Xiu Xiu: Women as Lovers
Kill Rock Stars
2008
Rating:


Jamie Stewart and his ever-evolving band Xiu Xiu would probably be bigger indie darlings outside of the alternative critical community that reveres them if not for Stewart's penchant for daring, uncomfortable lyrics and off-kilter melodies. Xiu Xiu's songs have pop sensibilities within them, but it's the approach that renders them avant-garde. Despite Stewart's promise "Women as Lovers" would be more approachable, Stewart's audacious songwriting hasn't really changed.

"No Friend Oh!" for instance superficially sounds like an accessible indie rocker with its insistent bass and friendly melody – but the lyrics are about a gay pedophile. "Black Keyboard" is a lullaby that sounds vaguely sinister and then becomes explicitly so with the opening line, "Why would a mother say such things? / Why add tongue to a kiss goodnight?" Single "I Do What I Want, When I Want" and an unexpected cover of Queen and David Bowie's "Under Pressure" more accurately fulfill the "approachable" promise, but Xiu Xiu is otherwise as challenging as ever.

Posted Sunday, February 17, 2008

Link to this review:
http://filmzeus.pressbin.com/music/xiu.xiu/women.as.lovers