Pitchfork review of La Foret

[Samw]

www.pitchforkmedia.com/record-reviews/x/xiu-xiu/la-foret.shtml

What do we think?

I think the paragraph comparing it to Fabulous Muscles is spot on. I think its a brilliant album, but its not quite as good as FM or A Promise I reckon.

Gets better each time I hear it though.

(Not to police: not that I own it yet)

[todd]

I'm happy that Tarnation was mentioned. When I saw it, I thought, "this is very Xiu Xiu." I was expecting Jonathan to have a few of Jamie's songs in there, but no.

I usually hate Pitchfork, but this review was okay.

[smithcorey]

how did you get to see tarnation?

i read about it about a year ago and have been wanting to see it.

[urgeintheicebox]

i thought the review was pretty good, i mean it was possitive toward the record, though the comparisons were off, i think the guy who wrote it obviously didnt acutally use the pitchfork ratings scale, he was acting as if the record were in the 9.0s but rated it at a 7.9

[todd]

smithcorey said:

how did you get to see tarnation?

i read about it about a year ago and have been wanting to see it.

Uh, Fresno Filmworks, this local organization, teamed with Reel Pride (they put on the GLBT film festival every year) to play Tarnation at a local theatre.
They've put on some other goodies like Bad Education as well.

Tarnation is on DVD now. I know that you can rent it from certain Hollywood Videos.
It's quite good and heartbreaking. He uses a lot of Iron & Wine.

[lester]

todd said:

...I usually hate Pitchfork, but this review was okay.

I, on the other hand, usually like Pitchfork, but I hated this review! Xiu Xiu is not like "Bright Eyes" and what the heck to they mean by "cloying sentimentality?"
Xiu Xiu have been many things in many ways, but "cloying sentiment" just doesn't ring any bells for me... it's easy to be picky when you like a band so much, but this review struck me as poorly written and full of observations that have little to do with the band's actually body of work, but rather a perception constructed out of other articles about them.

[liontails]

lester said:

this review struck me as poorly written and full of observations that have little to do with the band's actually body of work, but rather a perception constructed out of other articles about them.

this is fairly representative of how i feel about most of their reviews. they should probably make their reviewers actually listen to the music