Narc. Magazine Online
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Cameron Wright discovers a creative and engaging listen from Xiu Xiu
Polyvinyl Records
Released: 16.01.26
Xiu Xiu are no strangers to cover tracks. Two of my favourite albums of theirs include their ode to Twin Peaks, which is a pretty accurate homage to Badalamenti, and their reimagining of Nina Simone, which twists and contorts her jazz numbers into dystopian, metallic cautions. Both sides of Xiu Xiu are delivered on their latest album, with covers as diverse as Throbbing Gristle to GloRilla.
What strikes you first is how effortlessly Jamie’s voice slips into covers of songs by artists as diverse as Talking Heads and Roy Orbison, which don’t differentiate too far from the original blueprints, albeit with some industrial Xiu Xiu flair. You are soon floored by the poignancy in their Lynchian reimagining of Robyn’s Dancing On My Own or Daniel Johnston’s Some Things Last A Long Time.
With the high energy of This Heat’s SPQR, there is enough diversity throughout to really allow what plays honestly as a love letter to music and creativity to be an engaging and exciting listen.
