Xiu Xiu’s new album invents new ways to impact audiences.
Xiu Xiu’s new album invents new ways to impact audiences.
Rock band Xiu Xiu’s new album — “13’’ Frank Beltrame Italian Stiletto with Bison Horn Grips”— cuts deep. Experimenting with new sounds and beats, Xiu Xiu made an album accessible to new listeners and impactful for longtime audiences.
Despite its unconventional title, “13’’ Frank Beltrame Italian Stiletto with Bison Horn Grips” is a musical candy salad, with something sweet and sour for everyone, catering to a wide range of listeners with its eclectic mix of sounds from different musical genres.
The first track, “Arp Omni,” starts the album with an overwhelming amount of synth and no percussion. The jagged synth lines flow unpredictably, layering distorted tones and droning textures with some moments having very low musical noise and others where the music is very loud.
Without any percussion to anchor it, “Arp Omni” feels disorienting and off-balance, as if the song is adrift in a sea of electronic sound. Though the track’s synth-driven nature contrasts with the more dynamic, rhythmic lyrical pieces that follow, it hints at the album’s experimental edge and its willingness to embrace sound discomfort.
“Arp Omni” explores the theme of personal liberation, capturing the sensation of overcoming a long-standing obstacle with a lover. The track’s tension-filled synth layers mirror the emotional weight of the heartbreaking journey.
“I have done almost nothing right my entire adult life / But having dared to touch the fire with you/ Breaks the chains of my being nothing,.” Jamie Stewart sings.
There’s a confessional note hidden deep within the lyrics, highlighting the break from conformity and urging the audience to do something different even if it’s scary.
The second track, “Maestro One Chord,” maximalizes percussion, incorporating various drum kits and vocalizations used as percussive backing. Edgy beat sounds and whispered lines add to the ominous aura.
Debris flies in the background as a wake-up call to the audience to steer away from conformity and embrace self-identity even if it seems unacceptable.
One of the heavily lyrical pieces is “Common Loon.” Compared to Xiu Xiu’s rock, grunge and electric-focused beats, “Common Loon” offers a positive lyrical commentary about queerness.
The track exposes a fluid state of gender and sexuality, celebrating the beauty of being queer. This definition of queerness is playful and fun, with lyrics conveying a sense of acceptance and freedom in self-identification.
“I am someone else / They are a freak / And cool,” Stewart sings. “A beautiful B.O.I / Vaseline / To be polite.”
“Common Loon” delivers a nuanced exploration of identity, adding a layer of sweetness and depth to the track.
The following three tracks share similar melodies with the harmony gradually getting darker. With “Pale Flower,” Xiu Xiu showcases a chaotic distortion of preserving beauty in reality.
“Veneficium” includes industrial beats and haunting vocals whice showcases love from a manipulative perspective. Ending the story about beauty and love, “Sleep Blvd.” offers a glimpse of dreamlike escape with its delicate synth.
Switching sharply from sweet and delicate, “T.D.F.T.W” gives off a completely different vibe — goth disco laced with images of death and loving a person till the end. The acronym stands for “The Devil Forgiven That’s Why,” and it’s repeated multiple times throughout the song.
Just like “Common Loon,” the directive behind the acronym is to find a deeper acceptance of self. Unlike “Common Loon,” “T.D.F.T.W” is about accepting inner demons and loving the dark moments.
“There’s only one person / Whose name can be called / At the moment of death / And for me that name is yours.” Steward and Angela Seo sing.
Exhibiting an immaculate lyrical exquisiteness, Xiu Xiu sings about celebration, forgiveness and the hidden wonder surrounding love.
The first track and the last track illustrate the album’s dissonance. With the first track being synth with few lyrics representing the romantic wonder of starting new, the last track “Pina, Coconut & Cherry” is loud with emotional madness and heavy electric beats laced with desperation.
“I never thought I could love this hard for this long / It makes me insane / You can’t refuse love like this / It’s criminal / You must love me, love me, love me,” Stewart sings.
The album tells a story and the intermediate tracks tie together to bring the audience back to the final romance story.
Xiu Xiu’s album feels unresolved since it doesn’t give a hint of finality. The narrative remains unfinished with “Pina, Coconut & Cherry” — much like how “Common Loop” abruptly ends without fully defining queerness and happiness.
Yet it is the rejection of finality and conclusion which completes the album. The absurdity and unexpected shifts between each song highlight the album’s main idea — to try new things and be okay with feeling lost.
“13’’ Frank Beltrame Italian Stiletto with Bison Horn Grips” is an album that appeals to a diverse range of music lovers — rock, pop and lyrical — delivering a powerful, circular message about finding meaning in being lost.
Listen to “13’’ Frank Beltrame Italian Stiletto with Bison Horn Grips” on all major streaming platforms.
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