xx

Kind of bland and samey, which is a shame because the album opens SO strong and then just fizzles out. Fav Track: Intro

i like their style with the two singers.

I really like the intro, too bad the rest of the album didn't follow that style as lyrically its kind of meh. The beathy vocals were a bit over done.

I wanted to like this, but dear lord, the awful soppy singing. Combined with a bit too much plinky guitar, my teeth were on edge and I couldn't get into what I'm sure some people find a moving and affecting album. I wanted to crank everything about this band up by several notches, because I feel sure their musical hearts are actually in the right place.

I am just so indifferent on their moody one-dimensionality so intent on capturing only the faintest of musical ideas, quietly empty and emptyingly quiet. Poor vocals, questionable production, non-existent progression. That "Intro" is about as loud and curious as the record really gets.

This music is so achingly trendy it makes every muscle in my body tense

started off well for me but then i got to the point where i didn’t really want to listen to the rest at all

I didn't have high expectations for this one but it was engaging enough that I listened to the whole record. Not terrible

Not much here musically. The voices are “ok”. Nothing here that makes me want to listen to it again - But at no point did I feel the need to skip a song. I guess that’s a small victory.

A little too laid back minimalist for me. Kept waiting for the energy to come but stayed pretty stripped back. There’s some accomplishment in that but sure makes for a boring album overall.

Fairly uninspired indie. Reminds me alot of being 14.

Booooooooooooooooooooooo

Intro is great, don't care for the rest. I hate the breathy late 2000s/early 2010s vocals.

this unfortunately was just a little boring, the Oh Wonder effect the 2010s had on us was ridiculous. Couldn't distinguish songs very well, and therefore I added not one of them to the playlist.

It started off quite well, I enjoyed the first track then everything started to sound the same. Same rhythm, same songs, same ‘just above a whisper’ male/female vocals. Only reason it didn’t get a 1 was because it was pleasant to listen to

Boring.

I found this a bit vanilla to be honest. It does feel a bit like somebody panicked and thought shit we need some stuff that's less than 20 years old on this list.

Meh

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

Ok. Not my cup of tea.

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

Honestly pretty boring

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 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?

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.

H&M music

Mmm…

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

It was cool. Not that cool.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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.

Not my taste, but not terrible

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

Mid

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

5/10, какой то амбиент, но нормально

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

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!

so lala

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

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.

Too soundscape-y.

eh

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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

This was alright, kinda boring.

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.

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

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

Not bad, not great. 2/5

Verrrrrry soft 2

Bore

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

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

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

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.

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

Yawn...

So boring that even the vocalists sounded bored.

good production and actual musicality but those voices man. so dull. ruin the vibe completely. they sound like they'd rather be somewhere else, telling a bored person at a party about how actually they think everyone's mind and spiritual wellbeing would benefit from doing acid

Bored

Couple of good songs.

More dull Indie music. No wonder I was only buying Metal and blues in the 2000s. Well produced but boring. Sounds like the singers are falling asleep

Produkcija solidna, osim u 2 pjesme gdje su pretihi vokali (mozda stilisticki ali meni nije imalo poantu). Dosta repetitivno, osjecaj da se pjesme stapaju, bez prevelike raznolikosti. Fav song: Islands 4/10 = 2+

out of all the music that has been captured and disseminated throughout history, I strongly disagree that THIS belongs amongst the 1001 albums that you have to hear in your lifetime. _mp

The record was decent but nothing to write home about. Not particularly sure how this landed on the list. The Intro was great but aside from that, the entirety of the rest of the album sounded like someone trying to continuously recreate Chris Isaak's "Wicked Game" from memory, getting close at times but at others just going into a tangent and getting lost in the sauce.

Good, something fresh to hear

Lorenzo was right - this is just aight. Is there not 1000 better albums than this one?

Music made for moody montages in 2000s college dramas.

Boring

close to a 3? could i write poetry to this? n

Intro is such a good song, but nothing else even comes close

The duets, which occurred in most of the songs, were emotionless and dragged. The female vocalist was great; the male vocalist was just dreary.

Not my thing....

I liked VCR. Kind of surprised that I never listened at release. Fine as moody background music, though I’ll probably never listen again.

I have never been bothered to listen to the xx. I hear their songs every now and then and Romy is quite popular in her own right but nothing makes me want to go and hear their discography. I feel this album just felt like that, a few songs I knew along with some pretty standard indie/dream-pop type songs. I love the sound they are going for I just don't think they execute it very well. Maybe it is because The xx are English that I hear their name more but I just can't get on board. Also you know there is a problem when the best and most popular song on the album is the instrumental intro, it is great but that doesn't excuse the rest of the album. Although because of the atmosphere I wouldn't be apposed to hearing it again I just think for where it sits compared to their competition I can only give it 2/5. Stand Out Songs: Intro Crystalised Islands

If you listened to this 3 times, you still wouldn’t find anything exciting enough to even lean forward for.

Not my vibe

Really like Intro and the first couple of songs are decent but falls off after that. Very boring Indie pop

An album that I thought was cool in high school because I was trying to be a hipster. Listening today.....so boring. Whispery vocals with minimalistic electronic instrumentation is the lamest and overdone thing in the indie scene today. Favorite Track: Intro

nicht mein Ding

This album is SO front loaded. The first few tracks are subtle but driven. The atmosphere is laid back but doesnt feel empty (until later). The album really takes a dive in quality outside of the singles. Their sound and lyrics become so formulaic and don't challenge anything. If this was an EP of the singles it would be solid, but as an album it seriously suffers. A shame cus the singles are real fun.

Vocals all sound the same after a while

I'd never heard this before and had no idea what to expect. The songs seem simple yet effective, by which I mean that they don't seem to need lots of overdubs to create an atmosphere. But they didn't excite me on first listen. I think it's two stars for XX, because it didn't annoy me, but it didn't make me interested in hearing any more. The best song might have been Intro

Not terrible, but maybe a bit boring. I would call it a 2.5 if I could. Lowering to a 2.

not very interesting

Honestly kinda boring, the only songs that stood out to me were Fantasy, Shelter and Basic Space. Other than that, everything else was just background noise to me. 4/10.

The grunge was real

“Alright guys for this album we’re going to be using our inside voices”

I find the xx to be fairly dull for the most part and this was no exception. 2.5/5

Fucking hipsters.

This would only be useful for when I'm having a hard time falling asleep. Decent musicians, completely boring music.

Sounds like if Matt and Kim were British, and sad... So just British I guess.

meh

Very mumble-pop, sparse, low energy music. This sort of reminded me of MBV a little bit, but without any talent or innovation. Every time I started to get into a track it would end,. then be followed by something dull and I would lose interest again rapidly. The intro was pretty cool and I found a longer version that I also enjoyed. I think the vocals were the deal breaker for me on the other tracks. I feel 2 stars is fair.

Honestly, the only reason I'm giving this album 2 stars instead of 1 is because it is very non-offensive and is fine to just play in the background. However, I feel it is extremely lifeless and has no edge or anything interesting to capture my attention. I can't imagine why it is on this list when there are dozens or even hundreds of post-hardcore or post-punk albums that are brilliant and are guaranteed to not be on the list.

For when shoegaze is too stimulating... ❌❌

💤 every song, the same as the last

Weird vocals and sparse arrangements. Not for me.

I remember thinking thier other album on this list needed a second chance at some point. This one does not deserve that. It's just cold, sterile, boring indie of which there is a abundance of in this world. Nowhere near being a must hear. That said, it's not 1 star bad but I thought about it.

Nicht mein Stil

Não gostei desse, Mt parado, toda a música parece a mesma, e olha que eu gosto de album assim, adoro música ambiente, que eu acho que era a temática desse álbum, mas esse eu não gostei, não tinha elementos interessantes o suficiente, toda guitarra parecia a mesma, não tinha elementos eletrônicos que iam ir Mt bem com as músicas, a voz eh bem meh, bem padrão, não ouviria de novo, mas pode ser que alguém goste, esse alguém não sou eu.

The intro was reminiscent of a overly timid version of the instrumental post-rock I generally enjoy, but it sounded good enough. Things went downhill from there. Seen through the lens that this album was created by a couple of teenagers, it seems impressive. But outside of that lens, it's just incredibly boring. It's somewhere in between the tamest tracks of indie synth bands like The Naked And Famous with some veeery watered-down shoegaze elements scattered in. This album has a couple of ingredients that I really enjoy in music when used correctly. But here they're just watered down to the most boring concoction possible.

Un disco para estar muy chill. No tiene un sonido clásico. No le encuentro un lugar en mi día.

Ok, not great

I love advertising

Too much noise

This album was a nice slow groove, but not my favorite. It was a little dry, but it does have its moments in the catchy choruses throughout the album. It just feels a little basic, musically and vocally, and would be something you could put on in the background.

Track 1: long intro Track 2: midi bells Track 3: some weird riffs Track 4: okay transition kinda sounds basic. Track 5: kinda a lofi song. Don’t like the claps that much. Track 6:okay song Track 7: kinda slow and not what I like Track 8: not that good Track 9: slow and kinda just fits that vibe Track 10: kinda upbeat but not my thing Track 11: it was okay not my favorite. Overall: 3.2/10. This kinda just sounded like stock music to me. I didn’t like it at all. Like there’s some good stuff but there’s also random things that I didn’t like at all.

At least they eschew autotune. Good production, breathy with space. But ultimately boring as sin. Couldn't wait for it to end.

Some decent stuff but overall pretty mid

It took me a couple of sit-downs to get through this album, and early on in my 1,001 albums journey is my least favorite. While some tracks hit well, such as Crystalized, it got super repetitive and boring musically and lyrically for my tastes. Standouts: Intro, Crystalized, Night Time

Who decided that this was an essential album? Nothing memorable at all, just tedious elevator music mumbling on for 40 minutes. Fair enough, Islands had a quite nice hook, but otherwise I couldn’t separate the songs.

Chris isaak I wanna fall in love the album

The beats have potential but the lyrics and singers give me the ick.

some good bits, but overall pretty boring.

Didn’t really like :/

This is the kind of stuff Spotify Radio wanted me to listen to back in high school. It pissed me off then and it pisses me off now. I guess it's good that I finally listened to it just to say that I've heard a Classic Album of early 2010s Tumblr but I did want to cheer when the album finally finished. Just boring boring boring. No second listen needed

Very milquetoast album, nothing that sounded bad but played it way too safe and didn’t do anything interesting.

- the backing music to every gopro vid ever

Not bad. "Infinity" had a little "Wicked Game" feel too it. Might have been the guitar in the back.

Not bad. Not Great.

I know this album! The opening track 'Intro' is an all-time mood/vibe. I think I've heard a few other songs off of it but I couldn't name or recognize any of them off-hand. Seems like a great one to start this experience with. — Talk about a let-down. Was hoping for any tracks to match the energy of the opener and they were all so laid back and ambient. Decent final song on the album, but nothing comes close to the Intro.

It's alright, kind of generic, decent downtempo easy listening, doesn't really stand out

Not my style

I had never heard of this album or group. This isn’t really my taste in music so I wouldn’t intentionally put this on but I wouldn’t mind hearing it again as background music. I did actually recognize one song, Intro, which is an instrumental that is a popular audio. Some songs that stood out to me a bit more were: Infinity, Crystalised, and Night Time. There were songs, however, that I really didn’t like, those were: Fantasy, and Basic Space. I don’t think I will give this album another listen.

Didn't love it. Her voice affectations annoyed me, got tired of the album halfway through.

Duo de piba y pibe, cool, tranqui. Puedo vivir sin él

Unique sound. Good bass but not my type of singers.

Solid background music, but otherwise forgettable.

I didn’t hate it. Very chill. Not my style.

i don’t like their voices :/

Chill atmospheric music. Easy listening but honestly it's a little boring. The instrumentation doesn't sound as smooth as I'd like. You can hear every single strum of guitar and it doesn't feel very layered. I do like the duets vocals though. I feel like I remember liking this when it came out and there was a lot of hype around it but overall listening to it now I'm just waiting for it to be over so I can listen to something more interesting. Giving it 2 stars feels harsh but 3 stars seems like to many. I'd probably actually give it a 2.5.

Pretentious mediocre monotony.

Kanker gay

wel oke instrumentaal gezien maar gewoon kankerboring en daarnaast zijn de stemmen slaapverwekkend

I am really unsure of how I feel about this album. When I first started listening to it I found that it was quite boring and monotonous. But after some time I could imagine listening to it over loud speakers on a long drive, It's athmospheric and more about the vibes I think. Definitley not like the usual stuff I listen to. Intro was probably the best one, I also liked Infinity. The instrumentals on the album do sound really nice at times. Maybe I'll enjoy it more after listening to it a couple of times but for now I'll give it 2/5.

A clear consize nostalgia melancholic vibe all throughout the album. But I don’t get why this album is so highly acclaimed.

Not a fan

Lahm, man frau panhan

Felt like Home Depot commercial music to me

Very fitting that there’s a song on here called “Basic Space”. This whole album is full of that! There should have been another song called “Terrible Breathy Singing”.

I appreciate the simplicity across this album. Its minimal approach allows for...something to happen. What that something is, I'm not sure. This record is just pretty boring, and unfortunately a misdirection into diminishing returns after the killer, and iconic, first track.

#67. This is movie credits music. The kind you don't mind leaving as soon as it comes on. 2/5: meh

can’t believe that was a phase for me

I recognized the song Crystalised but overall feels like something that would be playing in a coffee shop.

By stripping the production down to the bare necessities, The xx set a template for what Indie Pop would sound like in the decade after their first album came out. It’s simple drum beats, melancholy but melodic guitar lines, and personal lyrics about love and relationships delivered in unrefined voices with regional accents would all go on to be hallmarks of a sound that is still going strong to this day. There is a genuine argument to be made that this is one of the most important and influential albums of the 2000’s. By neglecting the spikier, more raucous elements of the earlier Indie scene and instead replacing them with electronica and sadness, xx by The xx allowed a movement that was running out of altitude a new gust of wind. The reason I’m doing my best to define the sound of xx is because, I really don’t remember 75% of the music to this album, and I’ve owned it for about 8 years. I remember the general vibe, and I remember how much both the press and a lot of my cool friends from Sixth Form raved about it, but I was never able to get past about track 4. I can see how this has affected a lot of music that I really love, but I have never seen it as anything more than a rough sketch that pointed the way for others. I’m tempted to give this a 3 because of it’s influence, but I know in my heart of hearts that it’s only a 2, so…

Just okay

In the wise words of Rupaul, meh. 🤷🏽

Boring.

Unremarkable but it wasn't terrible. Never heard of the band before or any of the songs. I will not be revisiting

Didn't really know what to expect with this, and am pretty nonplussed. I know this band and album is somewhat well known, though after listening to it nothing on it is familiar to me. And it also seems touted for blending and borrowing from so many different styles of music, and to me it just kind of sounds simplistic and boring, which is probably why it has such wide appeal. It's fine enough.

Ok

I always liked Intro and Crystalised. The rest of it is tolerable but forgettable. There’s not much to it.

Known before: Some songs Standouts: 1. Intro Rating: 4.0

2.5 not my fav and probably won’t listen again.

Very monotonous album. Every song sounds very much same which makes the experience dreadful. Album itself is pretty much on the trend of 2009 sound where most of the songs sounds exactly same. I can not draw much positive from this album.

Very chill vibes from the songs, but they're a little too repetitive and similar for my liking. Still a fun and good listen with talent behind it.

Sorry. I wanted to like it, but so dull. Found myself skipping through songs. Forced myself into listening thoroughly but still didn’t do it for me.

So incredibly dull: recognised the first song as soon as I clicked play on the album and god damn it was one of the most underwhelming records to ever listen to. It's just white girl ambient pondering life pop paired with tiktok business friendly promotional music for videos with only 15 likes. I'm just not a fan and even after reading the reviews am shocked at how highly people rate this.

This is more 2.6 than a 2, I enjoyed some songs. Best song - crystallised

I am not super interested in whatever genre this album is portraying, so I don't think I will listen to this album a second time.

Very repetitive, with little going on to encourage any attention so this one's a hard pass from me

Boring after the first song

Meh

Incredibly boring.

Do people actually get something out of this kind of thing? Maybe a good night’s sleep.

nothing stood out but it wasn't bad

I've heard some of these songs before and while it does have a calm vibe, it didn't really resonate with me while I sat at my work desk today. I listened to it a couple of times through but ended up feeling bored most of the time. No doubt a talented band, just wasn't the right fit for me at this time.

First song right off the bat is very advert forward. This wasn't necessarily a bad album but I can see why all the tumblr kids back in the day loved this album. Didn't have much backbone to it though, it was just ok, nothing special. The sound of the vocals did get on my nerves after a while though, that breathy kind of indie voice just gets annoying.

Could not wait for this album to end.

not bad, wasn't really a fan

Intro was nice, the rest was meh..

On paper, I should love the XX. Jamie XX is one of my favourite producers of recent times. I like Romy’s vocals. I like the idea of their music. I love some acts that do similar things, like Sault. But XX (album and artists) just flows around me. I’ve tried a few times to engage with, but I just can’t love it. It’s nice, I can’t fault it, or say it’s bad, it’s certainly not offensive … I just don’t feel the need to ever actively listen to it.

Mellow. XXtra Mellow but catchy

Forgettable.

Quiet and dull

meh

Other than the first song and the song Infinity, the album was slow and boring.

Weird mixing makes for a really unpleasant listen on headphones

Mediocre

I have never been a fan of the xx. I feel like their music is for people who have never listened to an indie band before. The album is the same song, over and over. Clap machine. A little bit of inoffensive guitar noodling. Breathy guy & girl vocals. Formulaic and very dull.

Soundtrack to a shitcanned teen romance movie

Pretty good for ambient music. Nothing really grabbed me. Not bad, but not great.

Fine elevator music, not super captivating

Un côté sous Angus et Julia stone

Boring, not dynamic enough. Timid atmosphere is cute but doesn't hold its own for the entire runtime.

I would be lying if i said i hated it, but I would also be lying if i said i loved it. really not big on it. Very chill this album is, I can respect it for it being very ahead of it's time but in that sense it hasn't aged the best. If this album was released nowadays I wouldn't even consider to listen to it. One positive that I can draw from it is that it is very good walking music. Favourite track: Crystalised

Me resultó olvidable.

I really like the intro to this - it's a really nice way into the album and sets up the tone. Sadly I don't think the rest of the album really delivers on that early promise though. I do like the atmosphere on some of these tracks, but the songs are just waaay stripped back and I'm not really digging that. I do usually really like bands where they have a girl and guy playing off each other, but less so here. The vocals are so breathy, and it feels a bit wanky indie to me. It doesn't have a ton of substance and I was a bit bored by the end. 2.5 rounded down.

Heard before: some I kind of enjoyed listening to this, but it feels so slight and replaceable that I can't get very excited. I dig spacey simple pop songs, and the interplay between the two singers is nice. But it just feels like there's a record like this every year. Top tracks: VCR, Heart Skipped A Beat, Infinity

This random album by some band I've never heard of is on the list... why exactly? The production was kind of cool, but the songwriting was mediocre and forgettable, and the vocals pretentious and weak. Also, when I saw this cover and album title, I kind of thought it was a joke! My initial reaction was: "Is this for real?"

Meh.

A slow droning album full of the same song over and over. Won't be listening to this again.

Let's be real, everyone only ever listens to "intro" and "crystallised," the rest is forgotten.

Starts with uncomplicated, dreamy tunes. Musically more interesting than textually. Some songs are teetering on the overtly melodramatic, giving off teenager vibes (shelter). Not making a lasting impression.

Oh yes, this album was absolutely MASSIVE wasn't it. Couldn't move for people raving about The xx. Kinda dull thought don't you think?

Yawn. This one did not stand the test of time.

This album is great for grooving while the rest of your family/household are a sleep.

boring. started irritating me like 4 songs in. advert music.

I like the sound but the album is overall a bit boring

This is an album that was super hip around a time in my life when I was making a great effort to like contemporary music, following a few years of mainly listening to stuff like Zappa, beefheart, the Beatles and Bert jansch. I remember giving this a go and being very underwhelmed, so when this came up as my third album of this challenge I was keen to see what I'd think now. Vectatmist, the ecstatic, two dancers, embryonic and journal for plague lovers were 2009 albums I did like. I also liked beach house around this time and I assume xx are a little similar? Let's find out. First impressions did make me think of beach house a bit. Simple, moody, a bit sexy. However I again found this to be not the most engaging music, with vocals and lyrics that I wasn't much a fan of; however maybe this would is something that could grow on me, and/or be nice music in the background. Back in 2009 I was interested in more of a more maximalist approach to music and I can see why this album would have bored me. Also because it sounds like it is trying to be cool. In 2023 I have more time for it and for the challenge I will listen several times, integrated to see what impact that has on the album for me. First listen reinforced what I thought back in 2009. I find it hard to put my finger on why, since I enjoy stuff like Grouper and other slow minimalist music. But I think the affected "cool sexy" vibe, the vocals and lyrics all put me off. Second listen was with my 10 minty old daughter which often brings a different vibe to listening, eg she loved scissor sisters and made me appreciate it. But, halfway through the second listen of xx I was done with it. The music feels affected, lacks depth in emotion, lyrics, music dynamics, textures. Not for me, Clive. I turned it off. 4/10

The intro is the whole album

It sounds like an album made by and for people falling asleep. The production and sound are pretty decent, but the songs, instrumentals, and especially the vocal performances are incredibly boring.

not bad, just very bland. sounds like some college friends deciding to make music, your friend drags you to a show of theirs and you just sit there and afterwards say: "well they were... nice."

Like someone trying to seduce you into their bed for a good nap

Mumble core. I am familiar with this album, though it's not for me, it's too lazy and boring.

I didn't get it when it was new and I still don't.

Nothing to write home about. Etherial adjacent emo pop.

When this started out, I liked out simple it all sounded and I thought that if they built on that, this could be a real humdinger! But it kind of just stayed there, treading water. Not into it.

Lately I've been listening to a lot of music that's greasy, sweaty, a bit raggedy but all the more human for it. Inevitable, then, that despite some nice, dreamy touches this would leave me cold. It all sounds a bit disengaged, no? There was a real buzz in the UK around The xx when this dropped but on this evidence it's hard to discern exactly why. I don't think 2009 was a vintage year. Anyways, time to return to the wanton harlots and steaming bayous of my swamp rock playlist. Ho hum.

I've never heard of this group so to see the intro having more than half a billion streams on Spotify and a lot of other 100+ million I was quite excited to listen to it. I was sorely disappointed. The only thing that is keeping me from giving this a 1 is the instrumentation which at points is quite nice and I do like the intro.

Pretty cozy vibes. I can see why this band got ripped off for like eight years; their sound is super inoffensive and sleep-inducing.

This album did not hold my attention at all. The low-energy of the vocals bored me and nearly put me to sleep.

Even if I tried to ignore this album, I'd still be bored.

Boarf

I have listened a few times in the past but on re-listen it was pretty boring. Standard indie-pop with ok melodies but not much more.

I expect good albums to be a nicely arranged set of songs. This was just 45 minutes of monotony. I could walk away, come back, and have no clue if the song changed while I was gone or if it was the same song. Scale: 5 - My absolute favorites. 4 - Albums I like. 3 - It was ok to listen to but I wouldn't seek it out. 2 - Didn't like. 1 - Absolute shit.

Pretty forgettable

Nothing special

Honestly kind of repetitive, and basic, nothing really to look forward to after each song

The intro is totally iconic but the rest of the album seems to fall behind. Base was interesting on a couple songs but overall just not that impactful. Easy listening but not memorable. 2/5

Some alright tunes but didn't really do it for me, especially the singing. Got bored and sacked off the last few tracks.

Why do people like singers who are constantly off-key?

Uh, I listened to this on Friday and now it's Monday and I have ZERO recollection of what this sounded like.

One great songs and then a lot of slow tones to sound like nostalgia

It’s good, and definitely very forward-thinking for 2009. I listened to this around the time it came out, maybe a year or two after, and it didn’t do a ton for me. I still feel the same now. But I respect it.

nice enough.

My pet peeve is when I need to look up the lyrics to a song because the vocalist is mumbling or marble-mouthed. On this album, the music is so subdued/minimal that I shouldn’t have had a hard time understanding the vocalists, yet I did. The arrangements were pleasant, though. If I had to pick a favorite: Night Time.

p926. 2009. 2 stars. Stripped down ambient background music for hipsters. Perfectly acceptable, but utterly forgettable.

it's a nice idea but you can't spin a whole album out of it

Cool album not for me though

2/3- Driving to school: Weak vocals and repetitive tracks made the album monotonous after the first 15 minutes. Good guitar tones and nice simple lyricism made it more tolerable.

I was hoping to like this one, but this was pretty boring to me. I was just waiting for it to be over. It wasn't offensive, but I wasn't interested in basically anything that was happening. I guess my favourite song was Fantasy, but everything blended together.

mid

Amazing sound but album is just dull.

I read some reviews on here of this before I listened and saw a lot of negativity but having listened to it now, I feel it’s not as bad as some were making out. Yes, it’s a bit boring but done in a thoughtful way. I didn’t love it but neither did it make me want to remove my ears. It was alright.

Decent, but most songs just sound like unfinished demos

The intro slaps nuts shame the rest of the album is so mid

This album contains a lot of indie rock/pop hallmarks including clean guitar with reverb, minimalist arrangement, prominent bass, and simple driving rhythms. What really ruins this album is the entirely lackluster vocal performances. It’s almost as if they couldn’t be bothered to fully pronounce anything. It seems to be going for languid and flowing, instead it comes off as lazy. The female vocals are sang with a faux soul affectation that simply does not work; she is not a competent enough vocalist to make it work. The lyrics are occasionally cliche and some of the rhyme schemes are awkward and lack the proper number of syllables to make certain lines work. It is jarring and really took me out of the music. On paper I should really like this band, but the vocals and lyrics are too irritating to enjoy the rather nice and spacious music.

First song = classic youtube/reels song. Could not make it past song three.

Meh, sounds like no effort has been expended (which I accept may be their schtick) in either the music or lyrics. Trying to be cool, while trying to cover up any sign that it took any effort. Like the audio equivalent of the "bed head" where it takes ages to make your hair look like you "just woke up". Also, just not very good.

I don’t know if I want in the right space to listen to this album or what, but I don’t understand what the appeal of this record is. Nothing seemed particularly impressive or revolutionary, with only a few tracks appealing to me. I wouldn’t describe the music as offensive, the best way I could describe it is hollow. Almost like the music in a commercial, it’s passable quality but there’s nothing that draws you to connect with it. 3/10

Simple and spare. Listenable but wouldn’t listen to it again.

Great sound, but not a whole lot going on otherwise. Good album for fitting a low-key vibe but, man, I already have a ton of that in my life.

Really not a fan

Boring white stripes. Like silversun pickups. Catchy but ultimately uninspired.

Very boring - nothing to grab my interest at all. Dull, unintersting, one paced, no dynamics...

PREFS : Intro, VCR, Crystalised, Basic Space MOINS PREF : Fantasy

Only 1 decent song really

The instrumental Intro is easily the highlight of entire album. Rest of it feels like something Netflix would use as a soundtrack for teenage drama couples scene.

Some interesting sounds but not that great

Enjoyable ambience that I sadly now associate with stock music due to how many times it has been ripped off

There are songs on this I liked but again think I struggle when an entire album is based on a stripped back sound, gets repetitive. The breathy vocals get on my nerves too

Not for me, enjoyed the intro.

Nice to see the authors expanding their favoritism of BritPop to post 80s and 90s. Not a bad album, but not list worthy either. 2/5.

Eh. Pretty underwhelming, boring.

Boring.

Eh.

T3B 1. Crystalised 2. Infinity 3. VCR

Loved first song, lyrics and sound. Got really excited for the rest of the album thinking I may have found new band to check out. Rest of album, songs all seemed to run together, all the same. Not a lot of vibe or energy. Not for me VCR a solid 4. Rest of album a 1 I'll give a 2 just because of VCR

aight

Not really my cup of tea.

I had an X who always wanted to listen to this whenever we did anything X rated. Boring music, just like my X.

I don't mind music that's sparse, music that leaves a lot of space for your mind to fill in. The only way I can describe this record is like eating a fistful of CBD with no THC: all the couch lock laziness with none of the fun "seeing colors" stuff. It's sleepy, lazy (but purposely so), but I can't say I loathe it. It's definitely not for me. It's definitely for someone who writes at Pitchfork. To me, there's way too much space between everything and I just can't get behind it. Favorite track: "Intro", "Basic Space"

Definitely the weakest as of far but it is only day 3. The production is pretty nice and colourful, but the vocals do this no justice at all; not sure what's more grating, the male or the female vocals. Numerous bands did this sound so much better literally a whole decade earlier.

Super cool hipster music with dual vocalists. I'm not a fan of Croft's stilted cursive singing style and not a single lyric stands out enough for me to know what they are singing about. The spartan, atmospheric tracks are begging for a more evocative vocal performance but we never get a chance to hear one. I'm begging to hear Kele Okereke's voice and words here. All of the songs sound the same.

Not that pumped on this. Decent music but sounds like the music before EDM drops. Very alright album tho

Good thing I was drinking coffee while listening. Not a morning album if you want to wake up.

Técnicamente interesante, musicalmente insulso

This is sort of dreamy and atmospheric in a pleasant way. I don't dislike it, but there is nothing here that really stands out. I actually liked the first song the best because it's basically instrumental. The vocals do nothing for me at all on the other tracks. Overall okay but forgettable.

Very repetitive, dreary, and not compelling. Would never listen again.

Didn't really grab me, not listened to it, will it improve with more listens?

Canciones demasiado relajadas y poco innovadoras. Ritmos muy tranquilos. Con poca alegría. Estilo muy plano