Xiu Xiu
Fag Patrol

THE REVIEW

Question: What could Xiu Xiu do after having their electronic equipment and computers stolen shortly after the release of "A Promise" (April 2003)? Answer: Cancel the tour, return to the studio, and record an acoustic album. More than that. A beautiful, emotional, touching, intense acoustic album.

"Fag Patrol" consists of two new tracks, "Helsabot" and "Nieces Pieces," two tracks from "Knife Play": "Dr Troll" and "I Broke Up," two from "Chapel of the Chimes": "King Earth, King Earth" and "Jennifer Lopez," two from "A Promise": "20,000 Deaths For Eidelyn Gonzales 20,000 Deaths for Jamie Peterson" and "Brooklyn Dodgers," plus a cover of "Asleep" by the Smiths, which seems a bit flat and monotonous compared to the depth of the rest of the album. An album full of tension, palpable yet restrained, which is only released in the powerful, anguished screams of "Jennifer Lopez" in a version that nearly surpasses the "Sweet Science Version" from "Chapel Of The Chimes." However, let me immediately tell those who found "A Promise" unlistenable to stay far away from "Fag Patrol"—you would find it truly unbearable, you couldn't handle it... and anyway, it won't be difficult to avoid it, as it was released in a super-limited edition by the Free Porcupine Society and—if any copies are still left—you could only obtain it by ordering from http://www.absolutelykosher.com/merchandise.html (thnx joser!). It will arrive in a nice gray-green paper case, along with the invoice and a complimentary CD of Absolutely Kosher's musical novelties.

Acoustic, as we said... thus having to do without the usual industrial noises that characterized the musical fabric of previous albums, the only obsessive protagonist of this CD remains Jamie Stewart's voice, which has the opportunity to express all its dramatic warmth and almost single-handedly drags me into Jamie's disturbing musical world, creating emotional suggestions overflowing with pathos. Jamie Stewart... the madman... and to think that he teaches in a kindergarten... During recordings, his mouth must have been very close to the microphone because you can hear every single breath recorded, every muffled word, every strangled moan... Such an intimate contact with Jamie Stewart that, if listened to at the wrong moment, could become almost annoying, morbid for some... I wonder how you'd react to listening to "Helsabot," for instance, where at one point a salivating whisper "Do your pants ever just fall off off off..." manages to give me a shiver... but I love Xiu Xiu!!! 1000 copies of "Fag Patrol" were made... mine is number 421.