Xiu Xiu’s prodigious output is marked by some truly astonishing, far-reaching covers they’ve included over the past two and a half decades. Like the Afghan Whigs‘ Greg Dulli, they share a knack for choosing songs they can reinvent musically to reveal the desperation lurking in the lyrics. One of the earliest and most powerful examples of this is the desolate, absolutely gutting cover of Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car” from 2003’s A Promise.
By deconstructing the guitar a bit and letting the vocals barely rise above a whisper, Jamie Stewart transforms the song into something fragile and truly heartbreaking. Eat your heart out, Luke Combs. It has reduced me to a puddle many, many times. Of course, they nail the ones that seem like perfect choices, too. Spend some time with their Twin Peaks tribute and cover of Joy Division‘s “Ceremony”. They are every bit as great as the match suggests.
About a year and a half after their last full-length of originals, Xiu Mutha Fuckin’ Xiu: Vol. 1 demonstrates Xiu Xiu‘s continued excellent taste in covers. This is a diverse collection of tracks ranging from Talking Heads to Robyn to Glorilla to Daniel Johnston. The amount of ground covered here is a testament to the band’s talent; that they can sound equally at home on all these streets is a testament to their elasticity. What is even more compelling is how Stewart, Angela Seo, and David Kendrick make each of these tracks sound like Xiu Xiu.
The record opens with “Psycho Killer”, and yes, it’s been done many times, but this is such a perfect fit. Stewart sinks his teeth into every line, and the acoustic tension of the original is replaced with pulsing synths. It’s an exciting introduction to the record. “I Put a Spell on You” sounds positively unhinged, with Stewart’s distorted vocals fighting to be heard amid skronks of saxophone and buzzsaw guitars. It makes you wish they’d been one of the groups to close out an episode of Twin Peaks: The Return.
Speaking of Lynch, their subdued, mournful cover of “In Dreams” is another track the late director would surely have approved. Elsewhere, Seo takes over on lead vocals for Throbbing Gristle’s “Hamburger Lady”, and it’s an unsettling four minutes in the best way.
The clear highlight is their gut-wrenching cover of “Dancing on My Own”. The original is a heartbreak anthem, but in Xiu Xiu’s hands, it sounds like there’s someone even more miserable than Robyn in the song watching her longingly. It’s understated and genuinely moving. The insistent beat is a little more subdued but still present, scuffed up with some nice screeches. Robyn belts out the chorus, but Stewart takes it down several notches and ramps up the desperation as only he can do. If that didn’t wring any tears from you, surely their version of Daniel Johnston’s “Some Things Last a Long Time” will, another example of the band picking lyrics that seem like they could have come from Stewart’s pen.
Elsewhere, Xiu Xiu’s takes on GloRilla’s “Lick or Sum” and the Runaways’ “Cherry Bomb” are a goth-leaning banger and an explosive blast of propulsive noise, respectively. The latter closes the record on a strong note, with a blast of fun. The “Vol. 1” teases that there might be more Mutha Fuckin Xiu in the future, and if it is as expertly curated and executed as this, I cannot wait. Maybe they could take on The Whigs’ should-have-been-a-radio smash “66”. I can hear Stewart dialling down the lust to wring the twitchy desperation out of the line “Show me where you got it, ’cause I know you got a habit”.