icano ▁and ▁a ▁c ello ▁for ▁bass . ▁Metro ▁Sil icon ▁Valle ys ▁David ▁Esp ino za ▁li ken ed ▁Stewart ▁to ▁an ▁expl orer ▁chart ing ▁new ▁territ ories ▁of ▁sound ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 1 ▁as ▁he ▁started ▁X iu ▁X iu . ▁He ▁compared ▁Stewart ' s ▁voice ▁to ▁a ▁combination ▁of ▁Robert ▁Smith ' s ▁in ▁its ▁frag ility ▁and ▁The ▁Down ward ▁Sp iral - era ▁Tr ent ▁Re zn or ' s ▁in ▁its ▁anger , ▁and ▁noted ▁Stewart ' s ▁deliber ate ▁choice ▁of ▁tone ▁in ▁light ▁of ▁the ▁individual ▁instruments ' ▁dispar ate ▁w ack iness . ▁The ▁name ▁X iu ▁X iu , ▁pron ounced ▁" sh oe ▁sh oe ", ▁is ▁taken ▁from ▁the ▁film ▁X iu ▁X iu : ▁The ▁Sent ▁Down ▁Girl . ▁In ▁Stewart ' s ▁description , ▁the ▁film ' s ▁theme ▁is ▁that ▁of ▁no ▁resolution — that ▁awful ▁things ▁happen ▁to ▁the ▁protagon ist ▁throughout ▁the ▁film ▁and ▁she ▁dies ▁at ▁the ▁end . ▁The ▁band ▁found ▁its ▁first ▁tracks ▁to ▁match ▁the ▁" rott en ▁real ness " ▁spirit ▁of ▁the ▁film , ▁" that ▁sometimes ▁life ▁turns ▁out ▁with ▁a ▁worst ▁possible ▁case ▁scenario ". ▁Stewart ▁said ▁T racy ▁Chap man ' s ▁" F ast ▁Car ", ▁which ▁X iu ▁X iu ▁covered ▁on ▁A ▁Promise , ▁had ▁a ▁similar ▁theme . ▁ ▁Stewart ▁visited ▁Vietnam ▁around ▁ 2 0 0 1 , ▁where ▁he ▁took ▁the ▁picture ▁that ▁appears ▁on ▁the ▁cover