Album Rating: 4.4 | Sound Off

best part of these latter-day xiu albums is that it weeds out people who can't handle it

Album Rating: 3.0

You're right, I find it difficult handling the excessive levels of boredom experienced by listening to this.

Album Rating: 4.4 | Sound Off

gottem

Album Rating: 1.5 | Sound Off

I didn't get anything more extreme than 'Frozen Niagara Falls', 'Konoyo', 'Garden of Delete' or Death Grips or Daughters or whoever else have been referenced in this thread.



So I don't think it's a case of people here not being able to 'handle' this...though the fact that line of defence seems a kneejerk with the band and their work does say to me there's a certain elitist intellectual sniffery going on.



The album, fundamentally at heart, sounds like a dude with a really irritating weedy Trent Reznor voice hamming it up over music that if left as purely instrumental I'd consider very bland. Yes, bland - not scary, not difficult - bland. Bland soundscapes. Yawn.



"Oh but read the accompanying novella by J Stewart, he really dissects the inherent..." aaaargh, it's shit guys

Album Rating: 3.0

Thanks Doof, I thought by my backhanded one-liner was sufficient but this sums it up quite nicely. Bland indeed.

Album Rating: 4.4 | Sound Off

""Oh but read the accompanying novella by J Stewart, he really dissects the inherent..." aaaargh, it's shit guys"



yes completely dismissing the context of the album you're trying to criticize, that ought to do it

not sure what I think about this yet

Album Rating: 1.5 | Sound Off

going by my rating this album must be 70% context and 30% 'music whose qualities speak for themselves'



not my genre



as an 'audio think piece' I'm sure this album could be a world beater but I have zero interest in listening to the many thousands of similar projects to even draw comparison



as an 'improv informed art' project which in this case is willing to freely admit it has little musical audacity or quality it might be 'acceptable' but no more than that



as an album of music it's lucky not to be destroyed on grounds of false advertising

Album Rating: 4.0

" as an album of music it's lucky not to be destroyed on grounds of false advertising"



wait so are you 50 or 12?

Album Rating: 1.5 | Sound Off

didn't get much musical quality from this



sounded like it sided closer to one of the other options I listed - a 'think piece' which happens to be audio or a partially improvised artistic expression of 'heavy themes' that happens to be audio...but could as easily be a visual/audio/interpretive dance theatre production



as an album it seems like the format is somewhat lacking as it's come out rather shit



one for the ages we'll all be jamming in two years time no doubt though

you don't listen to this stuff obv you won't like it

Album Rating: 1.5 | Sound Off

If I didn't think there was any music on the disc I would have awarded this a 0.5 or less (if that were available) - so I admit there is the smallest smattering of something going on that works in the context of a 'music album'

i'm proud of you for trying

Album Rating: 3.0

Coming up with a potentially deep or meaningful concept isn't an excuse for empty and lifeless musical content. I think it's notable that the review is of very modest length and only discusses the music fleetingly, it's one small paragraph... I wonder why that would be the case?

Album Rating: 1.5 | Sound Off

Pee Wee dude - I listen to stuff pretty close to this as said above. I've listened to another Xiu Xiu stuff before and didn't think quite so lowly of it.



Also - in 2019 this is a mainstream album, I try near enough most 'indie press' mainstream albums, why not

I think all lou reed music is a 0.5 but I don't go rate it just because I don't get it

Album Rating: 1.5 | Sound Off

why not? that's the point of the site - then I'd know you don't like Lou Reed



I don't tend to discog slate anyway, I only rate one album by any artist on this account now anyway so sleep easy in that knowledge



I went in to this album having listened to three other Xiu Xiu albums and while I wasn't thinking it was likely an aoty contender for me I did approach with next to no preconceptions. I listen to maybe twenty or thirty new albums a week, it's just another album - it ain't personal artist vendetta season guvnor

Album Rating: 4.0

you're allowed to not like it and ftr i think most you're criticims are fair



i just get real tired of the "uhh this isn't actually music try again sweaty" schtick cause it makes you sound like a high schooler who's just discovered Dream Theater

Album Rating: 4.0

also who the fuck uploaded such a large resolution pic that smudgy ass art on the featured reviews section is killing me

Album Rating: 1.5 | Sound Off

Well fair play to so many people finding this provocative and/or entertaining - part of me feels distinctly put out by that, but there’s also a part of me that’s impressed this is comparatively mainstream



Maybe when my enjoyment of all other music has subsided I’ll get into Xiu Xiu