XIU XIU

Angel Guts: Red Classroom

2014-03-16

  Angel Guts:  Red Classroom, the ninth release from Xiu Xiu, opens and closes with quiet electronics and the haunting sound of the wind. In between, Jamie Stewart, Xiu Xiu's main man, breaths his muddy vocals over sludgy synths.  With lyrics featuring vulgar language and disturbing themes (suicide, sexual experimentation, sadomasochism, violence), one might think this is all too serious.  Then, one listens to "Black Dick" or "El Naco" and one can't help but to laugh. Is this a put on?  Is Xiu Xiu, after twelve years as a band, just trying to be shocking for the sake of being shocking?  That kind of defeats the purpose doesn't it?  Angel Guts  is a little "much" for me to want to listen to over and over. Even so, I find this album to be bizarre and bleak and darkly compelling.    Rebecca Ruth  

Quick Links:

More reviews tagged #Rock

  • reviewed 09/2014

    ARK LIFE
    THE DREAM OF YOU & ME

  • reviewed 09/2009

    THE INSTRUCTION
    Failure By Design

  • reviewed 03/2009

    M. WARD
    Hold Time

  • reviewed 07/2006

    PARTICLE
    Transformations Live for the People

  • reviewed 11/2012

    EL PERRO DEL MAR
    Pale Fire

  • reviewed 07/2014

    LEVON HELM
    The Midnight Ramble Sessions Vol. 3

Compiled by the WYCE Journalism Club

The opinions expressed in these reviews are those of the individual volunteers that submitted the article and do not necessarily reflect the views of WYCE or GRCMC; nor its staff, donors, or affiliates.