13″ Frank Beltrame Italian Stilleto with Bison Horn Grips by Xiu Xiu

Review written by Jools Cacophony

A 13 inch Frank Beltrame Italian stiletto with bison horn grips is a type of switchblade. 13” Frank Beltrame Italian Stiletto with Bison Horn Grips is the latest album from your queer-indie-goth friend’s favorite band Xiu Xiu. During recording, the band made a switch from living in Los Angeles to Berlin. Xiu Xiu has been an indie fan staple since their first releases in 2002, with albums Knife Play and their cult classic A Promise, and has collaborated with other artists in the indie circuit. Their discography can sound very experimental, avant-garde, and noisy. On this record Xiu Xiu leans into psych-rock guitar riffs and with the help of drummer David Kendrick’s fills and feel; they have put together a great, easy-to-listen-to album with the same lush and cathartic elements for both non-Xiu Xiu fans and Xiu Xiu fans. What I like about this album is that it is bookend with the opening and closing tracks “Arp Omni” and “Piña, Coconut & Cherry.” These tracks seem to bleed from their last album Ignore Grief, a very techno gothic record. “Arp Omni” leads you in with chillingly beautiful synths, and the accompanying lyrics paint a beautiful picture of a person with sparkling freckles and black hair. Then the chorus comes in and grips you: “I have done almost nothing right / My entire adult life / But having dared to touch the fire with you / Breaks the chain of my being nothing too.”

I heard this for the first time on the bus and it hit me like a wimpy slap that stung. When I hear “I have done nothing right my entire adult life” I hear my future. I hear what I will be saying to myself. And this chorus caught it. The accompanying stanzas conjure up the idea of being with someone for a long time, and you’re happy that you took on your life with this other person.

Following this track comes “Maestro One Chord,” and as the name implies the track is based around one repetitive chord, around which are repetitive lyrics. Jamie Stewart shows in this song his ability to be vulnerable, with lyrics that touch on isolation and personal turmoil. The multi-talented Angela Seo creates atmospherically haunting and viably punchy synths. Then comes “Common Loon,” which punches you in the face as one the first psychedelic rock anthems on this record with its opening distorted guitar riff. The first verse is beautiful, touching, and relatable, and paints a perfect picture for the entire album. The lyrics to me are a celebration of embracing a queer identity: “What will you do? / If and when? / I am someone else / They are a freak / And cool / Impermanent candy.”

Other Xiu Xiu lyrics from past projects like “Sad Pony Guerilla Girl” or “Clowne Towne” speak to more personal conflicts, isolation, trauma, and societal issues that queer individuals face. But in “Common Loon” they are using the queer narrative as a joyous experience. Liberating their past work and their listeners. Sonically, Xiu Xiu departs from the melancholy nature that they normally default to. Instead, they have evolved into sounding half psyche rock, a quarter pop, and a quarter math rock, while maintaining a drowsy melody. When listening to the guitar on this album, I am reminded of Steve Albini playing on Shellac. With the same intent as Shellac, Xiu Xiu is able to play around and have fun with the music while still being very direct. In the fourth track, “Pale Flower,” you get a sense of the way how the album will play out with two moody, synth-central songs before a psychedelic rock song. With “Pale Flower,” Xiu Xiu turns back to older Xiu Xiu with ironic metaphors for lyrics: “You can wipe the excrement of a rainbow off into a rag.” With punchy synths, simple drums, and a catchy guitar riff, “Pale Flower” is a good track on this album even though it doesn’t stand out.

“Veneficium” is a stand-out track that encapsulates the magic of this album. This is the first song I heard off 13” Frank Beltrame, and I was like, what the fuck, this doesn’t sound like Xiu Xiu! It starts with a conversation between guitar and drums that explodes into the melody. The track sounds like you’re caught in a storm. It reminds me of The Cure thematically. Lyrically it feels like we are getting a tie-in or a call back to the second track, “Maestro One Chord,” speaking to a universal feeling of being consumed by forces outside of our control.

Track six, “Sleep Blvd,” is a slow burn that is another celebratory song that made its way out of the woodwork of Xiu Xiu: “Shush, shush, said I to the discotheques of discontent / Shush, shush, said I / They don’t concern me anymore / Though it were the most reprehensible acts of your habitually / I responded to most enthusiastically.” David Kendrick is able to carry this song with his steady rhythms on the bass drum with the way the snare communicates with the fuzzy guitar sound; his quick timely fills keep the song going, and the clanging of the cymbals is just incredible ear candy. “Piña, Coconut & Cherry” is the best track encapsulating the album and the band. It is a goth-esque melody with a trap beat that takes you on a ride, with sparkling dreamlike effects sprinkled in. Jamie Stewart’s voice and lyrics ring out to end a great album.

13” Frank Beltrame Italian Stiletto with Bison Horn Grips is the happiest album that Xiu Xiu has made, making it something special in their discography as well as for the fans and non-fans. The switch from LA to Berlin or the switch from COVID-19 times might have affected the band and the making of this record. In the landscape of indie music and the way Xiu Xiu has been involved with other artists and its scene, it is nice that they released such a great easy-to-listen-to but can’t-put-down album in 2024.