Xiu Xiu "Women As Lovers" Kill Rock Stars Sounds like: Pop songs with interesting noises and uncomfortable lyrics.
Xiu Xiu's latest album is hardly an aberration from their previous five LPs of challenging, confrontational and surprisingly listenable tracks, although there are some subtle developments. Named after a novel by the feminist Austrian author Elfriede Jelinek, "Women As Lovers" contains some of the most accomplished tracks of front man Jamie Stewart's career. Unfortunately, most of these come on the more successful first side.
Opener "I Do What I Want When I Want" is a fairly straightforward indie-rock song that would have fit alongside Xiu Xiu's somewhat pop-oriented 2004 album "Fabulous Muscles." The first half of the album has two other instant Xiu Xiu classics: the distorted folk jam "F.T.W." and David Bowie/Queen cover "Under Pressure" featuring Michael Gira (Swans, Angels of Light) in top form standing in for David Bowie.
However, the second half of the album is quite patchy with a few songs that, uncharacteristically, just sit there without developing.
The use of a live drummer is regrettable, as most of the electronic flourishes have dissipated from Xiu Xiu's arrangements. Also, for better or worse, Stewart is slightly more restrained vocally, which allows songs to exist more on their own without overwhelming the listener with hissy fits. Overall, Xiu Xiu is still one of the most vital bands of this decade, and "Women As Lovers" certainly is an accomplished addition to their stellar discography.
-JOSH LEVITZ
