If the most memorable works of pop culture over the last few years have one thing in common, it’s a creeping suspicion that our world stands on a precipice. Has there been a superhero movie in recent memory that hasn’t shown a city get reduced to rubble? Is Paul Schrader’s “First Reformed” a harbinger for the end times that sees radical action as the only means of preventing planetary collapse? Hell, not an episode of “Chapo Trap House” goes by without the hosts reminding us of the economic and environmental catastrophes capitalism leaves in its wake. Pop culture that “really says something about our day and age” feels like a gift sometimes, like something that commodifies existential torment and sells it back to you through the Sunny D Twitter page, but experimental rock outfit Xiu Xiu aren’t disingenuous. They weren’t back when people were shoving Freedom Fries down their maws in solidarity with George W. Bush, and if “Girl with a Basket of Fruit” is any indication, they’re one of the only artists that can truly capture the world’s horrors in 2019.

I wouldn’t ever describe any Xiu Xiu record as unchallenging, but even by their standards this album is harsh, with a crushing atmosphere largely indebted to industrial and glitch music. At times this album’s instrumentals sound like if Death Grips got tired of their usual production trickery and just started beating you over the head with their Casio drum machines. Frontman Jamie Steward is as unnerving as ever — no small feat if you’re acquainted with their discography — shouting himself hoarse, doing an MC Ride impression so remarkable that it even gives the rapper (screamer?) himself a run for his money and whispering ominously to you like you’re his victim in a slasher flick.

Most albums like this start off innocently, luring you into a false sense of security, but the opening title track here doesn’t even do that. Occasionally you’ll stumble upon some genuinely beautiful sounds, like on the stunning track “The Wrong Thing,” but even that only acts as a prelude for the song most likely to haunt your dreams, “Mary Turner Mary Turner.” This song recounts the tragic story of a young black woman who, while eight months pregnant, was lynched and killed by a white mob. In scary times like today, it’s often an easy habit to look to the past, but what Stewart does here is remind us the past is no stranger to the worst of humanity. He concludes the song with the couplet “Fuck your guns/fuck your war/ fuck your truck/fuck your flag” and it feels heart-wrenching as it does therapeutic, while being completely on brand for a group that was never one to shy away from ruffling feathers for civility’s sake. By exploring the new harsh and mechanical sounds of today while doubling down on everything that made them great in the first place, Xiu Xiu have shown themselves to be in a late-career renaissance.

Andrew Kilbride, a Staff Writer for the Voice, can be reached for comment at AKilbride21@wooster.edu.

Elena Morey

A&E Editor

“BlacKkKlansman,” a controversial historical comedy, took general moviegoers by surprise.  Overall, it was a phenomenal film.  With cast members like John David Washington, Adam Driver, Laura Harrier, a renowned director Spike Lee, who won his first Oscar for co-writing the film and great writers Charlie Wachtel and David Rabinowitz, this film was destined to be powerful.  At this year’s Oscars, the film was up for best picture, best director, best adapted screenplay, best original score and best film editing.

 This true story follows undercover detective Ron Stallworth (John David Washington) who was the first “colored” police officer in very conservative Colorado Springs, Colo.  He struggles with finding his identity as a black American as well as someone who must hide who they are in the times of extreme racism and prejudice. Stallworth is assigned to monitor a Black Student Union group of college students.  The police department fears they are going to militarize, but Stallworth confidently reports that they are non-violent.  He then directs the department’s efforts toward a truly aggressive organization: the Ku Klux Klan (KKK).  Stallworth contacts the chapter leader over the phone, and with the help of Flip (best supporting actor nominee Adam Driver), he infiltrates the organization successfully.  The two officers piggy-back off one another to keep their story straight and to prevent the organization’s plans, but the main driving force is Stallworth’s moves against the KKK.

The suspense built as the officers attempt to avoid discovery will, as well as the high-stakes scenarios they prevent, keep audience members enthralled. On and off moments of light-hearted comedy keep the dark material from being too heavy, but the film also uses it as a tactic to comment on issues the movie touches on but does not fully tackle.  Flip is Jewish, but never felt connected to his heritage, he finds an inner battle that emerges as he vocally denies his heritage to go undercover.  Stallworth manages a love interest who is closely connected to his case, while still protecting his  true identity from the organization.  Real moments of intensity and philosophical debates light up the screen and stay with the viewer long after the screen has gone dark.

Stellar acting on top of the writing makes this film really stand out.  As an actress myself, tackling your own beliefs and comforts can sometimes be hard when the role calls for you to really put yourself out there.  Most of the actors playing supporters of the KKK commit 100 percent to their role and display the ugly truths of the era with bravery.

Deep thematic issues are obviously a large part of the film and the purpose behind it.  Harsh issues are tackled and displayed openly, making audiences think.  Modern-day references chill moviegoers, as subliminal anti-Trump themes are mentioned almost in passing.  This subtly makes this film truly spectacular for an intellectual who might catch them all.

The musical score is beautiful.  The “Stallworth Theme” repeats over and over, sometimes monotonously, but quite beautifully. The ambiance fills the room and seems to deepen the believability of the images on the screen.  The score perfectly brings tension to the scenes as well as a sense of honour and duty.

As a united piece, the film is a beautifully done, strong and powerful work contributing to the ongoing discussion of race, religion, prejudice and the harsher realities of our world.  Its message is hopeful, however, and brings to light a figure and endeavor that history has hidden.  It allows one to reflect on how far we’ve come as a species, yet also comments on how much work we still must do to make this world united beyond the constructs and walls that divide us.

Pictured is the real Ron Stallworth, the man who bravely infiltrated the Klan and prevented many acts of terrorism (Photo from The Washington Post).