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Rating: “Amado-loathed musical group,” this would be the definition you’d find in any music dictionary under the entry Xiu Xiu; this is because Xiu Xiu, you either love them, or quite the opposite, you can’t stand them. Starting from the assumption that the reviewer of this album leans towards the former, let’s begin to “scan” this Fabulous Muscles, the latest album by Xiu Xiu.
It starts with a little keyboard tune that very much recalls The Stranglers of The Raven (so we're heading towards '80s music), the song in question is called “Crank Hearth,” characterized by the usual Xiu Xiu style, namely a frenzied synth rhythm accompanied by Breathless/Tormented/Screamed singing. The album continues with, in my opinion, the most beautiful track of the album, namely “I Luv The Valley OH”. In this case, the guitar is more present, and the vocal part is very reminiscent of the voice of Interpol; this song has the peculiarity of having a “sort of” chorus but unfortunately just when the song starts to get you... it ends and you find yourself in Bunny Gamer (also in Interpol style, it somewhat reminds of Stella was driving…, but much more alternative and experimental).
“Little Panda McElroy” is a very sad song, the vocal part, if it can even be called singing, is heart-wrenching, like an electronic Decades (Joy Division).
“Fabulous Muscles,” which gives the album its name, together with “I Luv Valley OH,” is among the best tracks of the album, the only musical instrument present is an acoustic guitar, of which you only hear a few strums.
“Brian The Vampire” seems to have jumped out from John Foxx’s Metamatic, an electronically Crazy song coming straight from the '80s synth experiments.
The album couldn’t have ended better with a desolate track named “Mike.”
All the references to groups mentioned above have been written to orient
a song to a certain type of sound, but in truth, Xiu Xiu's music is hardly
reviewable and orientable; the only thing you can really do is listen to them, not once, but many, many times and in different situations; only then do you have the chance to understand this type of music and this type of group.
I personally haven’t listened to them that many times to be able to give a 5/5, Xiu Xiu should be listened to at certain times of the day, and in the right spirit. A well-deserved 4/5.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 Crank Heart (03:19)
Telling your son a joke
He doesn't think is funny
“We’ll catch him unawares but
What if he doesn't wear underwear.”
Lighting it up
You were so cool
Her school colors
Black and light black
Giving it up
She has started
Your life’s colors
Black and light black
Getting your hair from under your bed
Breaking your fingers
Getting killed by a car
Before you can make him pay
02 I Luv the Valley OH! (02:59)
That's a pill and you've got to take it
That's a pill that you've got to take
I won't rest until you take it
That's a heart that you made
That's a heart and the both of you made it
And I won't rest until I break it
It's l'histoire de la famille
It's l'histoire de la femme
And I won't rest until I forget about it
I won't rest until I don't care
I won't rest until I forget about it
La La La La La La La
That's a razor and you will make a threat
That's a razor make million billion threats
And I won't rest 'cause I heard it all before
My behind is a beehive, there's a buzz in my backside
My behind is a beehive and I won't rest
while you break my will
Je t'aime the valley
Je t'aime the valley OH!!!
I am an orphan de la valley
And I won't rest until I forget about it
I won't rest until I don't care
LA LA LA LA LA LA LA
07 Brian the Vampire (02:38)
Brian, tender kisses run run run is my wish for you
Brian, tender drops of blood run run run I'm thinking of you
how far does your brother go with you?
Brian, tender growing boy stay stay stay awake is my prayer for you
Brian, tender clutches run run run I'm thinking of you
what happens to you when your dad
hears your brother pull down your underpants-
10 Mike (05:14)
dad, what was Nigel supposed to do with your body?
a life that I will never understand
whose false teeth were gently pushed back into your
mouth by your daughter's husband
what am I supposed to do with this?
I feel like I am not nice because sometimes
it is hard for me to think something happy about you
except for that dad, I love you and will always, always miss you
pull my finger-
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