XUI: Mai Chét (Die Tomorrow) 7"

XUI: Mai Chét (Die Tomorrow) 7" (self-released) We first heard from Oakland, California’s XUI when they released their demo tape in 2022, and since then they’ve released a steady drip of EPs, incrementally refining their fast-and-ugly hardcore attack. XUI sings in a combination of English and Vietnamese (the back cover of Mai Chét says “XUI is Vietnamese for ‘Bad Luck’” across the top), which gives their anti-war, anti-authoritarian lyrics extra weight. The inside cover relates contains some shocking statistics about the US war against Vietnam, presenting them in Discharge-esque, flat reportage-style alongside the slogan, “the fighting ends / the suffering continues.” Heavy stuff. Musically, Mai Chét is a bit different from XUI’s last EP, Realities. That record had a frantic sound with a lot of unexpected rhythmic shifts, looser playing (particularly on the fast parts), and a more blown-out recording, but Mai Chét has groovier, more in-the-pocket playing and a clearer, more balanced mix based around a fuzzy, vintage-y guitar tone. The music rides the line between early USHC and mid-80s Scandi-beat, but the vocals (which are still pretty blown out) have that post-EP Brannon / YDI-type hiss to them, which has a whiff of black metal about it, giving off an evil (rather than tough or confrontational) vibe. All this adds up to a record that feels authentically old-school, but doesn’t sound precisely like anything else I can think of. In fact, I keep listening to Mai Chét over and over, trying to figure out a precise point of comparison and coming up empty. To get in the ballpark, let’s say Crucifix and DC Youth Brigade might be halfway decent reference points, but with several years as a band and numerous releases under their belt, XUI has reached the point where they sound like no one but themselves.