Known for fidgety experimentalism and crabby lyrics, San Jose’s Xiu Xiu would not win a lifetime achievement award for cheerfulness. Nevertheless, the group has often channeled a certain joy of noise. Unbound by genre, Xiu Xiu unwinds nervous energy, creating songs that land halfway between accessible and off-putting. On their new duets album, OH NO, Xiu Xiu parades a series of guest artists and indulges ethereal impulses.

Following the pointed Girl With A Basket Of Fruit, OH NO promises a more positive outlook. After some personal difficulties and severed friendships, permanent Xiu Xiu member Jamie Stewart received meaningful support from fans and old acquaintances. As an outgrowth of this circumstance, Stewart decided to compose an album of duets. He chose collaborators who affirmed him of humanity’s goodness by being there through good times and bad.

Stewart’s voice is an acquired taste, but he has the good sense to let the music do most of the talking. Vocals are used in service of some deceptively complex and arrhythmic instrumental bridges. Angela Seo, who joined Xiu Xiu in 2009, establishes her presence through subtle and varied arrangements. Meanwhile, Stewart frequently revels in his warbly half-whisper, then turns up the heat for a few raw moments. On the acerbic “A Classic Screw,” he and guest Fabrizio Modonese Palumbo yell and groan in unison as the song disintegrates.

A look at the guests on OH NO might make you wonder if Xiu Xiu only required mysterious artists with unusual names. Many of them are people Stewart has worked with before. Greg Saunier of the likeminded Deerhoof appears on the rewarding “Goodbye For Good,” while punk alumnus Alice Bag joins for the pop-oriented “Knock Out.” Dark-shoegaze torchbearer Chelsea Wolfe is a natural choice to cover The Cure’s morbid “One Hundred Years.” Though Stewart and Wolfe’s interpretation works, the ghoulish subject matter feels a bit out of place on the mature OH NO.

The biggest name here, Sharon Van Etten, contributes to the album’s most triumphant chorus. Opener “Sad Mezcalita” elegantly weds a timorous verse to a cathartic chorus. Stewart and Van Etten create a whispered-spoken dialogue over a sparse, distant guitar. When the chorus bursts through, it casts a bright light on a frigid landscape.

The album’s heavy-footed pace can become a drag, though, especially for fans accustomed to the short energetic bursts that peppered earlier albums. Many of the slower compositions contain interesting arcs and instrumentation, but taken in sequence, the album runs the risk of being too subtle. On the one hand, Xiu Xiu admirably creates space to showcase friends and fellow artists. On the other hand, the album’s payload of brooding to mid-tempo songs fades to background music during a mid-album lull.

Angus Andrew, of the willfully obscure outfit Liars, mitigates this issue somewhat on single “Rumpus Room.” It’s a good match, as both artists have made 20-year careers out of a commitment to weirdness. Out-of-context phrases and non-sequiturs stick out at odd angles. “Don’t trip on your skates,” Andrew admonishes, and Stewart blurts out, “You cough a lot,” in response. As the most rambunctious offering here, “Rumpus Room” provides a needed shot of unfiltered swagger.

The songs on OH NO generally fall into two categories: exploratory mood pieces and abstract pop songs. However, the two are not mutually exclusive. The album successfully establishes an atmosphere of semi-melodic vulnerability, punctuated by Xiu Xiu’s experimental taste for the alien and jarring. Elements of traditional Japanese music, gamelan and even nature samples are worked in organically, enhancing the immersive aspect of the record. Then, a handful of relatively accessible songs, like the danceable “A Bottle Of Rum,” round out the end of the record. Consider them a reward for putting up with so many of Xiu Xiu’s musical whims and weird friends.