Yes, La Foret is just another Xiu Xiu record. Four albums in, and Jamie Stewart’s vision of electrocuted 80s pop damage is now a well forged tool. Each record has played with a certain formula, culminating in the relatively accessible sounds of last year’s Fabulous Muscles. Like a late 90s incarnation of Stereolab, Xiu Xiu are at the point where most of the indie universe has made up their mind. (the same is probably true about La Foret, now a few weeks old) College kids have largely made a choice - gorge on Stewart’s affectations or grimace at the preciousness of it all. Xiu Xiu, then, are now in a rather tough place.
Not that they have merely reproduced Fabulous Muscles. La Foret is generally a quieter, slower and slightly more difficult record than the last full length. The stage is set on opener ‘Clover’, with softly strummed guitar, string and vibe rumblings, it gently works its way under your skin. Second track ‘Muppet Face’ is an example of Xiu Xiu at its best – thumping rhythm, treated distortion and Stewart’s homage to 80s melody. Elsewhere, Stewart is in fine form, and La Foret ends up sounding like a genuinely cohesive record. Xiu Xiu fans will hear similarities with previous records, but ultimately be seduced by this latest release. In the end, La Foret is an oddly comforting record, which is, I suppose, a change for Stewart and co.
