Front man Jamie Stewart's deep, dark tortured vocals are often compared to the wails of the Cure's Robert Smith. Xiu Xiu, however, is far from a goth band. It tempers its cutting-edge, often shocking sound collages with emotion and stunning vocal melodies. With its clangy percussion, symphonic strings and harmonizing saxophones, Xiu Xiu embraces a classically informed, multi-instrumental approach to experimental noise. Stewart's vocal tantrums can grate on disc, but in person, where the emotional display driving them is evident, the shouting bouts should be more endearing than unendurable.
