XIU XIU > Women as Lovers

Listening to a Xiu Xiu record is a lot like watching a horror film; you never know when some frightening noise will jump out and assault you. Label: Kill Rock Stars
4 STARS

Listening to a Xiu Xiu record is a lot like watching a horror film; you never know when some frightening noise will jump out and assault you. The tormented art-rock group’s latest release is as messy as ever-between the sporadic blasts of syphilitic horns and Jamie Stewart’s harrowingly ghoulish vocals, there’s still plenty to keep the listener on their toes-but this time around, there’s a kinder, gentler Xiu Xiu looming underneath the racket. A wonderfully demented dance-funk groove drives “No Friend Oh!,” while the unexpectedly sweet cover of the Queen hit “Under Pressure,” with guest outsider Michael Gira assuming the David Bowie role, is easily the most accessible piece of music Xiu Xiu has ever recorded, even if Stewart bellows, “Why can’t we give ourselves one more chance?”, with just a little too much desperation for comfort.