Jamie Stewart is one of the most intense personalities in music today. Having battled depression for years — due to his father's apparent suicide back in 2002, as well as the disastrous presidency of George "Dubya" Bush — Stewart has continually channelled his energy into his collaborative art-pop project, Xiu Xiu. Continuing his form of musical therapy, his latest release is a meditation on the works of Nina Simone, an idea formulated after a bad concert in Austin and a good conversation with Michael Gira (Swans).
Obviously, Stewart does not have the vocal chops of Simone, admitting as such in the press release, in his typically self-deprecating fashion, that her singing is way over his head. However, working closely with Ches Smith, who has been a regular Xiu Xiu contributor since their 2002 debut album, Knife Play, as well as enlisting Mary Halvorson, Tim Barnes, Tony Malaby, and Andrea Parkins, Stewart churns out a fresh take on her legendary material.
His voice contorts from a near whisper to an unstable, uncomfortably lower register over vibrant free jazz instrumentals made from organic timbres, save a few synth flourishes in the texture of "Pirate Jenny." On paper, it's rather odd to hear a white guy sing such a racially charged song as "Four Women," but Stewart's brushes with homophobia as a bisexual living in Durham, North Carolina have given him firsthand experience with the seething underbelly of human prejudice.
The sense that this project comes from a place of honesty and respect is clear. Unfortunately, as ever, his voice remains the double-edged sword that cuts the enjoyment of his work in either a "love it" or "hate it" direction, and inviting a comparison to one of the greatest jazz singers and political activists in American history highlights his limitations.
(Graveface)Obviously, Stewart does not have the vocal chops of Simone, admitting as such in the press release, in his typically self-deprecating fashion, that her singing is way over his head. However, working closely with Ches Smith, who has been a regular Xiu Xiu contributor since their 2002 debut album, Knife Play, as well as enlisting Mary Halvorson, Tim Barnes, Tony Malaby, and Andrea Parkins, Stewart churns out a fresh take on her legendary material.
His voice contorts from a near whisper to an unstable, uncomfortably lower register over vibrant free jazz instrumentals made from organic timbres, save a few synth flourishes in the texture of "Pirate Jenny." On paper, it's rather odd to hear a white guy sing such a racially charged song as "Four Women," but Stewart's brushes with homophobia as a bisexual living in Durham, North Carolina have given him firsthand experience with the seething underbelly of human prejudice.
The sense that this project comes from a place of honesty and respect is clear. Unfortunately, as ever, his voice remains the double-edged sword that cuts the enjoyment of his work in either a "love it" or "hate it" direction, and inviting a comparison to one of the greatest jazz singers and political activists in American history highlights his limitations.
