Xiu Xiu, Girl with Basket of Fruit, Album Review
Xiu Xiu
Girl with Basket of Fruit
Album Review
We're not even at the end of February yet, and we already have a twisted and surreal masterpiece in the form of Xiu Xiu's latest record "Girl with Basket of Fruit".
While this album comes to me as another introduction to an artist, said artist has been making music for a while now, with "Girl with Basket of Fruit" being their eleventh album release. Xiu Xiu are essentially a musical outfit of sorts and kind of defy genre in the sense that their music is so out there (especially in this record). After delving into some of their older material, I can tell you that "Girl with Basket of Fruit" is quite easily the darkest and most interesting album that Xiu Xiu has ever put out, and maybe even possibly the most beautifully horrifying album I have ever heard.
While their previous stuff definitely shows a lot of experimentation with their music, recent times call for artist to push the boundaries even further to stand out from the over saturation of whacky, out-there music in todays world. Xiu Xiu do precisely that and almost make it seem effortless when defying expectations as much as humanly possible. The result is an album whose deeply disturbing yet fascinating sound will keep you up at night.
The album is slightly shorter than the majority of other albums in Xiu Xiu's discography with a list of nine tracks and a runtime of just over 35 minutes. However, it would've been unnecessary to make this album any longer than it is. I can really appreciate a shorter album is it is done right, with this record absolutely being an example.
What the track list lacks in quantity it makes up for and more in quality, with the majority of the albums track each championing a different element. You have the title track which has the most creative wordplay, the nightmarish dance number "Pumpkin Attack on Mommy and Daddy" which might arguably be the most accessible sounding whilst also being very layered and wonderfully strange and the teaser cut "Scisssssssors" which has this incredibly dynamic and hyper layering of percussion.
As for my favourite track on the album, I am still yet to decide on two. It would either be the second track "It Comes Out as a Joke", which has this very ominous progression, some ultra-surreal elements and some awesome vocal effects or the other being "Mary Turner Mary Turner" which is based on the true story of a woman who was brutally murdered by a lynch mob for protesting the lynching of her husband Hazel Turner. The song absolutely nails it when it comes to painting an incredibly graphic and disturbing picture in your mind and it is quite honestly up there as one of the darkest songs lyrically I've listened to.
All in all, this album is one that makes an impact, which is arguably one of the best thing a new album (especially an experimental one) can do for a listener. If I were to compare this album to another dark and experimental album, like "You Won't Get What You Want" by Daughters for instance, I think that there is something about "Girl with Basket of Fruit" that just appeals to me far, far more. I just think this really is an experimental album done right.
Thank you for reading.
Booth Boy
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