Xiu Xiu - Dear God, I Hate Myself (2010)

I’ve not been the biggest Xiu Xiu fan in the world, but they (or is it just one guy?) always put out adventurous music that’s worth checking out. From Dear God, I Hate Myself, I expected a heavy dose of self-loathing, electronics, ambiance, and general eccentricity. What I found was pretty much just that, but it is surprisingly accessible. I had trouble last time I played Fabulous Muscles, which was a few months ago, and figured that if I couldn’t get it to stick, it wasn’t worth returning to Women as Lovers or La Foret. At any rate, the music itself is beautiful at times, and always quirky and adventurous. He uses synthesizers, drum machines, and other effects to create a pretty engaging electronic backdrop for these songs. It may seem a bit schizophrenic though, with the melodies constantly shifting almost at random. It makes me wonder if the arrangements are purely artistic or if some of them are arbitrarily complex simply for the sake of being challenging. Some songs, like “Gray Death” and the title track are really catchy. Songs like “House Sparrow” and “Cumberland Gap” are quite beautiful. The latter is sort of his odd foray into bluegrass music, but I like it.

I guess the best thing I can say is that this is a pleasant adventurous listen. The first couple times through I had no idea what twists and turns the music was going to take, even within each song. Notes don’t follow one another in a logical, melodic progression. As a result sometimes various notes, whether on the synth, guitar, or random glitchy electronic sound, appear as if out of nowhere and disappear before you really take them in. You have to stick around to hear how the songs will end, without having the slightest clue how they will end, and I thought it was worth waiting around to see where the songs go. One glaring flaw is generally mediocre lyrics. It kind of dulls to creative soundscape when he sings about the merits of chocolate over what would be a pretty great electronic jam. Oh, and the self-loathing is there. Stewart’s voice sounds so sad; I imagine a very meek individual curled up in the corner of a recording studio delivering these lyrics, which are full of lamentations of his surroundings and his past, and often, his present self.

I don’t believe this album deserves the accolades I imagine it will get. It is a good album because it’s creativity makes me curious to hear what comes next. However, it’s a very polarizing album. People will love it or else they’ll completely not get it. I found myself shifting between both areas while listening. Xiu Xiu is certainly entertaining, but this isn’t something I’ll listen to often.

link in comments