Xiu Xiu's Air Force takes off
Published Sept. 19, 2006
Xiu Xiu (pronounced "shoo-shoo,") the San Jose, Calif.-based group that takes its name from the 1998 Chinese film "Xiu Xiu: The Sent Down Girl," has released its fifth full-length album, The Air Force.
The newest album stays true to the group's dedication to sparse and complex avant-garde musical lines and the incredible dark and poetic lyrics of Jamie Stewart, the group's front man.
For those not familiar with the group's previous work, it isn't quite the same as most of the music occupying the mainstream. As opposed to creating sounds that are pleasant to the ears and easy to listen to, in almost all of its work, Xiu Xiu intentionally mixes tones that are sometimes almost painfully dissonant.
For example, on the track "Boy Soprano," there are parts of the song that, upon the first listen, are difficult to listen to, having effects akin to chewing on aluminum or rubbing cotton balls together.
But that is not to say that such songs are bad in any sense of the word. After one or two listens, they become almost like an addiction, and it can be difficult to stop listening to them. The musical lines often reflect the pain that Stewart has infused into the lyrics. It's as if the listener is hearing the raw emotions of pain, vulnerability and conflicts of sexual identity.
This is exemplified best by the lyrics of the song "Bishop, CA," when Stewart sings "Should you be ashamed for more than that?/Than that your daddy raped you silly ... Crying for the stupid world we share." It is also expressed through "Wig Master," in which he sings, "'Do you want to see my panties?' is the last thing I'll ever say to you."
On its 2005 album La Forêt, Xiu Xiu strayed from its usual electronic leanings. On 2004's Fabulous Muscles, the group chose to revert back to a softer, more melancholy and less busy sound. On this new album, the group has regressed back into its infatuation with electronic sounds and synthetic beats.
Despite the complexity found on most of the album, one of the tracks reflects a lighter side of Stewart's dark mind. His cousin Caralee McElroy, who has both toured and collaborated with Stewart, provides vocals for the child-like track "Hello from Eau Claire."
The song begins with a simple xylophone line that is accompanied by an electronic static that imitates the pitches of the sharp metallic pitches. What makes this track so remarkable, and not to mention one of the best on the album, is that it stands out so much from the greater part of the other tracks because of the musical makeup. Yet it still manages to express much of the same angst. Despite the poppy feel, the song maintains the same vulnerable darkness as the rest of the album.
This can be a difficult album to listen to because of the absolute dissonance and untainted emotion, but it is very much worth a listen.
Artist: Xiu Xiu
Album: The Air Force
Genre: Post-punk Experimental
Record Label: 5 Rue Christine
Most Listenworthy Track: 'Hello from Eau Claire'
Reviewer's Rating: 4 out of 5 Ms