REVIEW: Xiu Xiu - Xiu Mutha Fuckin' Xiu: Vol.1

Xiu Mutha Fuckin’ Xiu: Vol. 1, is the latest album from the experimental, cult band, XIU XIU. A compilation of twelve eclectic covers, vividly described by the band as “a sonic self-portrait built from borrowed voices: post-punk anxiety, queer euphoria, industrial dread, tenderness, glamour and despair”. Due for release on the 16th of January, via Polyvinyl Records, the tracks provide not only an interesting exploration of the band's musical talents, but like a much beloved mixtape of yesteryear, it's the privileged peek into a cool kids record collection. 

Confidently jumping straight in, XIU XIU chose the iconic, Psycho Killer, by TALKING HEADS, as opener. Gone is the sparse eighties clarity of the original, rebirthing it through a filtration of lo-fi, retro effects and dub-like echos. The synths, guitars and samples run through the track with an easy going, back-alley sounding clamour, balancing neatly with that brilliantly catchy chorus. There are natural similarities heard in the vocals of founding member, JAMIE STEWART, and TALKING HEADS front man, DAVID BYRNE, and with their distinctive touch of modulated sounds, there's a few moments you might be wondering if this was a XIU XIU original all along.

ROY ORBISON’s, In Dreams, is the next effortless reinterpretation. Pulling in all the trademarks of ORBISON’s romantic rockabilly and adding layers of sumptuous rippling synths, it’s been given an extra dose of that addictively melancholic, Country sound, a truly luscious kind of lonesome. Following on, in complete contrast, is a tortured, EDM cover of SOFT CELLS’s, Sex Dwarf, from their brilliant Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret album. A high camp electro pop song, flashing us with the transgressive queer sex politics and expression of the early eighties. XIU XIU embraces the humour, alongside the gritty dark explorations of the original, and reproduces it in a contemporary landscape, post-Berghain touches of techno lapping at its chorus. A more contemporary icon of queer nightlife, is the cover of faultless ‘sad banger’, Dancing On My Own by ROBYN. The lyrics of unrequited love are drawn out in this version, shaped by a vaguely CLIFF MARTINEZ composition, with string sections and a hollow sounding drum machine for a quivering lament. Reintroducing it as a downtrodden torch song, XIU XIU take the electro banger off the sweaty dancefloor of 2012’s G.A.Y.,  and under the spotlights of a half-empty auditorium in downtown Vegas. These tracks are amongst our favourites on the album, not least due to the karaoke effect - their avant-garde explorations of noise are wonderful, but the addition of having a bit of a sing-a-long too, makes them the hands down winners, too perfect for the dry-Jan-blues. 

Celebrated for the range of their music's deep emotional undercurrents and social commentary, stunning albums like, Knife Play, Le Foret and 13" Frank Beltrame Italian Stiletto with Bison Horn Grips, have kept their fans loyal and stalwart. The group, made up of JAMIE STEWART, ANGELA SEO and DAVID KENDRICK (ex DEVO and SPARKS), often expresses the dark and devastating sides of life, just as much as the sophisticated technical prowess of the band. Consistently outspoken, the band have sparked debate about the content of their artwork and lyrics, most recently, a vehement anti-war stance leading them to removing their music from Spotify, an out and proud financier of horrific weapons of war. Other topics have fans more divided, with some arguing they have overstepped the mark, speaking from positions they do not inhabit, particularly in line with subjects like race and sexual exploitation. Pursuing a transgressive approach to complex and sensitive subjects is always an active invitation to debate and critique, both regarding the topic raised, but crucially also from where this perspective comes, how the idea is delivered and the repercussions of its provocations. 

Creating, performing and releasing music for the last twenty odd years, XIU XIU, has amassed an impressively vast back-catalogue of work. Now, sharing an album of just covers, feels like an intimate and playful chapter for a band who is used to laying it all out there. There’s a lot to lovingly comb through on the LP, including interesting takes on THROBBING GRISTLE’S, Hamburger Lady, Lick or Sum by GloRilla and COIL’s Triple Sun. Some less successful tracks still hold our interest, if only for the cultural references, but the songs seem to hit hardest when the band accesses the vein of raw vulnerability they are so adept at transmitting. Their creative energies are flowing, as strong as ever, reflecting that “whether confronting violence, commerce, or the limits of pop itself, they’ve built a career out of asking how art should exist, and who it should serve”.

Score: 7/10

Xiu Mutha Fuckin' Xiu: Vol.1 will be released on 16th January via Polyvinyl Records

Words: Alana Madden

Photos: Xiu Xiu