xx

This was different. It had the feel of a few different genres to me. I listened to the whole album for the most part. Didn't live it but I did enjoy it.

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

Why did I listen to this? Didn't like the vocals and it's all the same song. Not list worthy

Sounded good just not my style. Very thematic/atmospheric. Intro was cool, wish there were vocals in it.

Love this album

Sweet, lazy, earnest electric soft-pop. Are they a couple? I can't remember. Was this played in every beer garden in 2011? Yes, absolutely. It's kinda cool, kinda wet, kinda okay.

also pretty calming, decent album but slightly boring, good composition however

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

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

7/10. Pretty good, maybe even an 8/10. I guess these guys can have 2 albums on the list

I can almost hear the vocals, can you guys sing a little quieter? 6/10

Me resultó olvidable.

Really enjoy this album, so chill and full of story and emotion

Yeah it's chilled as fuck, good for smoking

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.

Listened but it was a loud room with everyone talking over each other (including some talking about the album). But I enjoyed what I heard and I’m pretty sure I’ve listened to this album before. That said the fact that it didn’t make it into heavy rotation tells me I wasn’t *that* impressed. 3-stars because the margaritas were good

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

Great for background music. Vocals not particularly impressive. Intro to the album was something I could listen to again.

Super chilled, really enjoyed this, nothing standout about it but interesting enough that having it on in the background I'd stop to check it out

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?"

The guitar sound and all the sound effects feel nostalgic. So I guess this group was one of the founders of the early 2010s indie pop. I find it a bit empty despite the emotional lyrics.

Very enjoyable! Smooth, inventive and well produced! Can’t remember a single song, but liked the listening experience.

Not good or bad, I think it'd be better if it was just instrumentals with no lyrics

Meh.

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

OK!

Better than I remembered! It aged well

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

I love this album. Remember buying it when it came out and sharing it with anyone who would listen. Sparse vocal and bass forward songs, almost ethereal.

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.

I’ve listened a few time. Easy listening.

Is this great music? Not really. Is it fun to listen to? Some of it. Do you want to feel like your life is an episode of Grey's Anatomy? Just put this on full blast.

Clearly influenced by a lot of groups I like, but nothing particularly ventured. It’s okay?

I was pleasantly surprised by the album. My concern with minimalist-arranged 'atmospheric' music is often that it comes out thin and doesn't necessarily command attention, but that wasn't the case with this album. Generally the bass is full and keeps the song moving forward, and the vocals or instrumental melody are full enough to maintain attention. Album has a good mix of songs with a catchy/prominent melody and more relaxing "tune-out" types of songs

I quite liked this one. It’s more my thing. I plan to keep it on my radar and maybe play it again.

The xx have a cool atmospheric sound, especially the heavy reverb guitar sound they have on this album. The vocals sound like a mopey, droning, half whisper. It’s the too cool to try too hard vocal sound that indie rock critics seem to love. Not my favorite.

Great studying

Listened to it when I was quite young first, and has set a large impression on me. My only complaint is that it is music that can fade into the background and discerning one song from another if chosen at random would be difficult. But maybe that's good re: thematic consistency

This has some pretty great singles, but it's really more of a vibes album. And the vibes... The vibes are fucking immaculate. For night time sad boy/sad girl/sad nb hours, at least. Jamie xx's production really elevates it and gives it that push from 3.5 to 4.

Wish I wasn't drunk the whole age of my life where I listened to this stuff. It's astonishing. And I vastly misunderstood the nuance in the recordings. It's simple but not in a bad way. 4/5

Ugh I'm really not about this gloomy ambient coldplay knockoff sound. This generic washed out guitar tone just grates at me. Nighttime is a passable song.

Atmospheric and interesting indie rock. 3/5

It’s a great record. I wonder why no one showed it to me earlier. I think unsolid have liked it even more in my 20sy

the perfect album...masterpiece!!!!

Man Pandora used to love giving me the first track, "Intro", from this one, and never showed me the rest of the album. This last month I dropped my daily caffeine to a quarter of what it had been, which is a decision I credit with helping me enjoy mellow stuff like this more than I otherwise might have

Ah man, I love this album. Intro is a low-key stadium anthem that hypes everything up for the anticlimactic drop into the bright twinkling and echoey plucking that is VCR. VCR is easily my favorite on the album. Such a fun song and great singing from both members. Crystalized is another jam that centers around some clean guitar plucking and echo. Love the way this song goes back and forth between airy and jammy segments. Islands is a boppy number. Great for a summer night drive with the windows down. Fantasy is a nice druggy instrumental that I first learned of when Mac Miller sampled it for 1 Threw 8 (Macadellic). Shelter picks up on the other side of the tracks with a very open and vulnerable vocal forward track. Once again the instrumental gives a lot of space and feels like they are playing in a gigantic hall with noone else around. This song also gives my favorite chorus "could I make it better with the lights turned off." When they do let the guitar shine through it is a low key climactic moment. so pretty. Basic space is a weird one to me. Doesn't feel like it fits in with the rest. Not a bad song, just kind of out of place. Infinity sounds like a straight rip off of Wicked Game. I like both songs. Night time and Stars round out the album on a strong if calm note. 4.5 / 5, rounding down to make 5s all that more exclusive.

Awww yeah, excited to listen to this one after loving The Boards of Canada. Intro is an all time song. Overall this is more indie/folky than BoC, but it just feels similar. If Elon Musk could create a band he would name it The xx. This is such a chill album. I would hypothetically take mushrooms and listen to this on the beach in North Carolina next week. I haven't listened to this album in full before, but I certainly recognized many songs from it. This album is great, no real low points and plenty of high points. It's also a unique album in that I wouldn't really put it on for a group of people, but it's a great solo listen. Stars to end the whole album is perfect. It has incredible production with those booming bass notes. This is a sneaky 5.

That may have been the strongest song called "Intro" ever and got me hooked right away. VCR->Crystalised->Islands continued the jams and I thought this was going to become my new favorite album. The middle got a bit boring and repetitive. But then Night Time came on and hooked me back in. Another band I have never heard of which blew me away. If it wasn't for the slightly boring middle part and this would have been an easy 5. I was also hoping for a little more with Stars. But I would say this is a 4.9

Hey I've heard this song (Intro) before! Shit is bangin! Didn't know it was the xx. Crystalised rules. Lost in some of the middling songs, but the overarching guitar work really sets the tone for the album and makes it an easy listen. Really enjoyed Basic Space and Infinity. Night Time really starts to bang towards the end. The powerful build up on some of these songs really sticks out and pumps you up. Was hoping to have this with Stars but just never got there. Twas a good listen and feel it needs to be enjoyed in the album setting instead of one-off songs.

Omg, I already liked the first songs but then Crystalised came and I already loveee this song but didn’t recognise it at first. So happy to find out this song is part of something bigger and I love this total piece. 4,7

Just okay; points for being okay enough that I wouldn’t object to being aware it was on in the background at a gathering.

As much as I loved this at the time, something about it hasn’t aged great. The singles are awesome; crystallized is a 10/10. Some of the deeper cuts on the album get a little tedious. Still solid though! (I was going to say 3.5 but I can’t so… I’m rounding down)

For the most part, pretty typical early-century Indie fare. The few songs that stray from that formula (Intro, Crysralized, etc) still hit as hard as they did in my teens, but the rest is nothing spectacular. Was gonna give it 4 but bumped it down because of my nostalgia probably affecting my vibe.

I used to really like this album and it is for sure a sound of the time. It’s still good, but on relisten, I think I’m too old. Just didn’t hit the same :(

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?

A really strong first album from the xx. The Intro is probably one of the best 'intro' songs ever recorded, to the point that I think it eclipses the rest of the record. A couple popular tracks I recognized on here, but I think the first half of the album ends up being much stronger than the second half, which was harder for me to get in to. That said, those first few tracks are brilliant.

I always thought "Intro" was one of those royalty-free track listings in the iMovie sound library, so for the first 5 seconds, I thought I had inadvertently opened YouTube instead of Spotify and clicked on a time-lapse of a 9-year old building the LEGO Death Star in 25 hours. But this is good music to shred to. Maybe I'll make an action clip if I'm feeling ambitious.

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

C+ Intro - 3 VCR - 2 Crystalised - 4 Islands - 3 Heart Skipped a Beat - 3 Fantasy - 2 Shelter - 3 Basic Space - 3 Infinity - 4 Night Time - 2 Stars - 3 Sigma males everywhere went ga-ga when they first heard Intro. By sigma males everywhere, I am of course referring to untitled2. He's an edgy, independent sigma who lives far from everyone and breaks their hearts.

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

Don't get me wrong, I love nocturnal dream pop just like the next guy and they do it fairly well here, but it does get tiring after the first 4-5 tracks. The weak vocals are not helping them either.

Nothing atrocious, but pretty much dull and uneventfull british indie pop. I don't see how this is supposed to be one of fhe best albums ever. Also, they shouldn't let the guy "sing" on this.

I probably will never come back to this album again, but I loved the overall mood on it. A kind of subtle coldwave with a depressive indie rock vibe.

There are a few tracks here that I liked enough that they may go on my main playlist, and I will probably listen to the full album again periodically, but my overall impression is that this was kind of boring and mostly just mindless background noise.

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

war gut soweit( nicht die letzten 2 tracks gehört)

Prachtige nummers, al is het soms wel wat eentonig en edgen. Eigenlijk zou ik 3,5 willen geven, maar ik rond het naar boven af vanwege het jeugdsentiment.

Beautiful voices and creative sounds but I couldn’t get into it

Listening to this made me want to take a nap, and I say this as a compliment.

Nice in the background while working album

Unremarkable but pleasant

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

Yeah, alright.

Highlights: Intro, Crystalised Leave Em's: Shelter, Heart Skipped A Beat Overall Thoughts: I imagine that this duo, or however many members are part of this group, set out to be edgy and were self-proclaimed "not like the rest of pop music." They were successful in their mission, being that I have never heard a whole album whispered before. The lack of variation really killed my appreciation for the album overall. That being said, the instrumentals are fantastic, and I think they set a beautiful and epic ambiance that unfortunately is not matched by the vocals. Part of me is curious if you stripped the vocals from the album and focused solely on the unique production what you could come up with. I think that approach may yield a more desirable product to my ears and I could see the tracks being used in movies and epic travel videos to set powerful moods. I would not love listening to this experiment from front to back again. Score Breakdown: 3.155 & 2 -> 2.578

Good lo-fi vibes

OG sadgirl music and very chill. Intro is still by far the best track, enjoyed revisiting Crystalised too.

The songs kind of amalgamated into one pleasant background sound but it was a soothing listen

This was pretty good background music.

I appreciate this album for its artistry and unique quality but the vocals not being very strong hurt it for me a bit. A little more power I think would have added a variety to it- soft moments are great but it needs balance.

The intro is the whole album

Too "out there" for my tastes. Repetitive vocals and tones

classic nice

It's cool. Very cool. Chilled but it's so laid back it makes me sleepy. Almost like a lullaby. Needed something up tempo midway through. Became a bit of a slog towards the end.

A revelation when it came out. Melancholic minimalism. Jamie xx is one of defining artists of the 2010s. Apart from the xx I love his Gil Scott Heron album, his solo album and his production in general. The xx are great live as well.

A decent record. It's nice to have on while working... the indie-pop sounds mix well in the background while working. I have not added any of the songs to my library, but it'll be good to hear randomly from time to time.

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.

Nice. Sunday afternoon smooth sadness

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

Maybe it's nostalgia speaking, but this album's singles are fantastic. Crystalised and Islands are almost always present in any indie playlist I put together. They're calm and subdued but never boring, quiet but still interesting. The rest though? Pretty uninspired. After a strong opening with the first four songs, the album really dips when you get to Heart Skips a Beat. The tracks become lazy, plain, and bland, dull and uninteresting. There's a return to form with Basic Space, but the last set of songs are back to boring again. Too bad.

The xx's are my eyes after I load the single bullet into my pistol and push it straight up against my temple after listening to this. This is like if Portishead were all brain damaged to fuck and somehow made a successful album. My penis receded 12 feet backwards into my large intestine. I have more talent when I bend over and suck my own balls than the 3 of these fuckers combined. I am in the top 5% of everyone who has based taste in music and I declare this shit to be fucking trash. Score: fuck off Art: suck my balls

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

Good album. 3.5/5

3.5

4 Punkte

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

Nothing to write home about. Etherial adjacent emo pop.

dost najs

Went into this album thinking it wouldn't be very good but was pleasantly surprised. Favourite song - Crystilised. Overall a 7/10

Grappige navelstaarmuziek, geen idee hoe dit genre heet maar het luistert lekker weg. Veel herhaling, veel echo, relaxte sfeer.

Een rustige digitale basis met (zeer) rustige zang. Af en toe springt een beat wat naar voren en komt het in de buurt van ouderwetse Triphop. Rustgevend. Halverwege het album bereikte ik mijn bestemming. De andere helft heb ik op de terugweg geluisterd. Die break was wel welkom. Want een half album is precies nog leuk. Een heel album duurt echt te lang.

Langzame dromerige indie. Ze laten de distortion achterwege en spelen eigenlijk alleen maar met clean geluid, wat bijdraagt aan die dromerige sfeer. De stemmen zijn ook vrij typerend, expres heel zacht gezongen, alsof ze bijna hijgend en fluisterend in de microfoons praten. Het voelt allemaal heel kaal aan. Het kabbelt zo een beetje voort, vrij eentonig wat dat betreft. Het zet wel een bepaald sfeertje neer, dat doen ze wel goed. En ik kan ook prima een paar nummers hebben, maar na een tijdje ben je het wel zat.

At first it was a nice surprise. Great minimalistic sound, but after a while it doesn't stand out and fades to the background a little.

Pretty nice album, didn't really know this but quite like it

Lovely album with many chill songs

Very unique band with a very unique sound. They set a great mood with very little. Also a bit of a nostalgia hit :)

This is pretty good. The male/female vocalists work well together to deliver a delicate and enjoyable album. It's minimalist, atmospheric, and a little haunting. Overall, this album is not essential listening, but it's good focus music and pleasant.

Pretty good and low key.

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.

Never heard of this band and completely missed any and all hoopla around them in 2009. (Too busy listening to Mastodon at the time, surely.) As is, the timing works better now than then anyway as far as them getting a fair chance from me and my silly ears. I've been listening to Low a lot lately. And Codeine. So I'm all here for some minimalism. But listening to Low is a really great example of how this album would have been infinitely better if the two singers had any proclivity to harmonize whatsoever. Instead, I found myself wishing that they were either better singers, or maybe that even if they were worse singers that would be an improvement, in a way. Trade vocal ability for pure attitude, emotion, and lyricism. Yeah, that's fine! That would be interesting at least! But that ain't what we got. The vocals are all in this gray area of just not being very good OR interesting. In fact, my favorite song here by a country mile was "Shelter," and that's largely due to the fact that only the female vocalist sings on that one. Sounds mean, but I would listen to a remix of this album that got rid of the male vocals and I promise you I would like it better. I'd go 2 and 1/2 if I could, but I'm feeling nice because it's summer and I was still in my pajamas at like 11:45 today.

Very vibey, some very interesting moments like multiple melodies happening at once, kinda depresso

Good

snoozefest. sounds nice tho. study music perhaps

No, thanks.

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.

Album #: 168 first impressions: ohy this is a great album. after listening through: every time after i listen to this album i feel fulfilled. its like eating the most satisfying and not overwhelming meal. the music is unique and interesting; sparse yet cinematic; the lyrics are tender but performed aloofly. or maybe it just came out at a pivotal time in my life and i have v fond memories of feeling like an adult for the first time while listneing to this album. post-reading reviews/wiki: i mean i guess i know the musicianship isn't groundbreaking but the production is clean and its just..a relief to hear something so minimalistic and not grating in this genre. to me, its a portent to the quieter, darker, but still dance-able music of the 2010s after a decade of really bombastic pop songs. relisten?: i feel like i'll periodically revisit it for nostalgia purposes but its probably a hard sell for non-milennials tbh

Goodgood

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

Great moody indie bullshit. 5 stars.

Heerlijk album, origineel, invloedrijk en goed luisterbaar.

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

I mean what can I say, it's xx. Just the Intro alone satisfies the 4 Stars, although I can't satisfy the 5

Fantastic album. Blew me away when I first heard by how atmospheric and minimal the sound was. Such a great mood setter. 4.5/5

So are they The XX's or The X, X? I don't know them at all. I thought the album was a very easy listen. I like their style and the songs all seem like songs I would like to just listen to again and again. I was kind of surprised! Pleasantly! Singles from xx ---------------------------- Crystalised - (#14 UK Indie, #37 US Alt) Basic Space DNC Islands (#3 UK Indie, #34 UK) VCR (#15 UK Indie, #132 UK) Rating: 3.5

Great and moody album.

This is one of my fave albums.

Best relaxed album. Een beetje weemoedig voor je uit staren in een grote lege fabriekshal met precies de goede gevoelstemperatuur. Als je dit als liveoptreden meemaakt stap je daarna slaapdronken in de auto denk ik. Al met al een beetje veel van hetzelfde, maar nergens vervelend. Ik zal een keer mild zijn.

There was a couple of years when I thought the electro-synth-indie-pop genre was going to take over the world. Once the dust settled I realised that a lot of the albums had very little replayability. At one point Alt Js debut was probably my favourite album... haven't bothered listening to it in the last 5 years. Get much of the same vibes from the xx. Good music but not anything that really excites me. First half of the album was definitely stronger. Was a tad bored by the end.

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

Soothing like a soft blankie

Chill indie dream pop. Calm female vocals over relaxed beats. Music that is nice to have on in the background. Standouts are "Intro" and "Crystalised"

Boarf

It's not bad, but is sucking the energy out of me to a certain extent. It has some merit, not just dreary, but still only a 3*, I think, and a low one.

Such an indie kid record. The intro especially makes me feel some type of way.

What a time

Simplistic clean vibes with whispered vocals, a very interesting album, quite enjoyed most of it, with my only negative being each tracks haunting sameness which got a tad tedious after a while.

Nice chilled out album. A bit dreary in places but overall good.

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.

This is 100% based on the music but the xx are one of the top bands that seem like they'd absolutely hate me.

A good one

Genoten

Still holds up, kinda

Rock indie. No está mal, pero un poco aburrido.

Why do I keep getting awful albums?

Yndisleg kósí-chill-plata. Mæli með!

It was pretty good, I might revisit these guys.

Beautiful bedroom pop. So minimalist and sparse, with just the right touch of everything. The interplay of the vocals, the simple guitar melodies, the subtle production - it all blends together so well. Something about this album sounds so timeless, like 50 years from now it will still sound fresh, but I also can’t believe it’s already 14 years old. The songs also have a great cohesiveness, where each sounds distinct but also closely connected to all the others in sound and feeling. I feel weird giving this a 5 since it’s so recent, but it really is flawless.

Melodic and transfixing. Talking Heads and Chris Isaak influences are loud.

This was good background music. I might try this one for going to sleep with.

Really the album is good but the incredible intro really does the rest of the album in because the rest falls short of that. 4.5

A female voice!

Liked this more on release, seemed to pass by a bit anonymous, but still strong

Pas mauvais, se laisse écouter, un son intéressant qui vraiment typique de son époque. Mais c'est très monotone et un peu du pareil au même tout le long de l'album. Le genre d'album qu'on oublie qu'il est en train de jouer malheureusement. 5/10

4/5 I really enjoyed this album. There's something about the quality of their voices together and the tone or the pitch or whatever it is of the guitar that's very appealing to me. I had heard this album before, I didn't realize it was their main album. Lyrically, they're kind of crappy and generic but I like that sound quality they give. I will listen to this again.

This is an album I've listened to before so already something I had an interest in. With the time that has passed much of the same thoughts remain: it's a decent enough album if lacking any real bite or reason to obsess over. The most interesting track may be the first too, which never helps keep you engaged.

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.

I knew only the Intro. The rest are good.

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

Minimalistic and quite pleasant to listen to, but it sometimes lacks substance and can be dull.

Talking about Croft and Simn, that New York Times critic said it better than anyone else in the rock criticism business: "Though they're singing to each other, it rarely feels intimate", he wrote, "more like two shy teenagers, eyes cast downward, awkwardly talking to the ground". But even though this take was intended as snarly criticism, this is exactly what many people found appealing about this act at that time, very ironically. Did such minimalist act age well? The jury's still out on this one. But 2009 was such a poor year for music anyway (one of the poorest years ever, to be honest) that I guess the xx's unobtrusive minimalism was a breath of fresh air at least. Number of albums left to review: 614 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 189 (including this one?) Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 86 Albums from the list I will certainly *not* include in mine (many others are more essential to me): 118

Pretty forgettable

I loved this album. I love indie music- it was a super chill vibe. I loved the guitar parts I want to learn some. I plan on listening to this album again at work or while reading. It’s a quiet one/ definitely laid back not something I would listen to if I needed upbeat music. I wonder if this album inspired Ed Sheeran’s plus album name/cover? It looks super similar and I immediately thought of it when I saw this album cover.

👍

Nothing special

Ganska bra, lite tråkigt

Good sound. I’d definitely like to kepp listening to this one. 3/5

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

Wow, I liked this more than I was expecting for an indie album. I think it was because there was nothing overpowering about the songs - they were nice and calming/soothing. And both lead singers had pretty good voices that complemented each other when they sang together

Another pleasant easy listen. downside is that a lot of the songs are similar sounding but distinctive instrumentals

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

Enjoyed this. Good, but I wouldn’t call it great. Reminded me of Of Monsters and Men’s ”Fever Dream” at times. That’s an album I like, but was a bit disappointing at the same time. This sound is great as background music. 1 - bad 2 - average 3 - good 4 - great 5 - outstanding

Technology

Relaxt, goede kater-muziek

One of my very favourites and without doubt their best album so far. I’d not really heard anything like it at the time and I knew from the moment Intro started that it was a bit of me. Proper Nighttime car album this

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

Still think 'Intro' is one of the best songs to hit my ears. Gives me weird belly which is a compliment. 'Basic Space' is a favourite of mine also. There's nothing that makes me feel as good as the very first song though which does mean even after the times I have heard the album I still wait to get that feeling again but it doesn't come. One of the easiest 4's I will give

Best Song: Crystalised. I think this song imprinted on me when I was younger. It feels like it is a certain part of me. Worst Song: Fantasy. So chill it's just sleepy. Overall: Maybe the perfect chill music. The male and female vocals compliment one another so well, and the backing instrumentals are always fantastic. I love the sultry, almost whispered quality to the vocals. My only criticism is that none of the tracks seem to end in a satisfying way. They either limp off into the distance or just end abruptly.

a master piece 4.8

Zalige plaat

Liked it! I'd only ever heard Intro by them before, so it was interesting to hear their voices both male and female

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

Dreamlike and very catchy, I actually enjoyed it a lot

It took a few listens but I eventually came to appreciate the production on this one, its super minimalist and clean which brought to mind the kind of garbage indie rock that gets popular nowadays at first (the kind where you can envision exactly which product its going to be used to advertise when you hear it) but this is definitely a step above that. Although I can certainly hear its influence on a lot of music nowadays, I hadn't heard of the album or the artists prior to today but upon listening I instantly heard the origin of sounds used by acts like Lorde, Billie Eilish, James Blunt etc. Although the obvious issue is...yeah I mostly just wished I was listening to other artists I like more. I didn't really connect with the record on an emotional level and its aural pleasures have been done far better by its many predecessors. Overall not even remotely a bad album, and I glad I've experienced it, but definitely not something I ever plan on returning to. Highlights: Intro, Crystalized, Basic Space

So interesting with slow and easy style. Everything is underdone. That is what makes it so different and compelling.

The singer of this band has a lovely voice, and anyone who came of age in the late 2000s will remember the hype song "Intro" being everywhere in commercials, movies, etc. I enjoyed the first half of this album, which seems to be a theme of my reviews. I think this is a solid album with a few bangers, and therefore gets a solid 3.

Would listen again

Classic. So, so sad. but very easy listen at work.

this holds up better than i expected. usually something as mad hyped as this is shit 5 years later but this is fairly pleasant listening, borderline boring but credit to them for pioneering this sound that so many others have gone off and built on.

The hype on this shite in 2009 was unreal.

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

Minimalist and atmospheric. Really enjoyed this one.

know the first song - pretty good!

A bit of delay and too much reverb should sound like an inexperienced guitarist messing with the settings of a new amp. However, the simple riffs, subdued vocals and laid back vibe and despite the vocals being a duet seem to capture the sound of isolation... if isolation had a sound.

I thought I liked them when I heard them before but as it turns out I'm not much of a fan of this album. Pretty dull nothing really grabbed me at all.

Didn't mind it. Don't know if it'd ever be something I would choose to turn on, but I wouldn't change it if it came on the radio or something. The songs did all sound the same. I think a full album was maybe a bit much for one listen and I may have enjoyed just one song more, but.. it was ok. 5-6/10

This one was okay. I enjoyed the sound enough and wouldn't mind listening to a song or two here or there, but it felt pretty repetitive and one-dimensional as a full album. If it were a full mix, I don't think I'd be able to tell any of the songs apart from one another, lol. Nothing added to the playlist, but I probably wouldn't turn it off if I caught it on the radio 6/10

Good sex music. Good sad music. Get you a girl that can do both. Spawned an army of imitators, so, like, that's always a big deal. If I were listing 1001 albums everyone should listen to, would this make the cut? No. But do I understand why it's on *this* list? Eh. I guess.

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

good indie album

Quietly beautiful. I love the stripped back spareness of sound. And I really like Romy’s voice - like Tracy Thorn but with more emotion and colour. There’s a bit of mumbling, but it’s a million miles from the silly mumble whisper style of Billie Eilish. Highly influential, something for everyone here if you have the patience to listen - and it’s only a little over 30 minutes.

It’s ok, a little spacey and slow for me.

Bad. Didn't like the boring production, didn't like the boring vocals. I liked the guitars in the second song, some of the drums were okay. But the album was mostly bad.

Definitely an album that you have to be in the mood for. Not bad though!

L’aspect atmosphérique ne verse pas dans le désincarné. Cet album me fait sentir dans mon élément.

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.

I’ve always loved “Intro” and “Angels” by The xx so I was excited to listen to this album. I liked how simple it sounds and overall I enjoyed it, but I do think that it sounds very 2009-2012, and I’m not sure how well it holds up in 2023 as being a “must listen” album rather than just a fun listen. Nonetheless, it was one of my favourite listens on this project so far. Favs: Intro, Crystalized, Islands, Heart Skipped A Beat, Shelter, Night Time Least fav: Basic Space 4 stars I think… maybe 4.5

I would give this album a solid 6/10. The album seems almost ethereal. I just feel as thought the beats are all R&B but the lyrics are like an alternative band. I feel like these two different genres kinda clash but in a sort of good way.

The singles are all less interesting than I remember them on first release. All the tracks I used to gloss over seem more nuanced though. Still a good album, but not a timeless one

Parhaat biisit oli helposti kuunneltavia ja viihdyttäviä, mutta semisti paljon täytettä mahtuu 11 biisiä pitkään levyyn. Nipinnapin kolmonen

Smoothi, tyylikäs ja chilli. Usean kerran kuunneltava

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.

Pleasantly surprised by this album,. Very ethereal, and achieves a big mood even in its minimalism.

Listened to this a lot in college, loved it then and now 4/5

This album is peak indie/alt-rock, and came out at the perfect time for my tastes. There is a distinct style but each song has a unique sound. This holds up to my ears, but the nostalgia is also super strong 💪

I liked this, however can't remember a single song after it's done. strong 3

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

Intro is such a great start. I’d forgotten how much I loved the XX. I listened to this record and put it straight on repeat. Then I put on their second album and put that on repeat. I just read another review that said this was for lonely, middle-class girls in the late 2000s. That made me laugh a lot. Call me lonely and middle class if you like (although I think that’s a little judgey). But this is simultaneously simple and awkward and touching and emotionally layered. If there’s one thing this project is proving to me (as if I didn’t know) is just give me a dollop of quintessentially English melancholia and I’m with you all the way. It must be because I am just another lonely middle class girl. 🤣

Intro sounded really familiar, but if I heard it before I didn’t know who it was. The more I listen, the more I like it. Very chill beach music.

There was some cool stuff going on here, and in large part I liked the album and was thinking it was somewhere above a 3, trying to get to a 4-star rating. But it's the ennui, I-would-be-happier-doing-something-else vocal performances that ultimately suppressed the final rating for me. I get that it's a style, I'm sure there a genre classification for it, but it's a little too affected to be attractive. Seriously, go do something else and let someone who gives a shit sing a few.

Yeah, kind of cool. I think it would take a few listens to suss out everything this album has to offer. Maybe i'll get there one day. Reminded me a bit of Young Marble Giants.

Really loved this album Found a new-to-me band that I’ll be listening to a lot VHS was a standout!

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

Cool album not for me though

It's good chill vibey Indie Rock and I love that type of music so I enjoyed this album a lot. It won't be everybody's cup of tea I'm sure, but I will return to this album a couple times.

This barely scrapes by with getting my seal of approval, but it got it. It has good a good ambient punk rock backbone with strong tracks, but as an album it felt hollow.

Not bad. Good background music

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.

älskade skivan som tonåring, är lite bored nu? Kanske kommer tillbaka till mig

Tycker det var ett bra album, men kanske hade känt att det var ännu större när det släpptes.

One of the cooler intro songs, aptly called "Intro", is just a beat maker's dream come to life. It's chill and progressive and beautiful. Three stars go to the album for just that song alone. I remember seeing YouTube videos that were just this song for 10 straight hours, if that's you're thing. I do like other The xx music, but from newer albums. The rest of the album is slow and mellow dramatic, which is the band's style. Decent!

Really enjoyed this. Like the male/female voice duet. On the re-listen list

I think I’ve heard the intro in my dreams. I really enjoyed the intense simplicity of this album. Really fucking cool.

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 really REALLY like the music and the beats, but I don't think the vocals are great. But given that I'm an old fucker who doesn't love a lot of modern music, I would actually listen to this album more than once.

This was not as good as I was expecting

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.

Relaxing and mellow

Quite pleasant

Good moody jammer

Decent, but most songs just sound like unfinished demos

Proof that you don’t need much in the way of musical ability to make a compelling album.

It’s nice enough.Pretty empty.Not super interesting.Crystallised sounded nice but this album lacked energy for me.Sounded a bit like monsters and men but kinda worse.

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

Fav Song: VCR

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.

Awesome indie rock album. The mix of male and female vocals is unusual and refreshing in the genre. Great synths mixed with crystal-clear guitars. Super listenable album that has some tracks that I've heard on the Sirius XMU radio station.

It's an easy listen but every song sound like a better song from a older band.

3-4

At the time I didn't get the fuss - it was a bit dreary and quiet but actually the minimalist gloom pop fits better now than then.

Such a nice unexpected vibe 4

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

Couple good songs, but a lot of the rest was really slow and kind of sad

there was a commercial with Apolo Ohno speed skating to Intro that played non-stop during the 2010 winter olympics. strong 3 to weak 4 territory for me

Not quite a 4 for me. I think it’s sitting happy at 3

3.5/5 minimalistic but chill for background

Slušao, al se ne sjećam 80%. Dobro je popravit tu situaciju. Jedan dobar indie pop album koji razumijem zašto je poznat.

Alright

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

Youth

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.

Solid

joo. muellyttävä elektro..tyyppinen musik. instrumentaalit kuulostaa mahtavalta, hyvin tehty siellä aydio insimööri masterin kopissa, hyvää... vokaalit indievittuiöua, trapetsi taiteilee sen paskan ja hyvän laiska laulamisessa, välillä laittaa jalkaa jollekkin puolelle...pelottelee, mutta jatkaa matkaa.. intro paras biisi eiköhän se ole selevää...

Some pretty singing, nice sounds and melodies. Might listen some more to get more acclimated to it.

A nice, well made, mellow album. Nothing that's super exciting for me.

pretty good

HL: Islands, Fantasy, Basic Space, VCR, Intro I like to split albums into two categories, "Day" & "Night". This is definitely closer to the 2nd, but I could probably listen to it any time of day. VCR reminds me strongly of two older songs ("Geraldine" by Glasvegas & "Heroes" by Bowie), but I can't help but enjoy it as well. December 20, 2022

This is a really strong debut album. I like a lot of the songs, at the same time it's not something I find myself still listening to all that much. I definitely gave it a listen when it first came out and like the band though. Lots of standout songs on this one and honestly no skips or anything I couldn't just have on in the background, at the same time, like I said, not something I find myself coming back to a lot. Standout Tracks: Intro, VCR, Crystalised, Islands, Shelter, Infinity

не уверена, слышала ли я их раньше - наверняка - но чё-то вообще не моё

great

I didn’t know what to expect from this Album, but it really surprised me, loved it

great

I love the laid back groove of this album. This is also the first album where I've specifically noticed the mix, and that throughout the album which track sounds like it's "on top" varies, which is a cool effect. All that said, there are only a couple tracks on this album that really stand out and that I can foresee myself ever coming back to, so I don't think I can give it a 4 star rating. If I could do 3.5 I would.

Really not a fan

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

Really enjoyed this album very chill and laid back vibes. Interesting to see where Jamie xx got his start.

Pretty chill, I could see this being good focus music.

The band and its music are new to me, and I like it. Really nice sound and style, and I like their sense of composition. Solid performances and I enjoyed the album. I'll have to dig deeper into their recordings. Good stuff!

Classic in minimal pop music, in the tradition of Cocteau Twins, Young marble Giants. Their voices match perfectly too. Live they are equally brilliant.

Oh my god, this took me back to 2014 when I couldn't scroll 5 posts down my Tumblr dashboard before seeing that "X" logo. But seriously, this is a beautiful album, that intro alone is iconic. I feel of all the "Tumblr-core" music, The xx and their impact goes a bit unappreciated at times but there's no doubt their impact was pretty huge.

yeah classic u know it

I like this. Nice quiet slow jams.

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

It was ok. Kinda low energy

Good. Easy to listen to and has some good bass

I love this album. It's easily one of my favorite things to re-listen to. The vocals are great, it's well produced, and the instrumentation is great too. Just a wonderful album from start to finish.

No notes, five stars.

I think this is the first album on this list I own. Love!

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

Good. Electrónica medio dark. Buenas atmósferas, aunque a veces las voces se me hacían algo flojas y monótonas.

indie

Exquisite but slow

Smoother than i thought, i knew the band but not their music. Great harmonies and each song goes in the same direction. Glad i discovered them!