Xiu Xiu : "Xiu Mutha Fuckin' Xiu: Vol.1"

Cover albums can be hit or miss unless the band doing them is adventurous, as Xiu Xiu. They find the perfect balance of being true to who they are and honoring the song even amid the filter of weirdness they subject the song to, when they open the album with the Talking Heads' "Psycho Killer", the most suited choice for Stewart's voice. He captures the anxiety the song stirs up well. Then things get weirder for Grace Jones' "Warm Leatherette," a song that was already on the fringes when released. The difference between the first two songs is that I like the Talking Heads classic, whereas I was never into Grace Jones as a singer.

They split the difference on "I Put a Spell on You". It builds into jazz-chaos. When you combine Throbbing Gristle with this band for "Hamburger Lady" the result is almost expected as shades of weird turn almost abrasive with the dissonant ambiance. You might need to get stoned for this. Stewart channels his inner Roy Orbison for "In Dreams," which forces him to lean into his falsetto. Once again a case of loving the original artist, making me appreciate what they are doing here. "Sex Dwarf" falls between the cracks of this analogy. 

They give Robyn's "Dancing on my Own" the kind of treatment I want them to. It's darker and more depressing.  This Heat's "SPQR" taps into a different mood for punk that I appreciate. Having not heard the Glorilla song, but aware of what kind of music it is, is all the background I need to go into their cover of "Lick or Sum." If hip-hop normally sounded more like this, I would listen to it more. A Daniel Johnston cover makes perfect sense. It carries a more melancholy atmosphere here. You can apply almost the same thing I said about Throbbing Gristle to these guys tackling Coil. There is more of a pulse that moves this one. 'Cherry Bomb' is not proto-punk but upholds the vibe of the original. I will give this one a 9.5, and see how it grows on me, as it captures the mood needed, while staying true to who they are. 

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