| La Forêt | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio album by Xiu Xiu | ||||
| Released | July 12, 2005 | |||
| Genre | Art rock, experimental, post-punk | |||
| Length | 44:11 | |||
| Label | 5 Rue Christine | |||
| Producer | Cory McCulloch | |||
| Xiu Xiu chronology | ||||
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La Forêt is the fourth studio album by Xiu Xiu, released on July 12, 2005 on 5 Rue Christine. The album features John Dieterich of Deerhoof and Devin Hoff as contributors.[1][2]
Contents |
La Forêt's sound has been described as more subtle and less pop sounding than Xiu Xiu's previous album Fabulous Muscles.[3][4] The album was seen as a return to Xiu Xiu's earlier sound.[3][5]
The track "Saturn" deals with Jamie Stewart's frustration with then president George W. Bush and was inspired by Francisco Goya's Saturn Devouring His Son, while the track "Bog People" was written during a bout of sadness Stewart experienced while sitting alone on a coach during a storm.[6]
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Clover" | 5:13 |
| 2. | "Muppet Face" | 3:25 |
| 3. | "Mousey Toy" | 3:29 |
| 4. | "Pox" | 4:10 |
| 5. | "Baby Captain" | 3:43 |
| 6. | "Saturn" | 3:21 |
| 7. | "Rose of Sharon" (Grey Ghost Version)" | 5:05 |
| 8. | "Ale" | 5:41 |
| 9. | "Bog People" | 3:21 |
| 10. | "Dangerous You Shouldn't Be Here" | 3:53 |
| 11. | "Yellow Raspberry" | 3:06 |
The following people contributed to La Forêt:[1][2]
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic | [3] |
| Entertainment Weekly | (A-) [7] |
| Pitchfork Media | (7.9/10) [4] |
| PopMatters | (7/10) [5] |
| Stylus | (A-) [8] |
La Forêt has received mostly positive reviews. On the review aggregate site Metacritic, the album has a score of 82 out of 100, indicating "Universal acclaim."[9] La Forêt is also Xiu Xiu's highest rated album on the site.[10]
Stylus Magazine's William S. Fields gave the album a grade of "A-," writing "La Forêt has the sort of courage-minus-contrivance that is exceedingly (and ironically) rare in music of its dramatic and thematic ilk. For this reason, though I have enjoyed and admired many records this year, this is one of the few I genuinely care about."[8] Jordan Dowling of Drowned in Sound also gave the album a positive review, writing "Easy listening this amn't, but if you want a rollercoaster ride into deep recessions and to be thrilled by the sounds that surround you, then this could be the perfect album for you."[11] Allmusic's Heather Phares wrote "La Foret may be more delicate and less immediate than some of Xiu Xiu's other work (especially Fabulous Muscles), but at its best, it may have even more impact because of that."[3]
Joe Darling of Delusions of Adequacy, on the other hand, gave the album a negative review, writing "Unfortunately, the mere manufacture of unique sounds isn’t enough to rescue them on La Forêt. If Xiu Xiu would only come to a greater understanding of its own volatility, the band would be enabled to create truly memorable compositions. Hopefully these folks will reach this realization before they become completely entangled by devices of their own resistance."[12]
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