xx

Strong start but didn't really change. Became repetitive and dull.

Ok. Not my cup of tea.

Definitely understated. It's nice. Duets always a cool touch. Like the reverby guitar riffs (apparently just practice amp setting). Real lyrics, all about love. Mellower than I'm usually in the mood for.

Sehr toll. Mal was anderes.

Listening to this album made me feel old because I listened to it when I was in school on my iPod touch and it’s now 15 years old. Despite reminding me of the gradual and unstoppable march of time, it was nice to revisit this album as I do like it and had kind of forgotten that I like it. I do remember in my old age that I used to think the album peaks in the first 4 songs and I would still have to agree with my teenage self on that front, as that is the best run of songs on the album. It gets a bit too sparse and boring in the later songs, but I do like some of those as well, basic space is nice.

A bit melancholy and slightly boring but also a bit interesting at times. 2.5

Not too shabby

Had already listened to this album. Gave it a listen this morning on my morning commute, still the only 2 good songs are the intro and night time

I've heard of The xx as an electronic indie rock band comprised of guitarist/vocalist Romy Madley Croft, bassist/vocalist Oliver Sim, and drummer/producer Jamie xx. All three members have gone on to release solo efforts, some of which I've listened to prior. This would be my first listen to them as a group, checking out their debut album with former member Baria Qureshi on the keyboards. This is minimalist yet introspective indie pop music with influences from R&B that can be compelling in the right setting. From the epic intro track to cuts like "Shelter" and "Infinity", there's a melodic tightness from the instrumentation with electronic touches sprinkled throughout, as the group channels their collective shyness into a commanding yet thorough examination of relationships and losses gone through at such a young age. The only track I didn't care about much was "Fantasy". That song was primarily sung by Oliver, whose baritone vocals felt inferior to Romy's mezzo-soprano. The lyrics about an unrealized love interest don't quite strike me and the synth drone throughout the two-and-a-half minutes doesn't offer much as it ends abruptly. But that's the only blight on this solid debut. Even if I am aware that other indie pop groups would come afterward into the 2010s to muddy the style of this album, there's still a place for The xx here as they carved out quite the niche in their early 20s. Give it a listen.

Super mellow music. It's like Cowboy Junkies on quaaludes.

Obviously a very influential band who I remember being quite excited about at the time but never got to see live, so many bands have aped their sound and they are good but I didn’t get as excited listening to it again 15 years later

All music should be this chill, no?

My kind of music. They lost me there for a bit somewhere in the middle and the occasional out-of-key lines irked me, but it's just so easy to listen to. Big The xx fan.

I really dug this album. Very satisfying. Mellow and soulful. Loved it

Honestly pretty boring

I remember this album being everywhere when i was in australia in 2010. I wouldn't say it was anything special but fond memories of a place and time. Plenty of recognisable songs

Nice ambient stuff, won’t make much of an impression but that seems to be the point.

so boooooring. I couldnt into this one, feels lazy, but I couldnt wait for it to be done.

The XX must represent the listeners cartoon eyes as they sleep through this album. If the singers sound bored to be here then why should I care?

I originally heard most of this album on a mashup album by Wait What that combined this with Notorious BIG. I grew to love the hooks and both of their voices. It took me a long time to actually properly listen to this record. I’m happy that I did. It is the perfect early morning/reading/chill album.

Super chill relaxed music

I feel like I need to be high to enjoy this album. The beats are catchy but the lyrics lack for me. The lyrics are repetitive and the songs sound similar. The tunes give beachy, Cali vibes if you made them mellow and glum. The vocal abilities that are on display are weak but maybe that is the appeal?

Punchy flowing background tunes with an interesting blend of subtle vocals from both singers. Very airy, chill, soundscape on this one.

Super tranquil, peaceful listen. Calming.

Nice little album but unmemorable. I actually bought this when it came out and forgot all about it. Even seeing it on my list - no memory until the first song; which is adorable.

I highly recommend listening to the album on high-quality headphones. You can get goosebumps!

I forgot about this band. Rediscovering them now was truely lovely

Beautiful, inventive minimalist songwriting on this. I waited way too long to give this band a proper listen. Will now give repeated ones. Chord progressions did feel a bit repetitive towards the end though.

H&M music

Knew nothing of this group or album prior to listening, but immediately hearing "Intro" felt like an epiphany. I've heard that track so much across YouTube, social media, and in adverts that I honestly thought it was royalty-free music or something similar until now. The more you know... Now onto the rest of the album. "Less is more" is the theme here, as the sound production is minimalistic, yet very crisp. Touching on themes such as love, desire, and loss, everything feels and sounds intimate as a result of this combination. Intentional or not, some of the songs that feature both of the vocalists come off as romantic duets. However, I do think this style of production tends to result in the separate tracks bleeding into each other a bit. If you've heard one track with short guitar figures and clapping percussion, you've almost heard them all. This is a very 2009 album, pretty much smack dab in an era of budding indie pop acts. Not to say I completely hated this album, in fact I quite enjoy that era of indie pop/rock. This album hits a sort of ceiling midway through and doesn't strive to do much more than that.

Sparse beautiful songs of love and loss. Vulnerable voices in economic songs. Better at night but mighty

How can it get anything higher than a 3? It just is just fine. That’s it. It’s pleasant to listen to - background music. It doesn’t have one song that sounds out. They don’t do anything that hasn’t been done. No song stands out on it; this, no singles.

Mmm…

Best listened to as individual tracks on a varied playlist, but I drifted off playing it as an album

Simple, chill, elegant

I appreciate it, even though it's not really my style of music. Like it's trying to be melancholy yet not melancholy enough to be convincing. Just really underwhelmed me. I never felt any sustained feeling of emotion listening to it. Nor did I feel any enthusiasm anticipating the next song in queue.

Minimalist would be the best descriptor. Not bad, but any means, but you'd have to be an a definitely specific mood to enjoy it. I think if you were to put this on at a rave various items would be flying - wouldn't fit the bill at all. That said, at a laid-back party where the folks in attendance don't like jazz (Jazz = just an excuse to play the wrong notes.) I think it'd be good and possibly even attract a fair deal of attention. Never heard of the band before, but I AM going to look it up.

It was cool. Not that cool.

Awesome album particularly for a debut, especially considering so much of the indie-rock sound at this point was so homogenous. 'xx' really stands out and is a superb little gem

Heard before Saved 9/11 Top track: Infinity

It was solid, very lo fi and atmospheric. Wasn’t exactly my style of music, but some seemingly cool lyrics on the project.

Ok drony alt rock. Some of it’s nice and interesting, but it gets repetitive as the album progresses. Many sounds feel like they are building towards something and the pay off never comes. Pretty forgettable overall.

Yawn.

ai ai aiiii

Stripped down indie pop, not much to love here. I do like how extremely loud the bass is on this album. Other than that I can't say any of the tracks are memorable.

I like this one, a lot! Cool, chilled out synth pop(?) at its finest!

I’m usually not into understated music but I really enjoyed this album. The first song is a banger

Really enjoyed this album and the first song makes you want to run through a wall. Great for getting ready to start football

Thoughts before listening: This band was huge with a lot of music sites I follow, but it just never seemed like something I would be into. I feel like this is going to be a dancey, dream pop, indie rock type sound. Review: So this is basically very minimalist, sparse, slow indie pop with whispered vocals. This really isn't my thing. I am sure there are people who love this album, but I am just not one of them. I'm giving this 2-stars.

Story time because apparently each of these is turning into me reminiscing about the past: In the mid to late 00s, there was an explosion of "indie" artists that aped a lofi production and simplified, even childlike even, songwriting aesthetic and a whole swath of Millennials put on their finest, most shapeless American Apparel outfits and got haircuts that double dog dared the whole world to find them attractive. Like most trends in popular music, the best artists got swiftly buried by an avalanche of major label signings that were almost pathologically incapable of understanding good songwriting but were peopled by incredibly fuckable band members who could play their instruments just well enough to front whatever random songs their A&R guy told them to play. Anyway, this album came out relatively late in that whole scene and it ditches all the silliness. This is a competently recorded album of excellent songs that do not go out of their way to be silly or twee or anything else. It adds polish and flourish to the best parts of a genre that was getting worn out while ditching all the bullshit. In other words, this is a great album. I really like it. And I'm saying that as someone who hated this genre at the time and still has trouble recognizing the redeeming qualities that were present. I will absolutely listen to this again. Top to bottom.

Not my kind of music, but some good tracks, Dangerous and I See You.

Fun album that start strong. Chill listening. I remember listening to this album at the end of my collage days. Care free, broke, and little stress in your life. It was nice bringing me back to those easier times. You forget how music can make you feel and remind you of things. This is why I feel like music is like a Time Machine.

There was a lot of hype around this album when it came out. I checked it out and was not impressed. 15 years later and I feel the same way. This album isn’t bad but it’s boring and bland.

Great album. This is such an influential album for the late-00s/early-10s and encapsulates that indie era for me. The duets are interesting as it's not the traditional back-and-forth conversation and more two people experiencing the same feelings independently. There's a lot of mood and emotion here. ****

This is a real chill album. Male/female duo vocals. Nothing that hasn't been done before. But there was an interesting minimalist approach to these songs that was kind of nice. I hope other xx albums are different than this. Because as good as this album was, the slow chill soft vocal vibe got tiresome. If not, than this band sucks.

Subtle, great music. At a surface level it seems like the average electro-indie pop record, but really it is much more stylistically unique than many similar bands

Ok, calming. I recognized the intro.

It was better than I thought. Really calm, I enjoyed it

Mellow, silky, engaging. A very pleasant listen all the way through, if nothing stands out as particularly exciting or ear-grabbing.

Sparse and somber. Lots of repetitive reverb guitar. Female vocals, male vocals, sometimes both together. If Evanescence took a Valium. Doggedly melancholy.

I really like this album. Usually prefer more to my music but the space and the male and female combo work so well. Would give it 5 stars but does get a tad boring towards the end

Good album but lots of songs that have amazing sections that should be longer.

No surprise to see this album crop up - I’d never heard anything quite like it when it first came out. Its sparse and icy tones provided an impactful soundtrack to what was a particularly cold winter in 2009-10, if I recall correctly. The first four or five tracks are great. In my memory it kind of dropped off a cliff after that, but listening back now I realise I was being harsh. The second half, while weaker, still has plenty of decent moments. At any rate I’ll rate it favourably for being both highly consistent with itself and pretty different from anything else.

aint thought about these guys in ages uhhh...minimal in a way that kinda just floats out the other ear, i get why this made sense in 2009 but not why people made this 4/10

When this album first came out I tried to like it bc all of my indi-rock/pop-loving friends were ooohing and ahhhing about it. I wasn’t so in love but I got tickets to see them play, which is where I decided I hate this band. The music isn’t hate-worthy really. It’s atmospheric background chill vibes, which is decent enough. But OMG, do they take themselves seriously. Their affected vocal style combined with the single beam of light focused on whichever one was singing made me want to punch faces. To this day when I hear this band, my dislike is renewed. Fine songs, annoying performers. 2.6

Good atmospheric tunes. Nothing mind blowing but good none the less.

It's got that detached indie rock kind of thing going on, which hits my brain in a pleasant sort of way. Reminds me of TV on the Radio a bit.

I remember being obsessed with this album in 2013. It's still good, but not great.

Soft. Easy. Emotionless. Hoped for a few moments of lift that never came. Tuned it out after a while. Darn. I really wanted to like this album when it began.

Boring, as always. the intro hits different.

Despite the dual chanteur-styling, this album feels like Joy Division if the antidepressants had worked. Still overarchingly-winsome and sad, but more soul, more warmth, more restraint - less nihilism. It’s one of the best moods of the 21st century (so far).

Rated July 29th 2024 Simplicity done excellently.

This album was Hot Like Fire. My Heart Skipped a Beat.

This was bad, of all more recent albums why this boring one

This was pretty underwhelming and then I saw that the intro track has 650 million plays?? That song was fine, but it was 2 minutes no vocals. I was surprised to see how popular the album was as a whole. I was not feeling it though.

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

6.5/10 - The minimalist stylings work super well. I think it is a fantastic chill album that is so nice to listen to. I think I will revisit this whenever I am in the mood. I think that if only half of the songs were this mellow I would be more into it since there would be changes in the feelings.

Pretty disappointing; I expected a lot since it's a post 2000 album and one that I'd heard good things about, but none of the songs really stood out and the whole album just kinda blended together into one mediocre indie song. The intro also sounded like the background music for a car commercial.

Would you look at that? It's my first album from 2009! This one's alright. It's far from my favorite album, but far from my least favorite as well. It's not the kind of thing I feel like listening to much at all, but I respect this album. It's quite well made. The sound is quite pleasant to listen to. The vocals and instrumentals are both big parts of this. Clearly the instrumentals stand out as one of the most popular songs from this album, "Intro," is an instrumental. The writing is solid. My problem is that is a bit repetitive and I can see why others would call this boring. I personally wouldn't call it boring to the extent that I've seen others call it, but it is a fairly slow album, so I can see where those people are coming from. However, I personally like this album, but I wouldn't really say that I love it. High 3/5.

It's not obvious to me when each song finishes and another one starts. This is wallpaper. Dinner party music. The album the manager of the Noble in Finsbury Park recommended I listened to. Background.

zzz

I already knew Intro and Crystallized, so it was nice to give the rest of the album a chance. Not bad, but it's VERY background music-ish - in that I stopped paying attention a few songs in, and by the time I started listening again, it was nearly the end of the final song. After Crystallized every song pretty much blends together into one long song.

Very chill vibes. Sounded like if you blend Cigarettes After Sex and the Smiths. Enjoyable but all the songs sounded the same, and there were no particular standouts to me.

Cracking album. The intro is beyond banging. Really cool, super enjoyable.

Some nice songs - prefer Romy / Jamie xx solo stuff tho!

Solid album, intro is such a good song, was the first song I heard from them back in the day (worked into a high school drama performance haha)

An absolute gem out of nowhere to establish a powerhouse in the genre.

As inoffensive as it is inconsequential. 3/5

Fine, minimalist indie-electro-pop? Not much to it, though I did enjoy the vocals of both singers.

Holy cow this is good

Kind of boring. Just didn’t do it for me. 2/5 Won’t listen again

crystallised is one of my favourite songs ever

If 'minimalism' was a rock album. Didn't mind it at first but man this album really feels like it drags on. However "Intro" will always be a banger of a track. Bumped this review from 2 to 3 stars solely for that track.

Hmmm... be curious if this is in my retro-post punk phase and I just missed it. Kinda missed me.

Too mellow for me.

Beautiful album that I only recently rediscovered in the last 6 months. VCR and islands are amazing tracks.

Intro 3.5 VCR 2.6 Crystalised 3 Islands 2.6 Heart Skipped a Beat 2.2 Fantasy 2.3 Shelter 2.4 Basic Space 2 Infinity 2.4 Night Time 2.3 Stars 2.1 Score: 2.490909091

I really enjoy the music behind these songs, but the singing on each songs just ends up sounding like "Wicked Game" by Chris Isaak

Felt like I should’ve been smoking a cigarette looking out a rainy window to this

Sounds like any other indie pop album which there’s already plenty of representation. Not sure why it’s on the list. Stylistically derivative of 80s post punk with a tinge of minimalist electronica.

Yes, new and different at the time, and somewhat interesting, but the payoff mostly never arrives. The tasteful low-fi/DIY vibe is arty and self-contained but what seems approachable and thoughtful, then lands as non-ambitious to a fault and not as cool or avant garde as it wants to be. Guitar work is simple, though occasionally driving and engaging, also repetitive within and across tracks. The songs seem to build but then don’t arrive or resolve or get anywhere, the intersection of understatedness and anti-climax. One is very passingly intrigued but ultimately unmoved.

An indie album that is really good to listen to.

Some pleasant guitar sounds, some breathy vocals, but little of substance and not many memorable tunes.

Intro is a 5 and the rest is just so boring.

Oh man, I knew that intro from waaaaaay back but I didn’t know the context! The record was fine but too vibey for me, not enough rhythm. That style of “indie voice” hasn’t aged well I fear, found it grating after a while. Bit of a “don’t you want me” vibe with the 2 vocalists. Pretty good I guess.

Not my taste, but not terrible

Incredible album. Possibly fueled by nostalgia, but their sound was unique and simple and just plain groovy.

I think I'm just not in the mood. I just want to turn it off. It's not obnoxious or anything, just insanely boring. I don't want to listen to it. 2 stars

Meh

I like this type of lo-fi chill music

This album stands out with its distinctive sound. It’s a perfect blend of pop, indie, electronic, and ambient elements. The minimalist guitar work, laid-back breakbeats, and ethereal synths create a dreamy, atmospheric soundscape. The intimate vocals touch on themes of love and longing, adding emotional depth to the music. This album definitely delivers a unique listening experience that captures a perfect mix of genres and moods.

Just needing to get this out of the way...but you will not believe this band whose album YOU MUST HEAR are English. Shocking, I know. No band had done lo-fi, boy-girl harmony slowcore like this before, unless you count Low, but they are not English so they don't count. This is music designed specifically to be featured on "Grey's Anatomy," so it was surprising to me only Islands had been on the show. Perhaps the producers of Grey's Anatomy did not know this group was English. There is nothing offensive here and there is nothing to get terribly excited about either. I struggle to determine why this album is in the book, as I just don't see anything special here. It's well-produced chill music with very little instrumentation and depressing lyrics. Coming off This Year's Model, the XX just don't demand my attention like that album did.

Nothing crazy. Loved the instrumentals, vocals were a bit off at time, almost wish it was a pure instrumental album.

yung lean and some girl talk-sing over a maximum of three instruments usually made by a computer

For me, this album finds its place as a pleasant backdrop to life, living in the quiet transitions between points, almost unnoticed. It seems to pull on the strings that hold nostalgia within my chest. I would have identified with it even more at another time, but it has left a little glimmer nonetheless.

I feel there two way to make a great album - one is to challenge listeners by taking them in all different directions. The other...capture a mood and stay with it. Adding just enough to move things along and keep it interesting. This is definitely the latter. Thee establish a mood and stick with it - and it's a great mood.

Really enjoyable and really satisfying. Surprisingly so. Ann album of go to when I want some quiet contemplating time.

I've always love the Intro and hear it all over the place. The rest of the album was pretty good.

Not to date myself too hard, but when I was a sophomore in college, I was very obsessed with a dubstep remix of "Shelter". I'm nostalgic about this album, sure, but I listened today for the first time in many years and absolutely loved it. This is a great album to make out to. It's basically the sound of millenials brains that were permanently altered by the music video for "Wicked Game"

The last album by the xx that was on this list left me hating britpop and angry that such junk was considered essential listening. This album isn’t as bad, but that’s hardly a compliment. The intro seemed promising, but I soon realized that I only needed to listen to one song to hear the entire album. Why even have a track listing if it all sounds the same? Because I wasn’t left angry, I’ll go two stars, but that’s being generous. I still hope I don’t ever have to hear this band again.

If I’m ever feeling reflective about anything, I put this on. This album has gotten me through a lot. I’m happy to see it still has the same effect on me after all these years. Easily one of my top albums ever.

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.

Pleasant, chill, but not essential. I like it but not for this list.

I remember back in those days everyone acted like The XX was the best thing that had happened in a generation and I just couldn’t see it. 15 years after I still don’t get the hype, they have their moments and the album is too short to generate any negative feelings but it’s just so uneventful for the most part.

Not unpleasant, I like the simple bass lines running under it, and generally dig the vibe. Not really the type of vocal delivery I enjoy.

Almost a 4.

A couple of interesting songs which maybe enough to warrant checking out other albums, but this tends to become a bit background listening

This was a surprising, pleasant treat

Meh. was a fan in college. Don't know if my tastes have aged well enough to listen fairly.

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.

H really nailed it when they said it "sounds like making out with a girl in a dorm room, from personal experience." Glad our family is so musically inclined. Really helped *crystalize* the dark and space-y sound that would influence many future indie bands and pop artists. The harmonies and integrity of the music really helps secure this as an emotionally and culturally significant work.

Dream pop, megarrelajante. Muy bueno.

Muy corto .. Pero un cinco que le doy.

3.5 The intro is so good

Parts of it are weird and trippy, other parts just boring. Vocals are lazy and slurry, which is okay for a song or two, but not for an entire album.

How does an entire album get outdone by the instrumental single. Jamie’s solo stuff is way better

I liked the vocals and music. It was easy to listen to.

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.

VCR Crystalised Islands

My Pandora algorithm loved these guys in 2009.

Meh. I wish I was in a band. They make it sound easy. It feels like spa version of Indie rock

- very ambient - because of this a lot of the songs blend together, but it makes for an enjoyable indie listen - it's crazy how the intro for the album is the most popular song

- wow this is really solid - I love how simple the guitars and beats are, but they still play an integral role - the dual vocals work really well

Mid

I guess you had to be there... Best Track: Islands Worst Track: Shelter

One of the dullest albums I've ever listened to. Best Song: Intro Worst Song: VHS

A great sounding album.

5/10, какой то амбиент, но нормально

Honestly pretty bored after the first song but I appreciated the motif that carried through

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!

Ahh that song. To be honest couldn’t name a song by xx to save my life. Their throaty intimate bedside shtick wore thin 3 songs in and really started pissing me off towards the end. May have put it on the Fanny playlist back in the day. Thankfully no longer single!

The best shoegazing

No soy muy fan de la música Indie ni la electrónica, pero he de decir que me ha agradado mucho la música de este grupo. Es suave, un poco viajera (en el sentido más eufemístico), agradable para una tarde cenando con amigos.

I like xx

Love this band so much

ok, not my cup of tea

Done listening ....it was like a picture painting with words.... great storytelling experience

feels like a dream, i LOVE IT

Good background sound.

Favourite album ever.

so lala

subdued indie beats, incredibly 15 years old now, but still a relaxing album

Don’t get the inclusion of some albums. This is one. 2 stars

Kind of shit, boring, singer isn’t that great, songs aren’t great either

Dull! I have no idea why this was so lauded at the time of release it’s uninspired musings and sparse guitars just do nothing for me

Very lo-fi and emo, to me. Not sure how to enjoy it but it works as background music OK. Kind of dull, for my taste.

It’s okay — but after a while, the sound and lyrical substance blends together and feels very similar across the board. Basic Space is probably the highlight for me, but it’s not an album I would put on unless I would like moody background music somewhere.

Just like the other xx album on this list, it is oh so very cool.

It's minimalist, moody and intimate. Tracks feature spindly guitars and wispy vocals that give credence to the sparse soundscape. Unfortunately, that's most of what it has going for it and the record begins to feel like it's repeating the same ideas over and over again, insofar that it starts to go in one ear and out the other.

Not too bad! Pretty pleasant to listen to, and the vocals were nice. I had never heard of this band.

Special!

Tumblrcore shit

Love being reminded how sick this album is

Decent Debut Album of Minimalist Pop

Simple album. You can hear every note, every drum, every strum of the guitar. Beautiful

Too soundscape-y.

I've had this album in my collection for some time now, and I think I've got mixed views on it. I love its minimalist pop, but it's sparse sound is something I don't cry out to listen to terribly often. Perhaps it's a bit of its time and place. I don't think the xx ever had a long term future - the second album seemed more of the same and I'd lost interest by the third album.

Boring overall, but not terrible

Intresting

eh

I'd just listened to tons of The xx a few days before getting I See You, and that was like, 9 albums ago, so I'm amused to be getting this album as well. Listened to it a lot in college, and I still love Intro, Crystalised, and Islands. You know that specific type of nostalgia that's kind of haunting and a little painful? This whole album makes me feel that way. I think I See You is better, which I gave a 4, so I'll give this a 3, but it's probably closer to 3.5.

Classic chill vibes. Takes me back.

Classic

I would have bet that the Intro was from the Chainsmokers.

Interesting. Not was I though, but it was an enjoyable listen.

This album starts with an all time classic with The Intro. However this album starts to become too air-ey and lacks any dynamics or depth of sound. Pretty mid and unforgettable.

Skip listened - not in the mood.

I know the name of "The XX" but that's literally it. Is it techno? Is it R&B? I don't know. It's modern stuff. Track 1: Oh it's THIS. I know this. Track 2: I read it's R&B influenced indie. This sounds like 80s post punk with breathy female vocals. Oh, the male vocals have come in. I don't like that. It's that posh cockney sound of young people. Hmm. So far seems a bit forgettable. Track 3: This is the one with the most listens (apart from the first track which is instrumental advert fodder) and a single, I read. So it must be the best one? The guitar parts remind me of early Cure. All very simple and pared down which I like. But I am having a real problem trying to enjoy the singing. It makes me feel tense! This doesn't seem the catchiest song to me. but it has lots of "woh-oh-oh-oh-oh" which must be the key to it's popularity. Track four: I think this is a generation gap thing. I would like it if I were a young person... or would I? I think it's too pop for me. It's too "on in the background of hip bars / cafes / clubs" It doesn't have much grit to it. Very smooth. Very cool. Track whatever: Right I get it now. This is not for me. Even though lots of elements are thing I recognise. These handclaps are very "close to me" by the way. I feel like this is not the music of the underdog, somehow. It's a feeling I got from a lot of new popular music, that it is for the overdog. It is for the cool young people and not the actual disaffected rebel young people. But I may be wrong. It's probably just because I am an old fogey. Or not in the state of hormonal turmoil that needs this sort of stuff. I feel like it has DRAMA written all over it. Does any of this make sense? Like it's very cool but also they could be X Factor winners for all I know. Is that why they are called the XX?! They won the X factor twice? Anyway, I gave it a go.

Always had a soft spot for this album…

Destination "cooking montage"

Please do not operate heavy machinery while under the influence of this album. Very relaxing. Insomniac approved.

Era defining album, truly beautiful. The “Intro“ will play on an infinite loop into the future.

That's not my taste in musik. But ok.

I did not like this on release but really warmed up to it by now. Still very middle of the road since it's such a drag

Great chill album. Excellent for cooking dinner

I hate to agree with the naysayers, but this really hasn’t aged very well. One or two pretty good songs and that’s about it.

xx is the debut album by the English indie pop band the xx, originally released in 2009. I've never heard of the xx prior to listening to this album today. The album cover immediately reminded me of that Arctic Monkeys/Doc Martens/2014 Tumblr aesthetic, so maybe I first saw it mentioned there long ago. The xx do a good job leaning into the ambient pop vibe on this record. The instrumentals are very minimal. They're mostly electronically composed and give off a darker feel. The vocals commonly feature male/female duets and are low volume and whispery, contributing to that darker feel. This album would be very cool to listen to driving through a city at night. The songwriting was ok, mainly dealing with drearier topics such as heartbreak. Overall the album was alright. Not normally my type of music, but not bad by any means.

Bit dreary, but ok

Laid back, sensual, draws u in

I suppose this is the album to include on a list like this but it is soooo boring after the 4th track and there's a reason why the Jamie xx produced intro track has like more listens than the other 3 most-listened to tracks combined. Shoulda picked In Colour instead.

Intro - 5 VCR - 4 Crystalized - 4 Islands - 3.5 Heart Skipped a Beat - 4 Fantasy - 3.5 Shelter - 3.5 Basic Space - 3 Infinity - 3 Night Time - 3.5 Stars - 3.5 Wish I could give a 3.5, but I cannot. So it's a 4. Not quite low enough for a 3. Most of it is pretty chill.

06/19/24 S Tier—————————5 A Tier—————————4 Intro Islands VCR B Tier—————————3 Heart Skipped a Beat Infinity Crystallized Night Time Stars Shelter Basic Space C Tier—————————2 Fantasy D Tier—————————1

xx by The xx Wednesday 6/19/24 8:16 S Tier————————— Crystalised Intro A Tier————————— Shelter Islands Stars Heart Skipped A Beat Night Time B Tier————————— VCR Fantasy Infinity Basic Space

I have never liked this band I hate the way their voices sound and the music is boring I’m sorry

Very unique sound. Loved the stripped down rawness.

Good atmospheric album

I know this was a pretty big album when it dropped but it's honestly a snooze for me. Both Jamie and Romy have done far more interesting music outside of this very empty sounding album (can't say the same for Oliver only because I haven't listened to any of his solo work). It's not a bad album, it's just a boring album.

I'm ambivalent about this. It's not bad, but it's nothing I haven't heard before even though I haven't heard it before. Reminds me of Whitest Boy Alive or early Chad VanGaalen.

Música re oscura, tranqui, con tintes de electrónica. Me gustó bastante, pero no es la gran cosa tampoco.

I was surprised to see this album on a list like this. I liked it when it came out, and I still enjoy it.

This is the type of album that would have blown me away in high school. I love dreamy ethereal spacy music like this and I think the vocals add a lot to it. I'm stoked to see something calming like this in the mix. Also interesting to see the spotify plays. First song has the most played. Second less and so on down the line. Looks like a lot of people gave it a chance but couldnt finish it.

I dig it

What a dull listen. All the songs sound the same and the breathy vocals do nothing but just add tiny layer of humanity to it. Music for entry level luxury suv commercials. It’s not performed poorly or badly done it’s just boring as hell.

Nice light electronic music. Might be a little forgettable but a good listen none the less. I wonder if we'll see groups like The Knife, Sylvan Esso, or Marian Hill that I prefer to this.

Surprisingly chill album. Would give it 5 stars if the intro wasnt overused by now

Very relaxing, very chill, very chic.

One of my favourite albums of the past 20 years

It sounds like some random tiktok sounds. I don't like the voice either. It was meh.

Mild ambiant music. I'm not sure why this has entered the list. Electronic music that didn't, so far, challenged my listening.

Pared-back instrumentation but super-duper effective. Shows how far a thoughtful mix of electronic and an live instruments can go, particularly the bass. Surprisingly jazzy; helped by the great vocal harmonisation Islands, Shelter and Basic Space are perfect examples of the latter.

Love it!

Ok. Bit dull

This was alright, kinda boring.

Very chill. The definition of chill. Cool minimalist indie rock sleepiness but in a relaxed way. I'm on ambien just writing this album. Intro, Crystalized and VCR are the classics. Islands, Stars, Basic Space and Heart Skipped a beat are also worth a listen.

cool, muy tranquilo

This is a great, low key album. I listened through it countless times while studying back in the day, and I still think that’s its best use case- background music for studying, working, driving…

Relaxed ambient alternative album featuring same great male/female vocal duets. Tracks flow into each other with ambient instrumentals for a seamless, trance experience. I think I would have been into this in college.

Refreshing to re-visit xx in full instead of just snippets from its' use in advertisements and every other indie and pop artist shamelessly ripping off their sound for the last 15 years. It's hard to describe just how much the sound of pop music changed in the years following the release. Some tracks are obviously stronger than others, but the overall atmosphere of the record is impeccable.

All The XX want to do is tease you. “Intro” is such a great piece of music promising an album full of power and energy - at least that’s where it leaves us after leading up to it the entire time. Unfortunately this is the second The XX album on this list delivering nothing but intros, teasing us, promising a grand outro - only to abruptly ending everything without ever progressing. There’s absolute no reason you should actively listen to this album. It’s harmless and at times rather good, when it’s just playing in the background. But you could honestly play it in a supermarket without offending anyone.

An audio-ization of paint drying

There’s a type of whiny shit I like and it’s not this. Also the only time I’ve ever watched the grammies, this beat villagers and that’s inexcusable

If i need music to have really nice vanilla sex to i'll reach for khruangbin instead

The Spotify algorithm put on Beach House when this finished, which is basically the same except better.

Knew the first song very well reminded me of some other early 2000 bands with the female vocals. The bored whispery but not whispery vibe. Other band name not coming to mind. Like!

# 240 : At first, it reminded me of that music they play in shopping centre toilets to stop people loitering. X-tremely dull.

Inte så pjåkigt.

Time hasn’t been immensely generous to this record for me, but in a cool August evening in 2012, it’s home

I've never heard of this band, but it was interesting to learn that I somewhat familiar with some of these songs. As a few of them have been used in commercials/pop-culture

Um album para se ouvir numa praia sozinho, por do sol pensando na vida. Calmo e reflexivo. Bonito. Mas nao achei marcante

Beautiful mix of electronic and contemporary instruments. Opening track could be one of the greatest intros to a band you could ever hear on a debut album.

Not bad, not great. 2/5

The xx’s debut is a consistently great indie listen, with a plethora of intriguing melodies and sleek production

I thought this was beautiful. It was somber and hypnotizing, with the singers bouncing off each other nicely

very good. 3.5

Sehr angenehmes Album mit ruhigen und klangvollen Tönen. Das Album ist eine Oase der Ruhe ohne langweilig zu werden. Die zahlreichen Duette sorgen für Abwechslung und sind in die minimalistischen Bass- und Gitarren sowie die synthetischen Klanghintergründe eingebunden. Irgendwie würde auch Chris Isaac’s “Blue Hotel” auf das Album passen. Gut sind das “Intro” und “Crystalised”.

Actually surprisingly really enjoyed this. The minimalist production is really nice and some songs are bangers!

Very mellow and enjoyable (indie alt)

the xx are a pretty good band but it remains extremely funny that they peaked on the first song on their first album

I wanted to not give this five stars so bad. But then I heard the opening notes of "Intro" and I couldn't not do it. I have a huge bias towards indie music from this era since it's when I came of age, almost no other band came right out of the gate with such a unique sound that still remains completely original: the duetting vocals, the unmistakable dreamy guitar tone, the minimalist beats. For my money, it's not the best album in The xx's oeuvre (that would be I See You), but sometimes you just know. You just do.

I love the vibe and the intro is classic but this is an album for going to sleep.

those first four songs go so fucking hard because they're so soft rest is whatever

the xx created quite the beautiful enveloping atmosphere. there's a whimsical, dream-like feeling that lets the whole album flow very smoothly. the feminine vocals were particularly important in creating that vibe. while the album appeared to be memorable and enjoyable in the first few songs, it lost any initial excitement, and it's hard to differentiate the xx between all of the other indie bands from this time.

At first, I was kind of surprised to see this album pop up on this project. But then I reflected on it a little bit and it started to make more sense. Really, this album was at the forefront of the indie pop movement that began to pick up traction around this time, in the late 2000s. The atmospheric, dreamy, electronic qualities found here would go on to be incredibly popular devices within the genre as it rose more into the mainstream. The dynamic between the two vocalists (a male and a female, both sounding rather depressed, harmonizing and singing many of the songs in somewhat of a call and response) was also quite the draw for this album, and again would be another motif utilized heavily in this genre. I'm not saying The xx invented these styles, but they did them well, and got a lot of attention for the way that they did it on this album. A few years later, when indie rock REALLY took off, this album was still a staple for listeners. That said, this album makes for a nice listen, but I wasn't overly wowed by it then, and I'm still not wowed by it. Just a little too sleepy-dreamy all the way through for me to go from liking it to loving it.

Verrrrrry soft 2

Sounds pretty bad

Bore

I liked this one

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

Delicado y agradable

Immersive, spare, succinct, R&B-flecked pop music--and massively influential. This came out in 2009 and many of the 2010s indie revival bands sounded a lot like this: the drum machine, bass, and clean guitar lines; the hazy mix. I'm inclined to say The xx set the benchmark. 'xx' is also a great blueprint for the contemporary bedroom pop boom. It feels homemade, but not messy or under-cooked. Highlights: Intro, Crystalized, Islands, Shelter, Night Time

Freshman year baby!!

Gosto muio

Chill album, captures the vibe of the period it was released in. Some songs are too short, but they don't overstay their welcome and leave me wanting more. :)

Музыка для фона - не больше. Хз как сюда такое попадает, и кому ради этого надо в жопу дать

own

I am already a fan of The xx so my review will be biased. While not quite in my wheelhouse, I especially love the simple beats and harmonising singers. Listens: 1 Fave Track: Crystallised Rating: 4

The xx (urgh, lowercase pretentiousness) is a letdown. While the minimalist vibe is ehhh ok-ish, it just feels empty and repetitive. The vocals are detached, making for a dull, lethargic experience that functions better as background noise than a compelling listen.

Delicate vocals, pleasing melodies, and interesting direction for some tracks. However, majority of the album didn’t go anywhere, and never really evolved beyond one sound.

Connected with this much more than previous listens, really enjoy the vocal dichotomies and the instrumentals are subtle but complex and moving. Listened to: walking in Prospect Park. Favorite tracks: Intro, Crystallized, Heart Skipped A Beat

good chill album

Liked the texture of the production, with interesting rhythms and an all-around good listen

was okay, not really my kind of music sounded like something an a weird tumbler playlist, ok for background noise 3/5

Bass driven sparseness, like Hank Marvin in the 2000’s. Bonus points for creating a unique sound.

I’ve always really enjoyed this album and feel there aren’t any skips. It has a lot of exposure and can get played out but it’s for good reason there are classics on it.

2.5

Starts off very strong but loses it towards the end. Revives very strong drama GCSE memories which will always make this a fondly received album.

A staple of every indie/coffeeshop/chill playlist I've played over the years, but don't think I've listened to the album straight through before. Love it. I want to go for a night drive with this album playing.

M'ha agradat moltíssim. Ha entrat súper bé al matí quan anava mig adormit a la feina, molt relaxant de la millor manera possible. Expected Lorenzo rating: 3/5

Strong start, an album I’ve already listened to previously. Great to stick on in the back while concentrating

Nostalgia is going to cloud my ability to judge this without bias. This album came out when I was going through a shit breakup and ended up living in a strange city by myself. This was on repeat for many months. Minimalist, lo fi, haunting.

It's okay, starts strong but fizzles out. Very ambient but to the point where it fades into the background. The album just doesn't excite me. Fave tunes: Intro, VCR, Crystallised

Simple, poppy, ringing sound, it's great.

Indie rock, atmospheric, bit boring

The album as a whole sounds ok, but at the same time it also sounds incredibly boring. It doesn't sound like there is any passion behind it and the vocals are tired and without much charisma. However, it is a well-produced album, and in 2009/2010 we were obsessed with boring and sad albums, but this is just another one of that kind. Not an album to talk about

Iconic and so badly reminds me of college

Whilst I enjoyed this album and its relaxed synth pop flavour there were only a couple of songs that popped out for me. I will definitely listen to it again and I suspect that other tracks will start to grow on me.

Enjoyed

I can’t stand the woman’s voice. It’s not good, right? It’s like it’s painful for her to sing. It’s an ok album because it reminds me of being in my early 20’s and drinking with my buddies, but I remember not liking it back then either. Breathy singing? Eww, gross.

Soothing and chill. Favourites: intro, islands, heart skipped a beat. Not super catchy songs but the album vibes were very calm and pleasant. 4/5

Very chill album. Would be great for driving late at night or something idk I am not a vibe 😭 I think the blend of male and female voices worked quite well for me. The songs got a little repetitive, as they sometimes felt like they were building up to something that never came (😏) but it was still a very enjoyable album. The various instruments (mostly the xylophone in VCR) and different techniques kept the album interesting, but I think there definitely could have been more variance between the energy of the songs. Having the loudest song right off the bat is a choice, not sure if I like it. I enjoyed the solid bass line, I feel like it kept the album pretty cohesive, but maybe a little too cohesive lol. Heart Skipped A Beat baited me into thinking the energy was gonna shift up with a surprise drum beat but it ended up being nothing :/ Overall 3/5, I guess I would listen to some of the songs again but it was nothing special and there were some songs later in the album that I didn't really like (such as Fantasy!!! fuck dat). Favourites: Intro, Crystalised

The xx is one of many artists who I've been meaning to listen to more of since I like 1 or 2 of their songs before but never ended up getting to, so I'm very happy to have received this album from the generator to start the week. Interestingly, I think the instrumental intro was my favourite track on the album. Favourite songs were Intro, Crystallized, Islands, Heart Skipped A Beat, Basic Space, and Infinity. Very nice sonic experience, this marks my first back-to-back 5s I think!

It was OK!

Boring as fuck

This took me back to early 2010s when I was a terminally online kid I can't say I appreciated that all too much

What a fun surprise. I love this album and have since I first heard it in 2009.

One of my favorite records. Vocals are fantastic - haunting, sexy, gloomy. Such a sensual sound throughout with a funky, dreamy vibe. The sequence of music is soothing and seamless; a breath of fresh, comforting air.

pretty good album, i recognised the intro off the bar and the first few tracks were really good, when the other half started, the album came to seem more ambient which was interesting.

This album felt like it came out of nowhere when I got it on original release. It is so minimal dark warm and beautiful all at once. Somewhat like Low Life it feels even more lush and haunting. It’s these contradictions that make it fascinating to me. I love this album.

This is my second The xx album. I like this one a lot more. I would consider this lo-fi style music. I like it.

Right up my alley