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.

Damn this shit boring as fuck lol

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.

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.

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

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

Bedroom indie for your love and aftercare needs.

Utterly unremarkable.

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.

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

I saw a joke online once about how “Minimalism is a scam designed by big Nothing to makes us buy more less” and that’s how I feel about this album. It feels like they repeatedly tried to find the least amount of effort they could put into a song and still call it music. There are times when this works, like in film scoring, but as a standalone album it feels sparse and uninteresting. I would actively skip any song that wasn’t Intro from this album.

This album is so allergic to the idea of emotional commitment that it can barely bring itself to use actual chords, instead substituting single-note guitar lines that could have been written by someone with a week's worth of guitar lessons. The no-effort, monochromatic vocals additionally emphasize the emotionally-neutered nature of this record. The drum machine programming is so minimal here that it probably took an hour, tops. Really, if you can barely muster the energy to write and record your tunes, why bother at all?

This album is what you would get if New Order did Dream Pop. Liked it a lot.

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

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!

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.

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

Nydelig nostalgitrip, elsk.

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

181. xx - xx (2009) 8.22.26 Variety: 3 Adequacy: 5 Listenability: 5 Uniqueness: 3 Emotionality: 3 = 3.8 rounded up to a 4 "Wanna find myself by the sea, in another's company by the sea/ I wanna go out to the pier, I'm gonna dive and have no fear" I got excited briefly when I saw an "X" staring back from my laptop screen, but it dissipated very quickly when my eyes focused on the album art and the double nature of the name. No awesome 80s American punk/ alt music for me this morning. Instead we got a band I can't say I've ever heard of. At a glance I see this was Mercury Prize winner. The only other I think we've had is Klaxons who went over like a lead balloon with this group. The indie dreampop description is right up my alley though, so let's see what these guys are about. THE TRACKS "Intro" - Alright. This is the sort of sound I can get behind. Very moody, very big, slow and sparse, but with nods towards both airy 80s post punk guitar tones and also some drum and bass. This was very easy on the ears. "VCR" - This one starts very twee with some electronic ( I think) xylophone and jumps right into a VERY WELCOME New order-ish bass heavy beat and guitar line. The vocals come in and I'm immediately loving Croft's delicate and measured delivery. She has a bit of a Justine Frischmann quality to her voice, and there's a very faint echo of Bowie's Heroes on here with the all the "you"s and "we"s. When Sim's vocal comes in I'm not as thrilled with his too lazy delivery, but I acclimatized pretty quickly and the two sound great when they merge up near the end. The sound here is much more robust and busy than anything by them, but I'm also reminded a bit of Beat Happening. These are all compliments by the way as I adore those other artists. And It's definitely got me looking forward to more of the same. "Crystalised" - Maybe because I just recently listend to Demon Days and have not been ale to get the bulk if it out of my head, I Immediately heard the core melody from "All Alone" off of that in the opening melodic line of this song, though different enough in that "legally distinct" way to make it an interesting take, like maybe it was the starting point. "Hey guys, I was trying to play 'All Alone and kept fucking the chords up, but what do you think about this? - ". Shades of the Vanilla Ice interview about the bassline of "Ice Ice Baby"... Imagine my surprise when I was able to find an actual cover than Albarn and company did in some live BBC setup ( see below). The song itself? Loved it. That opening guitar melody had some Cure vibes to it, and Sim's vocals on this one went down much easier and I was pleased to see that the co-lead is going strong and we're not just going to be switching between the two for every other song. More New Order vibes on this, but maybe a little more in the direction of their Get Ready era. This was delightful. Dowbeat, yet lush and full of some more great bass and drum work. Gorillaz Cover: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rgc78YC9E58 "Islands" - This track sounds much more modern to my ears and sheered of as many of the 80s influences I heard on past tracks. Just as polished and dense in sound, it felt much more like the band trying to catch up to their own sound, and falling behind. Maybe that's too early of an essessment though, only coming four tracks in. It was just okay, and didn't feel as finished ( maybe targeted is a better description) as those first three. Either way, it didn't hit me as hard. "Heart Skipped a Beat" - Some interesting electronic beats are looped here, and we get more of a duet feel to the co-lead as opposed to the two seeming to sing from the same pov. Earlier drum-machine era Cocteau Twins came to mind here ( Garlands for example), but with a much more filled out and plumped up sound, and with some Tracey Thorn influence on Croft's vocals. This was s step back in the right direction. "Fantasy" - This one creeps forward like a spilled jar of molasses, and overtakes you with the earsplitting bass and the dreamy, guitar tone. Sim's vocals were much more effective here with the echo chamber effect and floating through the depths of the slowed down whale song atmospherics. "Shelter" - The resemblance to Tracey Thorn is even more pronounced here, and glides beautifully over top of the building and epic sounding beat. The beat drops out and we get the lovely twangy guitar and the dynamics manage to hit my sweet spot pretty on center. The plaintiveness in her voice never quite swings into desperation though, and we end on an unresolved fadeout which suits the atmosphere well. "Basic Space" - This one ends up being an unexpectedly funky turn, and I found myself thinking of some early 80s dance punk stuff. But in slow motion. Like imagine if ESG picked up a bad benzos habit. The crystally, shimmering guitars and the galloping, lower in the mix beat were nice choices. Again, it's Croft who really soars on this one. "Infinity" - A hazy, Chris Isaacs-style guitar twang pulls you in here, and the unconventionally click clacks, and "Orinoco Flow" keyboard beat, seal the deal. This track also has much more of a a live in the studio feel than anything else on the album, I think largely due to the vocal mix. "Night Time" - This was more of the same, but just a tiny bit distilled. I still enjoyed it enough, but I think at this point in the album it's feeling like such a similar take on previous entries, that unless pushed to give this several more listens, I might not be able to pick it up out of a lineup. Great while it lasted though. "Stars" - The piano was a very welcome addition to the arsenal on this one, and serves to ameliorate some of my previous complains about sameyness. We're back to the conversation mode of co-lead vocals, and the song is better for it. The heartbeat bass line and the almost, bass deep guitar tone worked great and mirrored the vocals for me. This was a complete package and a very good landing point. HIGHLIGHTS - "Intro" - "VCR" - "Fantasy" - "Shelter" - "Infinity" - "Stars" MIDLIGHTS - "Islands" - "Heart Skipped a Beat" - "Basic Space" - "Night Time" LOWLIGHTS - FINAL THOUGHTS While I didn't get the co-lead vocals of Exene and John Doe, I did end up getting another great take on that dynamic with this one. Of the two though, Croft was far and above my favorite of the two, and I liked this enough to check out not only the band's other albums, but her solo album as well. I'll admit my enthusiasm waned a bit a few songs in, but overall I thought this was a quite successful concoction whipped up from a lot of ingredients that I quite like. T thought they quite favorably were able to invoke several of my favorites, while still sounding if their era and not like some sort of pastiche heavy, vulture act. It was very listenable, catchy, and full of interesting textures. I might even be able to grow to love it eventually, but for now I'm happy to file it away as a pleasantly surprising, capable, and striking freshman album that still suffers from a bit from a lack of distinction between tracks, and that I think probably could have benefitted from some quieter moments. There's a TON of promise here, and looking forward to exploring their discography to see how they refine and, hopefully, improve upon these ideas. PLAYLIST ALTERATIONS FURTHER LISTENING - Sustance by New Order - You Turn Me On by Beat Happening - Amplified Heart by Everything But the Girl - Elastica by Elastica - Seventeen Seconds by the Cure

It's been almost 17 years since this was published. Time flies! By the way, I think everyone should listen to Colossal Youth by Young Marble Giants.

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.

Intro is excellent. Sadly, the rest doesn’t quite live up to it. It’s fine, but only that. I prefer Jamie XX’s music to that of The xx.

Two straight albums, fire opening track, followed by muzak

5/10 This lasted the exact length of my commute - not worth anything, but at least it was the right length. However, it is dull. Dull, dull, DULL. Has a band ever sound more bored by their own sound? Its a greyscale canvas of some pebbles from Dunelm. A stroll along Exmouth seafront in February. Mild cheese on a Jacobs cracker. An average commute into an IT job in Exeter. A dreamless sleep. Coma

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.

(2/5) Just .. dull. I'm no longer surprised by anything like this on the list. It's inoffensive, but it's not special either. Nothing about it stands out. I easily contend it is NOT 'must hear'/essential listening. There's a world of vastly more interesting music, so this album's inclusion has to be filler. It belongs in a Delta SkyMiles lounge where they're serving cheese and crackers and your choice of water, tea, or coffee. There's way too much of this shit on the list..

X is not, in fact, gonna give it to you. At least not The xx. That’s my single line review of this album. If you put an X on the front of your album, then you better bring some DMX level punch. This was anything but. I didn’t hate it. I didn’t love it. It was so aggressively meh for me. This is late night put you to sleep music. It’s a warm glass of milk of an album. Sometimes you might need that, I guess, but it’s not going to get a high rating from me. This and a couple of other albums we’ve encountered on this list (like The War on Drugs and Hookworms) from the last 10-15 years makes me wonder how much music is being made with the intent to make you forget about it all and just vibe out in your headphones? What does it say that so many of us need to tune the world out? I know I’m asking questions that I also don’t have answers to provide which can often be a fools errand. It just strikes me as a curiosity to observe. 2/5

They’re just plain boring! I've heard bands be boring before but they were the boringest bunch of bores that ever bored.

this is fine but does not feel fully formed, would be way more interested in hearing a later album of theirs. not sure why this is on the list honestly

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

Imagine getting the opportunity to make an album and you decide to put in minimal effort and create the blandest collection of music possible. They figured out how to make an entire album feel like a disappointed sigh.

-The mood is so blasé and unaffected it feels like no one's there. -I didn't understand the hype for this back when it came out. I was a little too young to realize how many people were taking daily Xanax in 2009. -I think it's a misinterpretation to hear the production as "subtle" or "understated." It sounds more like a dilletante who hasn't yet figured out how to produce electronic music, and especially doesn't know how to make a strong drum sound, so they keep things as simple as possible. That can work in some contexts, but packaged with the plodding eight-note NYC-style indie rock guitar churn and the singers' totally flat affect, it all just feels so pallid. -The funniest thing about this band is when Young Thug called him "Johnny X"

More hum drum dull drab as dishwater albums. Has this list only got very few really excellent albums in it, you know albums that you want to go back to again and again. This is just wallpaper.

This band sounds like if you told AI what post punk sounded like and it shat this out. Gotta say though, pretty impressive to have a band with two vocalists where neither can sing. That’s bold.

Very empty but not in a comforting but annoying way

It was ok.

Slow, dull simplistic songs that all sound exactly the same. Even when it gets interesting, its just the same slow dull song as before. The only saving grace is the female's sultry voice, which sounds like every other sultry singing voice. The male's voice sounds like he's trying too hard to be cool & is annoying. 1

Cringy vocals - out of tune, breathy, unclear. Dull guitar tone. Some moments with instrumentals only, like the extreme bass in Fantasy, are interesting, but overall I’m just bored and want to take the vocals entirely out.

This was one of those "how did this make this list" albums. Not really impressed with it at all.

I appreciated some minimalist music, but not this. There has to be something interesting musically happening and I can’t find it here.

Is it me? There’s always been a real buzz about this band, and this album in particular, but it completely washes over me - it doesn’t seem to have any defining characteristics at all. Maybe that’s the appeal - you can’t really compare it to anything or work out what their influences are, but those things alone don’t make it good. Unidentifiable and completely forgettable.

This ones aged like fresh fruit. whiny neeks making car advert music

Not my thing. Understandable that it's one of the most influential, as it heavily influenced shoegaze and indie pop, but for me not only this album is extremely raw, the songs it heavily influenced are the ones i particularly don't like.

34 days in, and I've finally hit my first 1 star. Good lord this is unlistenable. The first track, "Intro" (real clever name for an album that doesn't have a concept), doesn't have any singing. Which is a good thing, because holy shit does the album go downhill once the singing starts. The vocals, which are somehow both way too present, given the sparsity of other instrumentation, and entirely forgettable, sound like they are being sung by two people who are just barely awake. The female singer is louder and easier to hear, but it doesn't make it interesting. The male singer has no compression on his voice, so half of his singing gets buried in the mix. And the majority of the dual singing is just the two of them singing the same melodic line with no attempt at harmonizing, and they're voices don't blend well. And every song sounds like they tried to recall Chris Isaac's Wicked Game from memory having heard it only once. Moody guitars with a pseudo-surf rock sound, slow, plodding beats, total lack of dynamic change across the entire album...gawd this sucked.

No

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.

- Very stripped-back/minimalistic - Simple guitar lines which seem to take emphasis over the vocals, distracting from the driving force of the album - Unenthusiastic vocals (bored?) - Romy's vocals can be driving, but most of the time sounds disinterested - Romy and Oliver's vocals do complement each other (evident on 'Islands') - The synth towards the end of 'Islands' compliments the other instrumentation, which should've been used for the rest of the album, evident in 'Intro' which ironically is one of the standout tracks, when it should be setting up for the subsequent tracks - As background music, it partly fulfils its purpose, however, it lacks any driving emotion to make it worth paying particular attention to listen to - The drums and bass sound very mechanic, and the simple, repetitive beats leave much to be desired - 'Shelter' is definitely one of the best tracks, with its evident pop influence, which would have been nice to see shown a lot more throughout the album - The reverbed guitar on 'Shelter' is a tone which should have been utilised more, as it makes an easier listening experience, complimenting Romy's monotonous vocals much more than the dull guitar tone found in the majority of the tracks - Some replay value, however a lot of the tracks do blend, creating a forgettable listening experience - Oliver's vocals are uncommon but can be standout on the tracks he features on, again which would have been nice to see shown more - Good lyrical work, but it can only be praised when reading the lyrics separately, as the vocal work is not particularly standout - At points, I hadn't realised that a new track was playing, as many sounded very similar - The final track has some emotional impact at points, but the minimalistic design and bland vocals doesn't leave anything to be remembered - I looked up synonyms of 'dull', which is never a good sign when writing about an album, but I feel that that word summarises this album entirely, there is no particular standout track, and each track is comprised of simple guitar lines, with mechanical drums and bass, and a very monotonous vocal delivery. I feel like the album had the potential to achieve so much more, maybe if they lent into more of their pop influences, but this album falls flat, achieving no emotional impact. I would consider replaying this album as background music, but it would be difficult to replay it solely for its musical value.

Une pure regalade 😋😋🤤

One of my favorite albums from one of my favorite groups

I’ve probably listened to intro on infinite jukebox for a total of 1500 hours.

Already listened

This album was the sound of my musical renaissance in high school. It feels so nostalgic and tinged with melancholy. I love the guitar sounds that runs as an undercurrent throughout the song. Special shoutout to Islands for being the best song of all time.

Loved this album.

Suprisingly pleasant mood music.

Beautiful, spare, crystal clear, understated.

xx takes me straight back to my college days. I adored The xx back then, and at the time, it genuinely felt like there was nothing else quite like them. Their sound seemed to signal a new chapter for indie music, and looking back, I guess that feeling was pretty accurate. Listening to the album now, though, what really hits me is just how beautiful it is. The echoey guitars, the quiet vocals, and that gentle, ethereal atmosphere make the whole thing feel like I’m floating. It’s sparse, but it never feels empty. More than anything, this album now carries this sad, dreamy sense of nostalgia for me. It takes me back to being 19, starting college, and feeling like my entire life was still waiting to happen. That personal connection probably means I’ll rate it higher than the average listener, but I can’t help it. This is a gorgeous album, and hearing it again felt like briefly stepping back into another version of my life.

Wonderful, wonderful stuff. I only knew intro and Crystalised coming in, so I was hoping for similar stuff, and I got it! This type of music is such a pleasure to listen to. The album itself is more like a 4.5/5 because there were some parts that were way too slow with nothing happening but whatever I haven’t had a 5 star rating in a while.

Bien.

I adore this album. It has a special place in my heart as indicative of a very happy time in my life. This album dropped and was immediately on the playlist. I love its beautiful minimalism, its sexiness, the longing in every song. I’m struck again on relisten after some time away from this by how sparse it is but how complete the songs feel. There’s a million ideas that could have been laid on top of these songs, but they skipped right to the best 10. There’s a remarkable economy of decision making in this recording to tremendous effect.

Still often on repeat

I think if I'd discovered this album when it came out, I probably would've liked it a lot. Now we're 17 years later, and I still really like it. The more I listen to it, the more I love it. There's a nostalgic quality to it, sure, to a time when you're in your late teens/early twenties and are full of hormones you don't understand. This album makes me feel feelings. This warrants a 5/5.

Perfect. Listening to this while bike riding at midnight and distant from everyone around you.

A really impressive debut album. The sound even 17 years later feels fresh and innovative, with an indie rock and pop sound made to sound grand whilst not overcomplicating the recipe as so many trying-too-hard indie bands did in the 2000s. Intro is a spectacularly atmospheric opener, and the rest has a great vocal interplay between Romy Madley Croft and Oliver Sim, largely on young relationships and emotions. VCR and Basic Space probably my highlights, but pretty much any track has an argument for it. Erred between 4 and 5 (a lack of variety is probably the only flaw), but it’s so well crafted that it deserves full marks.

I was listening to this a lot when it came out so that probably colors my perception, but it just feels beautiful and ethereal to me. I love it.

I absolutely adore this album. I've been listening to it since I was a teenager and I remember how in awe I was then. Incredibly zen, chill, sparse album. Well crafted pop music, dreamy but not overproduced. The whole Baria Qureshi situaution is just weird though, did they seriously just screw her out the money and fire her?!? WTFFF I feel the whole magic was there when she was in the band, they captured magic on this album

another album the tumblr teens owe their lives to