Xiu Xiu - Dear God, I Hate Myself

Our review
Customer reviews
Press release
Soundclips

5...according to our Brian on Thu 11 Feb, 2010.

Misery, torment, self-loathing and existential anguish have rarely been done so well within a pop music framework as they've been managed by one Jamie Stewart. He's now swimming solo after his long term companion Caralee McElroy defected to Cold Cave. You can hear the parallels between the two acts in the dark, yearning tragedy of the vocals and the blisteringly inventive use of electronic rhythms & wild organic sounds to create these jarring yet accesible weird-pop nuggets. This collection seems slightly less dark, dramatic and alarming than the schizophrenic & absorbing catalogue he's built up thus far, but no less fascinating & enjoyable for it. There's still plenty of wilfully abstract & experimental touches to back up his eccentric & affected urban poetry. A true distinctive original, he deserves your cautious, frightened love.

To play these clips you need to either update your browser (Norman Records recommends Google Chrome) or update your Flash plugin.

· Two constants throughout Xiu Xiu’s catalogue are
honesty and evolution. This remains true with ‘Dear
God, I Hate Myself’, as it delivers a look at
responsibility, fear, healing, and societal roles wrapped in
rich gothic pop music. Jamie Stewart’s vocals are finally
effortless paired with vibrant melodies full of subtlety and
distinct sonic accents. Production is handled by Jamie
Stewart and Deerhoof’s Greg Saunier, and the result is
a record that proves that art can be pop and pop can
challenge you to look inside yourself.
· Each format contains a sticker featuring one of
twelve designs.

Be the first to review this record. Best reviewer each month gets £10 off their next order!