to see Steve Aoki’s name appear on the track credits as EC goes full-on club mode. “I’m a vixen, I'm Santa’s favorite girl,” she exclaims at the chorus with all the ‘I’m single and ready to mingle’ vibe she can muster. On the slow ballad “Santa If You Would,” she asks the man in red to “leave the name of someone just for me” because she’s been so good and ultimately, “deserves someone to love” amidst a string quartet. And my personal favorite: the country music tinged longing felt in “Wouldn’t Be A Merry Christmas.”

So is the Merry Bright music-girl all about a loveless, joyless Christmas from hereon? I don’t think so. The thing with Elizabeth Chan writing Yule songs exclusively is that at some point, real life catches up. That being said, it’s bound to come out of her lyrics. So it’s a bit “Christmas unhinged,” it’s still accompanied by the prettiest-sounding Christmas-inspired melodies Elizabeth Chan has come up with.