Oh No (Xiu Xiu album)

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Oh No
Xiu Xiu - OH NO.jpg
Studio album by
Xiu Xiu
ReleasedMarch 26, 2021 (2021-03-26)
StudioNurse (Jamie Stewart's home studio in Los Angeles)
GenreIndie rock · experimental rock · art pop
Length53:40
LabelPolyvinyl
Producer
Xiu Xiu chronology
Girl with Basket of Fruit
(2019) 		Oh No
(2021)
Singles from Oh No
  1. "A Bottle of Rum"
    Released: January 27, 2021
  2. "Rumpus Room"
    Released: March 4, 2021[1]

Oh No (stylized in all caps) is the twelfth album by American experimental band Xiu Xiu. It was released on March 26, 2021, via Polyvinyl. It is described as a "duets album". Its lead single, "A Bottle of Rum" featuring Liz Harris was released on January 27, 2021.[2]

Background[]

Oh No marks Xiu Xiu's first album since 2019's Girl with Basket of Fruit, and is made up entirely of duets. It was announced along with the release of its lead single on January 27, 2021.[3]

Composition[]

According to frontrunner Jamie Stewart, the features on the album reflect people that helped him realize that the "ratio of beautiful humans to shitty humans is more like 60/40", rather than what he had always assumed was "1/99".[4] He also explained that the album's lead single was inspired by Grouper's "Heavy Water/I’d Rather Be Sleeping".[5]

Critical reception[]

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?67/100[6]
Metacritic73/100[7]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic4/5 stars[8]
musicOMH4.5/5 stars[9]
Paste6.9/10[10]
Pitchfork7.0/10[11]
The Skinny3/5 stars[12]

Oh No received positive reviews from critics. On Metacritic, it holds a score of 73/100 out of 10 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[7] In particular, A Bottle of Rum featuring Liz Harris was well received by critics. The track has been called an "electro-pop stunner",[13] and one of the best songs of the week.[3] Writing for Mxdwn, Aaron Grech claimed that the indie pop track "blends Xiu Xiu's eclectic chord progressions and vocal styles, with Harris’ more spacious vocals and lo-fi ambiance".[5]

Reviewing the album for AllMusic, Heather Phares wrote how the album was, "Embodying hard times as well as the way friends lift each other out of them, Oh No also exemplifies the drama, mystery, and deeply felt emotions that have made Xiu Xiu a vital musical force for decades."[8] In the assessment for musicOMH, Matt Costell felt that by, "Embracing the participatory rather than lurking in personal mistrust, and supplementing their formerly disconsolate narratives with unusually contented flourishes, these diverse new manifestations substantially demonstrate that Xiu Xiu still exist in a universe of their own design, but that maybe they’re ready to temporarily negotiate ours once more."[9] In the review for Pitchfork, Brian Howe highlighted the album's accessibility; " By not trying to shock us, Stewart actually surprises us, and OH NO makes it easier to be a Xiu Xiu fan than it’s been in years."[11]

Writing for The Skinny, Tony Inglis was more critical in his review of the album, claiming that "The production is exceptionally murky – mostly collaborators move through the dark, uncertain world Stewart manifests with his Scott Walker-like crooning of glossolalia."[12] Clare Martin also shared similar sentiments in the review for Paste, stating that "Xiu Xiu’s esoteric lyrics and challenging, textured sounds are part of what make them so singular as a group, but can also be overdone. OH NO’s moving moments of catharsis and uplifting hope are muted by how exhaustingly over-the-top the rest of the album feels."[10]

Track listing[]

All songs written by Angela Seo and Jamie Stewart, except where noted, and produced by Seo, Lawrence English and Greg Saunier.

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Sad Mezcalita" (featuring Sharon van Etten) 4:00
2."I Cannot Resist" (featuring Drab Majesty) 3:30
3."The Grifters" (featuring Haley Fohr) 3:12
4."Goodbye for Good" (featuring Greg Saunier) 4:17
5."Oh No" (featuring Susanne Sachsse) 2:37
6."Rumpus Room" (featuring Liars) 3:44
7."Fuzz Gong Fight" (featuring Angela Seo) 3:47
8."I Dream of Someone Else Entirely" (featuring Owen Pallett) 2:54
9."One Hundred Years" (featuring Chelsea Wolfe)
6:26
10."A Classic Screw" (featuring Fabrizio Modonese Palumbo) 3:19
11."It Bothers Me All The Time" (featuring Shearwater) 5:28
12."Saint Dymphna" (featuring Twin Shadow) 4:04
13."Knock Out" (featuring Alice Bag) 2:56
14."A Bottle of Rum" (featuring Liz Harris) 3:11
15."Ants" (featuring Valerie Diaz) 0:15
Total length:53:40

Notes

  • "Oh No" and "Ants" are stylized in all caps.
  • "One Hundred Years" is a cover version of the song of the same name by The Cure.

Personnel[]

Credits adapted from Tidal.[14]

Xiu Xiu

  • Jamie Stewart – autoharp, bajo quinto, banjo, bass guitar, design, drums, engineer, guitar, mandolin, organ, percussion, sampling, stylophone, synthesizer, viola, vocals, xylophone
  • Angela Seo – design, gong, harmonium, percussion, piano, producer, synthesizer bass, vocals

Additional personnel

References[]

  1. ^ Helman, Peter (March 4, 2021). "Xiu Xiu – 'Rumpus Room' (Feat. Liars' Angus Andrew)". Stereogum. Retrieved March 4, 2021.
  2. ^ Minsker, Evan (January 27, 2021). "Xiu Xiu Announce Duets Album, Share New Song With Liz Harris: Listen". Pitchfork. Retrieved February 1, 2021.
  3. ^ Jump up to: a b Pappis, Konstantinos (January 28, 2021). "Xiu Xiu Announce Duets Album Featuring Sharon Van Etten, Chelsea Wolfe, Alice Bag, and More". Our Culture. Retrieved February 1, 2021.
  4. ^ Schatz, Lake (January 27, 2021). "Xiu Xiu Announce New Duets Album OH NO, Share "A Bottle of Rum" Featuring Grouper: Stream". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved February 4, 2021.
  5. ^ Jump up to: a b Grech, Aaron (January 27, 2021). "Xiu Xiu Announces Duet Album Oh No Featuring Sharon Van Etten, Chelsea Wolfe, Twin Shadow, Liars and More for March 2021 Release". Mxdwn. Retrieved February 4, 2021.
  6. ^ "Oh No by Xiu Xiu reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved February 25, 2021.
  7. ^ Jump up to: a b "Oh No by Xiu Xiu Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved April 4, 2021.
  8. ^ Jump up to: a b Phares, Heather. "Oh No - Xiu Xiu | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved March 24, 2021.
  9. ^ Jump up to: a b Costell, Matt. "Xiu Xiu - Oh No | Album Reviews". MusicOMH. Retrieved March 24, 2021.
  10. ^ Jump up to: a b Martin, Clare. "Xiu Xiu: 'OH NO' Album Review". Paste. Retrieved February 24, 2021.
  11. ^ Jump up to: a b Howe, Brian (March 29, 2021). "Xiu Xiu: Oh No Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved March 29, 2021.
  12. ^ Jump up to: a b Inglis, Tony. "Xiu Xiu album review: OH NO". The Skinny. Retrieved February 24, 2021.
  13. ^ Manno, Lizzie (January 29, 2021). "The 10 Best Songs of the Week". Paste. Retrieved February 1, 2021.
  14. ^ "Credits / OH NO / Xiu Xiu". Tidal. March 26, 2021. Retrieved June 8, 2021.
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