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 03/2013

    EL SPORTIVO AND THE BLOOZ
    Nights and Weekends

  • reviewed 05/2017

    The Buttertones
    Gravedigging

  • reviewed 01/2011

    FUJIYA & MIYAGI
    Ventriloquizzing

  • reviewed 10/2008

    RATATAT
    - LP3

  • reviewed 01/2010

    MIDLAKE
    The Courage of Others

  • reviewed 08/2011

    ATLANTA RHYTHM SECTION
    With All Due Respect

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.