Xiu Xiu Larsen: XXL

A more somber affair than the last pairing of Xiu Xiu and the Italian band Larsen, ¿Spicchiology? casts a dark but at times wonderful shadow over the collaboration. This time both Jamie and Caralee collaborate with the band and her presence is certainly felt on the album. I've always been spotty in my admiration for Xiu Xiu alone, their records don't always hit me in the right places, but when Stewart allows the influence of others into his music it seems to bring out that certain missing ingredient. The colaboration with Grouper, and now this latest have made me warm to him (them) all over again. The album floats in a dark wonderment seemingly or supposedly as a reaction to sadness and violence. In some tracks Stewart's familiar quaver floats over delicate textures of tension and ambience, while the instrumental tracks give the album an urgent cinematic touch that definitely shows the presence of Larsen. This is by far the better of their two collaborations and well worth picking up. If you act fast, Important is giving away a disc of rehearsal sessions that are almost as engaging as the album itself.


Download:
[MP3] XXL -Last In The Society
[MP3] XXL-Daydrinking