Xiu Xiu – The Air Force

Xiu Xiu – The Air Force
5RC (2006)
by Ian Cruz
{8.3/10}

Note: This is a horribly written review, and I am sorry for that.
– Ian; October 27, 2006

Xiu Xiu has to be one of the strangest bands I have ever listened to. The singer/song writer Jamie Stewart must be one of the most creative people to set foot on the earth. Either that or he just has some type of mental illness.

Xiu Xiu’s forthcoming album, The Air Force, opens with the track “Buzz Saw” that leads us into the album with soft piano playing and Jamie Stewart’s voice that singing about himself and him not being like how you may expect him to be. It’s a rather weak opening track but can really set the mood for the rest of The Air Force.

The CD starts moving along with the rock esque song “Boy Soprano” that follows after “Buzz Saw”. It’s one of the crazier songs on the album and I could see why this would be the second track due to it’s power to just pull you even more into this mysterious record.

Throughout The Air Force the cd progresses through different songs telling stories. Stories of hate, love, and heartbreak. But what Xiu Xiu album doesn’t have these bits and peices in them?
For this album one of the songs that would stand out the most to first time listeners is “Bishop, CA”.The song starts out with this dark feel as if it would fit well in a Kubric film or a good listen if you had been reading House of Leaves at the same time. In the middle of the song everything just seems to get heavier and heavier leading to a bridge that seems almost epic.
The album leads its way through to the end with the song “Wig Master” that tells an earie
story that you won’t forget. It’s one story that really brings out everything you would think of for nowon whenever you heard of this band. I don’t want to give it away, but this song deals with thestrangest of feelings because it speaks of fetishes and things your mother doesn’t want you listening to.

The song comes to an ending that’s mood is soft and easy like the album had begun with.
I never really enjoyed this band much in the past, but ever since I stumbled upon their album
Fabulous Muscles I learned that they really were a band I could listen too. With that being said I
can tell you that this CD is going to go right up their with Fabulous Muscles for me.
Now if you enjoyed their earlier stuff prior to this album you will most likely find The Air Force to be a great contribution to your Xiu Xiu collection. But, if you don’t really like any Xiu Xiu at all this cd will either not impress you or make you see the better side of this band.