Xiu Xiu
Women As Lovers
Release Date: Jan 29, 2008
Genre(s): Indie, Rock, Experimental
Record label: Kill Rock Stars
Music Critic Score
How the Music Critic Score works
Buy Women As Lovers from Amazon
Album Review: Women As Lovers by Xiu Xiu
Very Good, Based on 3 Critics
Based on rating 8/10
Xiu Xiu is so expert at straddling the line between avant-garde and indie rock that they've completely erased it. On Women as Lovers, there's less of a gap than ever between the band's ironically poppy (but genuinely) catchy songs and their experimental, unflinching ones. "I Do What I Want, When I Want" opens the album with chirpy synths and hints of a cheerful xylophone melody that are abandoned in what sounds like a sheet metal factory; hooky "doo-do-doo-do-doo" backing vocals are put through a distortion wringer.
Based on rating 3/5
“Do I look all right? ” Jamie Stewart begs repeatedly in a quivering, hushed voice on F.T.W., the chilling third song on Women As Lovers. After a once-through the San Fran experimental rock band’s sixth studio effort, I’d venture to answer Stewart with a resounding no. He, as usual, sounds like a man on the edge of checking into a white-walled care facility, but that shouldn’t be seen as a negative against Women As Lovers.
Based on rating 3.0/5
Review Summary: Xiu Xiu now have enough perfect 10 tracks for a greatest hits album.Xiu Xiu - Women as LoversAs humanity paves its way into the year 2008 AD, I don't think the most scintillating musical gesture would be covering Queen's "Under Pressure." At this point the track is familiar. My Chemical Romance has even covered it. Though I'd never say Xiu Xiu is late to the punch or unoriginal, on paper, their cover doesn't even add that much more to the current iterations of the classic pop track.
'Women As Lovers'
is available now