xx

“XX” by the xx (2009) Never heard this album or heard of this group. Minimalist, airy, intentionally lazy, anti-energy vocals, with mechanical bass & drum—not a vehicle for any display of talent, but a cool enough sound. Lyrics rather plain. Guitar work very plain. Kind of a lazy New Wave—like putting Eurythmics and Edie Brickell in a dark room and piping in opium smoke. This album is okay for background music (though it wouldn’t boost production) or to lower my blood pressure. Not the kind of music that would bring an emotional response out of me. I could write more, but I don’t seem to have the energy. 2/5

“Like two shy teenagers, eyes cast downward, awkwardly talking to the ground.”

X-tremely dull

Man we sure did like boring albums in the early 2010s

Oh man did it take a couple listens to appreciate this album. This is FANTASTIC!!! Shhhhh…too loud for this album…(soft voice) it’s fantastic. The first couple times through there was a lot of (train) background noise. The subdued nature of this album is best admired in a quiet setting. The minimalist arrangements are just as, if not more, powerful for what is not there as much as for what is there. The most impactful part of the understated approach is that the parts that would seem “normal” in other music appear conspicuous, emphatic, and flamboyant. And here lies the genius. There is something notable about the vocals that I just couldn’t quite put my finger on. Enter Wikipedia where I saw that some critics describe them as singing not together, but past each other. Building upon that, I have a different take. To me it feels like they are in adjoining studios singing out windows that face the same direction. Close to each other, but separate, yet projecting in the same direction. I could go on and on about all the songs, but I will take a subdued approach and just state that this album is incredible. What a gem!

Not to my taste, this is for lonely middle class girls from the later 2000s.

Intro is an absolute classic track, rest of the album is good too but just pales in comparison to that opening

Due to an accident with the play button, I actually started listening to This Old Tune by James Kant. I was thinking to myself "Hey, I never realised the xx did this! This is cool!". Unfortunately, I realised that I was listening to the wrong thing fairly quickly and actually started listening to the xx and all I can say it's probably one of the less dismal albums to be released between 2002 and 2010. Did I object? No. Would I recommended it to a friend? No. Would I rather be listening to Hugo Kant? Yes. I mean, it's not bad. But it just kind of exists.

I liked the use of ambience and space but it was very lacking in dynamics and excitement.

XX, XXX XXXX X XXX XX XXXX. XXXX XX XXXXX X XXX, XXX XX XXXXXXX X XXXXXXXXXXX XXXXX XX XXXX XXXX. XX XXX XXXXX XXXXXX XXXX XXXXXXXXXX XXXX X XX XXXXXX? XXXX XX XXXXXX XXX XXXXXXX XXXXXX X XXXX XXXX XXXX. XXX? XXX XXXX XXXXX, XXX! XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXXX.

Damn this shit boring as fuck lol

Oh my god this album is so shit. I get how it was popular in 2009 but fuck these songs are so uninspired and bland and tasteless. The bass player is sounds like they’re half asleep why do they take up so much space in the arrangements. The intro is cool but the rest is just wank. What the hell.

An absolute masterpiece of stripped-down, subdued indie pop. The platonic ideal of the genre.

Utterly unremarkable.

Lovely production, the soundscape is wonderful. It's a pleasure to listen to at night with the stereo loud and my eyes closed!

Bedroom indie for your love and aftercare needs.

Ughh. Minimalistic? Yes. Boring? Yes. Will I listen again? No. 2

I've been doing this project for about three weeks now, and this is the first album I didn't particularly like. On paper it seems like something I would enjoy, but I just didn't feel it. The spare compositions on this album are sometimes lovely, with nice, simple foregrounded guitar. But the beats are dated and the vocals really kill it for me. Croft and Sims sound just as bored to be singing these songs as I felt listening to them. Favorite song: Don't really have one. Night Time is probably the most tolerable.

Absolutely love this album. Heard it many times before, I'm guessing I'm probably gonna go 4/5. Shit, maybe a 5. Some absolute bangers. Hmm maybe a 4. Shame I can't do a 4.5. Damn, maybe a 5. Not sure

Ugh, I can't believe I'm about to do this for my first review.... BUT, I was way UP on xx early. I drove 3 hours to see them play a little college show in Columbus, OH with Nosaj Thing. It was astounding. Mo'fuckers are solid gold as far as I'm concerned.

Cool vibe and some decent singles but feels very of it’s year

Honestly think I'd rather listen to Autobahn again, this was just so plain.

Normally when II do this rating I feel obligated, as a critic, to use that sort of objective theory to justify my ratings. It makes sense for two reasons: One is that just saying "I liked/ disllked this" and just a number has little to no meaning to the reader, and two, there is value in learning about the artists and musicians and understanding their place in history as a part of being part of this human world and it is niice to know, if one diid not, about why and how a particualar musician might have a place (at what I call) the head table. With XX I have to admit it matters less the story and more how this band, this genre, these artists just touch my soul. Often this musiic is just pure emotion for me. I can't explain it, but perhaps sometimes that is OK too! Just like that kind of movie that you like for no apparent reason other than it feels just like a pleasure to watch, I love love LOVE this band!

I already love this album, so still love it. Very chill, coherent, and a great duet

This and hot chip kick started my love of electronic music. One of the best album opening tracks

Yep, this is early 2010s indie. As someone coming of age at the time, there's a certain amount of nostalgia present, and I like a couple songs, but that doesn't prevent this album from being pretty boring.

Ok I have been putting off listening to a bunch of albums bc im judging based on artist name/album cover and im just totally confused and wrong. I thought this was going to be super screamy and I could not be more wrong. I love indie pop but this is kindve underwhelming. Like its not bad and I kinda like it but it feels like the sort of thing thats only on the list bc the British guy that made the list is British

Calming enough, but dissapointed by the lack of progression. Not a lot happens all album long.

Not for me. Same sounds across the entire album. Hits/singles are neat

this album preceded by massive attack—it’s sexy album week!

One of the most beautiful albums of all time, my middle school soundtrack

30th June 2022 Listened while working from home in the office. Went to the oak in the evening. One of the seminal albums of my generation, I remember when it came out and people just went nuts for it. Will always remember watching them at glasto as the sun went down.

Ich hab es gestern Abend auf einer Autofahrt zur späten Dämmerung von Bestwig nach Soest gehört und brooo hab ich es in dem Moment gefühlt. Jetzt gerade hört es sich nur nach vier Sternen an, aber gestern Abend waren es locker fünf und damit gehe ich auch.

"Atmospheric English indie pop" is my vibe. I've heard Intro before but the rest was new to me. Good chill music for working to.

Really consistent, coherent body of work. Nice vibe, clean sounds. A beautiful compromise between simple & interesting

xx This passed me by a bit when it came out, although I do know some of it as I remember it being played a lot in my old office. They do have one trick, but it’s a superbly enjoyable trick, the atmosphere they create with relatively minimal instrumentation is very appealing. Elements of indie, new wave and electronica all tied up with a reverb bow and sung over with almost sheepish, melancholic vocals, kind of directed at each other but also seemingly not quite communicating very well. It never veers too far from that template, but I don’t think it needs to when the overall feel is so immersive, it’s a great headphone listen, a great work listen and, I imagine, a great darkened room listen or a great motorway at 3am as headlights flash by listen. I’m guessing Intro or Stars are ones for Paul’s trains at dusk playlist? Not sure it quite gets to 5 but its easily a high 4 ✖️✖️✖️✖️ Playlist submission: VCR

This was kinda neat. Airy, dreamy, ethereal. I wonder why I haven't heard of these guys.

This is good. Has like a Thievery Corporation or Massive Attack kind of feel. I like the co-lead singer approach. Very chill sound. Their general sound is kind of moody so when they so a more upbeat song it has a strange effect. This is the first band that has been a revelation to me in a positive way. I would listen to another album.

Somehow I had only ever heard the introduction track to this album? Bonkers. It's a very cool and beautiful album, I love bands with multiple vocalists and love the callbacks from the intro throughout the album. I won't lie though I did get a little fatigued by the end with the songs blending together.

I bet it went hard for the time. In the current era, it was hard to get through because it sounded so boring

Is it bad that I know the intro from fucking tiktok ? lmao overall chill and atmospheric, a bit too repetitive within and across songs 2.5/5 fav: crystalised, fantasy, night time least: heart skipped a beat

the bass in fantasy is fucking insane. it feels like im standing in the first row of a concert the kinda simplicity is nice because it makes me wanna make music :) great and cohesive album and probably the best (and most iconic) intro to an album ever

This is not a great album but I did like it. A bit background music a bit mood music, I heard bits and pieces of a lot of music in it which came before. I don't see it as breaking new ground unless its in the way it was made. And I must say the clacky rhythm that runs throughout is tiring and unsubstantial. Probably 2.6.

When I refreshed this page to see xx, it received a couple of black eyes for the band name and the album title, on paper a minimalist post-punk flex - with notes of Malevich from the cover art à la mode - but only marginally less gauche than Elon Musk’s branding. The Ex did your name better. So did Kiss. Another black eye after reading that they dismissed their keyboardist in shady circumstances evoked Argus after a pub brawl. But the record’s smart, distinctive, a record collector’s record perhaps, but it has heart and song-shapes that linger, and a dive bar smokiness that distinguishes it from the fragments of post-punk revival that I remember from their contemporaries. (Simon, consider this a probable spoiler for whenever Interpol inevitably skulk into our day.) Baby vomit - actual baby vomit - left me with only one playthrough, so I can’t say if these impressions will endure, but this was a pleasant surprise.

I remember when all my hip friends listened to this album. It's just too...inoffensive for me I guess? Not the biggest fan.

I can't say it's bad, but i def can't say it's good neither. The masterpiece of this album is the intro for a simple reason, no one is singing out of tune on it. The music itself is good, the lyrics talk to me but i've heard better talented whispering singers.

So, I knew of Intro because of it's overuse in ads, Islands because of the OG Rocksmith. I hoped the album had more moments like the outro of Islands, it is chill, but I wanted a bit more of energy. Not saying that it is a bad album, just that it didn't give much more than what I knew beforehand. 2/5 whispers

No combination of words strike more fear into the heart of a man than "English Indie Pop".

The xx, curing insomnia since 2009.

Bang average.

This should be brilliant. But it’s not. Cover art. 5/5 love it

I thought this is ok, then I thought no its terrible, then I had a biscuit, then I fell asleep, then i woke and had another biscuit, then i thought what would happen if you gave a monkey a flamethrower, then the album finished and i was happy again.

I've known of Jamie xx for a while before we got this album, and all I got to say is that if this is what the beginning of his music career sounds like, I should definitely give the rest of their catalog a shot. 4.5 bumped up to 5.

I’m at a 5. Hell, probably a little higher. Pretty striking minimalism here. I’ve gotten so used to tracks that fill up their soundscape with everything to add as much “depth” as possible, and yet here, that sense of empty space is used to a really, really strong degree. This album doesn’t do anything super complex with its melodies, relying on the presence (in the “aura” sense) of the instrumentation to sell the mood. Everything here is deliberate, whether it’s a simple guitar pattern, some punchier or lighter percussion, or pulling back that instrumentation to let the vocals breathe more. It’s so tightly produced that it’s easy to notice what the album is trying to do, but it’s also easy to underappreciate how effectively it’s doing it, because it does it almost effortlessly. It stems from the usage of the empty space in the tracks; it’s an instrument unto itself, and it’s used really, really well. A number of tracks make the instrumentation quieter, letting that empty space stick out more. Lyrically, this is an album focused mostly on love, but a specific corner of love; namely, the tension that exists in the paranoid little corner of the brain that’s too hesitant to fully commit to a relationship out of previous fears. Some tracks overcome it, others don’t, some take place long after that tension has boiled over in a sad way, and some leave that tension unanswered. In a way, it’s a little bit one-note, and mixed with the generally persistent instrumentation, I can hear how this album might bounce off to some people as one that’s a little too similar for its own good. For my tastes though, I think this album approaches the subject matter with enough musical variation that it never got stale or felt too similar. Part of it comes in the vocals; I really, really like Romy Madley Croft’s vocal style, as she reminds me of Bjork with more of a slight British accent. She harmonizes well with Oliver Sim, and while his vocals aren’t as trained, I think it helps make the tension feel more authentic, since it sometimes feels like they’re talking past each other rather than talking to each other. Overall, the lo-fi, vaguely dreamy tone of the album worked really well for me. I think the lyricism enhances the tracks, but they’re not as necessary to capture the soft-spoken nature of the album. These aren’t confrontational tracks, nor are they angsty or messy. They’re just… complicated. I can’t think of many other albums that leave relationships in such a gray area, with a lot of the anxious, earnest & avoidant honesty intact. Commitment is a struggle, clinging on feels like delaying the inevitable, breakups are tense, & those lingering feelings of regret are really hard to navigate around. This album captures that overall anxiety really well, & it makes a track like “Stars” really stick out as the first truly comfortable relationship portrayed on the album, and a very appropriate closer. I think it’s structured really well to get to that point, and in that sense, it’s a super successful album. If it bounces off from just a musical standpoint, I could understand that, but I think it deserves its flowers. Hence, a 5, if not a bit higher.

Actually loved this. I knew some of their tracks but didn’t know this was them!

I love this album. It's a bit too short, but they're all bangers. Such a fresh and unique sound that came out of nowhere....unfortunately they could never really capture it again. But Jamie XX's discography has been interesting.

ONE OF THE BEST ALBUMS OF ALL TIME I MEAN C'MON!!! <3

I think this is the first record I bought on vinyl. Very nostalgic but I still listen to it somewhat regularly. Great overall album.

reconnaissable entre mille, ça doit être un des groupes qui a le plus une patte

114/1089 (Relisten) Intro is still iconic. and the rest of the album is really solid and very up my street. not much more to add since i’ve already liked this album for a while. In particular i love a reverby guitar faves: Intro, Night Time, Crystallised 85/100

This was my soundtrack to summer 2011

masterpiece

Love this album.

Really good, moody, breathy pop. 5/5

Loved it back then and still really enjoy it. Perfect album.

The other album by this band is really questionable for inclusion, but I think this is a great album with a cool sound that was really fresh at the time, combining dream pop, indietronica, and alternative R&B. I like the icy minimalism of the music, combined with the sultry vocals of Romy and Oliver. At times, it kind of seems like a modern, more realized take on Young Marble Giants. I think there's numerous standouts here including "Intro", "Crystalized", "Heart Skipped a Beat", and "Infinity". One of the best albums of 2009. 5 stars.

xxting

Oh my god, this took me back to 2009. I love this album, I think what the xx was so innovative: melancholic atmosphere with minimalism in which you can pay attention to the most of what's happening at the song. I feel this list don't give credit to newer artists, but this album they nailed. The Phoebe Bridgers, Gracie Abrams and even Billie Eilish wouldn't do their whispered vocals if this album didn't exist. Also what would it be of Alt-j's experimentation? 5/5 And I still pray this trio will do an amazing album like this again

Quite an original sounds, keeping me hooked throughout the album.

really on my xx roll rn...just listened to jamie xx on how long gone etc

English indie pop. Excellent post-house music electronic pop. Favorite Tracks: Intro VCR Islands Shelter

Nydelig nostalgitrip, elsk.

Banger.

I’ve always loved “Intro” and it’s no surprise they built their fanbase by licensing their music to TV. Very “Moby” of them.

i love this album

One of my favourite albums. Both singers have great voices that work so well with the music. Very mellow and chill with some good beats. Best experienced through speakers or headphones.

The xx are dope!! Yeah I can 🪏them It’s like a cross between Chris Isaack and Phantomgram🥰🥰🥰

calme et appaisant, super ambiance

Des accords si simples pour une musique tellement agréable. Un son de guitare/synthé je sais pas trop qu’ils ont réussi à réinventer dans plusieurs morceaux différentes pour un résultat tout aussi magique. Pour moi, « Intro » c’est LA musique chill de papa par excellence. J’ai pas trop l’habitude d’écouter l’album entier mais honnêtement tout va dans chacune des musiques, c’est limpide, c’est fluide, c’est wow. Les 2 voix se complètent totalement tout en laissant des morceaux entiers instrumentaux. C’est un album indispensable pour moi et je ne peux mettre que 5.

ça faisait longtemps que je l'avais pas écouté mais un vrai banger

Boy I remember discovering this during a highschool breakup. Have it on vinyl, never heard anything like it at that time. It's a 5 for me

Perfect for working and writing!

I think this sounds so good mostly because it’s so distinctive from everything else on this list. That said, the instrumentation, production, and vocals really cohere to create the intended vibe.

I was only familiar with the opening track (which I love) but never listened to the whole album. Love it. Effortlessly cool and the guitar sound is awesome. Favorites: Intro, Crystalised, Islands, Basic Space Would I listen to it again: Yes

Beautiful. One of the defining albums of its era.

I’ve heard this album before. Love it!

Woah

Fantastic album with a very, very strong start.

Mogelijks de beste intro ooit. En de rest is ook fantastisch. Ik hoop op een comeback. 5.0

This album has such a unique sound. The instruments perfectly set the stage for the lyrics, the male female performance is beautiful. This felt like a musical journey through the life of 2 people and it blew me away. What a fantastic 38 minutes, short but doesn't let down at all. Stunning!

Strong start that ultimately ends up leveling out by the end, but overall a fun listen! Insane that 'Intro' is so iconic and is just the intro! Easily my fave from the lot.

Un classique personnel, que j’ai déjà écouté au moins 50 fois en 2009-2010. L’album de mes 21 ans. J’aime tout de cela, des beats de Jamie XX au duo de voix masculines et féminines, toutes en douceur, presque chuchotées. La guitare subtile, un peu reverb, ajoute l’aspect dreamy à l’album. Ça faisait longtemps que je l’avais écouté. Une belle nostalgie personnelle!

I never listened to this Band before today. I really like the chill mood of the album

Xxx

Büro, Heidenheim, Deutschland. Tolles Album!

I've never listened to this album in its entirety straight through, but through the years, turns out I know well over half, maybe 2/3, of the songs. Shows how pervasive this album was and remains. Love the dual lead-singer and how they play off each other the entire album. Great music feel, very simple at times, with great layering to build different feels. I love the use and non-use of the bass register throughout the album.

Этих ребят я давно расслушал и поставлю максимальную оценку вне зависимости от текущего мнения.

Would give 6 stars if I could

I really couldn't decide if I was going to give this a four or a five, but in the end it was a unique enough sound and I found myself relistening to it enough times that I went with a 5. The formula is simple enough, I mean that it is not cluttered. Nothing is complicated, and then the band just cranks the reverb to 11, but I it was fresh to my ears despite having many introductions to the album and the band. Also one of the most memorable intro songs I've heard.

9/10