xx

Sleepy time.

no es u ndisco perfecto, pero si uno que me compraria

Forgettable 2010s cool-kid indie

The sleeve for The xx's debut album xx was designed by band member Romy Madley Croft alongside designer Phil Lee. Sleeve is ok, Music is nice.

Logically I should hate this album, but idk the minimalist electropop thing xx has going on is low-key without being boring. Pleasantly surprised.

What a total snoozefest

Actually not bad

This was aggressively okay. I didn't hate it, but I wouldn't willingly listen to this again. It was just sort of boring.

A nice, top-heavy (as in the best tracks are at the start) hype album. This really gets your blood flowing through the first few tracks. Top tracks: "Intro," "Islands," "VCR," "Crystalised"

Suits background music tbh. Borrrrrrring.

--Intro...buttery smooth --VCR...pleasant and inoffensive --Crystalised...cool call and response romantic pop. simple but effective guitar --Islands...the vibes and instruments stay mostly the same but this group are keeping things fresh with interesting hooks --Heart Skipped a Beat...young lovers too immature to deal with their feelings. this is a compliment. feels authentic --Fantasy...spacey diversion with a nice, fat low end --Shelter...the emotions feel real and this fits the vibe, but it's too sparse. missing something --Basic Space...bringing a little funk without breaking the atmosphere. impressive --Infinity...basically Chris Isaak's "Wicked Game". not a complaint --Night Time...fun guitar and drums after a rough start. things are getting samey but we're almost done --Stars...more immature teenage love stuff (laudatory). this could come off as cringy to some but there's something about the combination of the overly emotional lyrics with the total vocal detachment that rings true to me. probably a millennial thing

Brilliant album! Filled with beautiful music.

Kind of amazed by how much I loved this album hearing it again today. Not sure I have ever loved anything Jamie or Romy did after as much. But this right here is special. The minimalist space the two of them create with Oliver Sim is actually hard to accomplish. It requires restraint and confidence in technique. From that iconic intro Intro to the closing bars of Stars they take me on a journey. And that for me is a 5 album. 5 Boolean: True

Day 36 I just know this album did a number on indie kids forever Fav track: Infinity

I had no idea what this was, but by the end I loved it and listened to it twice. Five stars.

This started off ok but ended up a bit boring.

One of the best albums this millennium

Nice textures, but tbh not very memorable. Cool hotel lobby music

Despite knowing the lyrics and it holding such a special spot in my heart when it came out, now it sounds all like one big sleepy song…

(Light 7/10) The very sparse instrumentation and whisper quiet singing makes this album sound very lonely and desolate. The vibe is cool, but sometimes it feels like that's the only thing it has going for it.

es muy tranca para mí

I've seen some people make fun for the fact that it's been effectively cannibalized by the indie pop movement of the 2010s (which I will admit is pretty homogenous to my ears a lot of the time which is why I'm not fond of a lot of it despite being a huge 90s indie guy), but I dunno, man, I'd never heard anything off this record until today and it's fine.

zo veel geluisterd toen ik jong was. de charme is er wel een beetje vanaf maar dit was Het album van de indie era...

I truly cannot find anything all that special about the XX, their music sounds to me like it was created to be in advertisements for resorts you see at airports or maybe like sigma edits on youtube.

I am very tempted to give this album one star, but that’s not just because of the music but because of the people who listened to music like this back in high school. People that thought this was the pinnacle of songwriting and probably music in general. People called this indie instead of what it is - pop. Underproduced pop. Uninspired pop. Limp pop. And these same people would look down upon people who listened to capital p Pop music and didn’t hide behind vague descriptors that ultimately mean nothing. But the band and album aren’t the ones to blame for that. Not entirely at least. The music itself evoked a strong feeling in me, a full-body reaction. I cringed. My whole body cringed. This music is so toothless, so devoid of any actual point-of-view that it’s just baffling how this ever got so imensely popular. The xx confuse hollowness with depth. These songs are empty. Competent musicians play with emptiness by contrasting it with some elements that are so striking, be it a cutting bass line, percussion that hits you like a brick or a breath-taking vocal performance. This album has nothing like that. It’s dull. People make fun of people like Halsey for their ‚singing in cursive‘ when the male singer on this is the epitome of that. I hate this - i truly hate this.

Didn’t love it but see the appeal I guess

A little too indie through-and-through for my tastes.

Ok but entirely forgettable apart from that intro I think has been overused

It sounds very 2009. Way too low energy. The trendy dynamic tricks sounded trite and tired back then, they've only grown worse with age. All the songs kind of blend together into one long blah, not a fan.

I love how subdued their voices are and how they work so well with the airy and ethereal music. I was familiar with the song Crystalised, but the entire album is sonically lovely.

first time listening to this. it was the perfect vibe for the grey morning spent in a coffee shop with noise cancelling headphones cranking through some work

I appreciated this more than I thought I would. I always felt the singers were hanging on a bit (I still do to an extent). But sometimes the off putting fusion of digital and analogue just works?

First couple of tracks are decent, but then it sort of trails off. I've only listened to the whole thing once but I'd say the second half is very forgettable. Maybe it's okay as chill background music. I liked this review: "Man we sure did like boring albums in the early 2010s".

already listened to it mid not memorable at all

3.5. great vibes

Музыка хорошая, но вместе с вокалом это очень скучно

Hey, whatever happened to these guys? I remember this coming out and everyone being really excited but I haven't heard a lot from them recently. I still recognise Intro, a track apparently custom-made to be a TV bedding track or youth-oriented documentary intro. Putting it positively, this is very chill, relaxed and minimal. (I see Wikipedia notes their "intimate, unembellished quality".) On the other hand, you could say that it is probably too much so and there is not enough going on in these songs. I still think that I don't really like this, but I do appreciate that this sounds different to anything else I have heard from this list.

One of my favourite albums

I really enjoyed this one. Chill vibe. Cool guitar. Great atmosphere. Want to hear more from this band after this. 4/5

xxx/xxxx

This is the most real to life sexy music I know - sexy in its intimacy and authenticity.

pretty good

Hvala na tutorijalu, ne bih nikad skontao kako se extractuje WinRAR sam

uh

The XX were big for a while but I never really checked them out. I’m sure I’ll recognize some songs but this will be a new album listen for me. It’s got that indie rock of the late 2000s/early 2010s vibe. Some dream pop Beach House vibes. Really liked VCR, feel like I know that song. Like a lot of the front side of this album. Kinda lost track between songs as I was just listening and enjoying. The guitars remind me of Friday Night Lights songs at times. Similar vibes. This is really good. It’s probably a 4 from me.

Great album which especially made a big impression on when performed live. The deepness of the bass really filled the venue. An experience which is not easy to copy in a living room setting. But nonetheless the album still stands as living room music. The diversity of the whole album is not really great, just songs around the same concept.

Love the vibes, Intro and Crystalized are classics. Sometimes a touch meandering

A more mellow Of Monsters and Men

I actually didn't dislike this album 2.5

Was going to give it a 4 after the intro, but after crystallized you start to realize that's was already the zenith

Soulful vocals and clear talent, but lacking any real emotional depth

Is this that Tentacion guy I've been hearing about?

This album is pretty warm, and, actually, some songs are really nice. But, at the same time, it feels pretty plain and predictable. It is not innovative or deep in any sense, and, musically talking, it is very bland at times, but it strangely has a nice combination of elements that make it feel very comfortable and easy to get into. So, it is nice at some extent, just not something too interesting to really grab your attention to be willing to listen to it again.

I'm not one to turn away a slow and moody album, but everything about this album is so subdued. Nothing stands out and the songs blend together, becoming repetitive. It's just kinda boring.

This is a kicking-myself record since I could’ve seen this group live from the beginning, but didn’t bother with them until now. Why? I honestly don’t know, but I love this album after hearing it for the first time through this project. I was worried it was going to be too twee (I just listened to it right after Belle and Sebastian…), but it has a good balance of moody and beautiful. This is rainy neon nights stuff, and I’m totally here for it. Favorite tracks: “VCR”, “Islands”, “Shelter”, “Basic Space”, “Night Time” (4.5/5)

It's soothing, calming and actually lovely, I needed something like this today.

Nice, a bit flimsy, but nice.

Booooooring

Haletants et exaspérants. Chaque fin de toune est poche. C'était bon la semaine que c'est sorti mais non.

I’ve tried to get into this album in the past, but haven’t gotten there. Some great songs, but it’s just a bit too stripped down for me to enjoy all the way to the end. A bit repetitive too. Rating: 6/10 Favorite Song: Crystalised

A unique album, and a very beautiful one. Made for quiet corners and intimate spaces, whilst carrying a wallop of emotion.

Did not know this band’s music at all…or so I thought. Seems they have some tunes that people like to use as background to video pieces! Interesting stuff, but not a massive fan of the male vocal. Ambient indie. Will be checking out more!

Whhhhy the mumbling?? In theory this could be so good

Sounds like it could be the soundtrack to Gossip Girl or Pretty Little Liars. It wasn’t terrible though!

I had never heard of this band. Found this to be really uninspiring

That first three run is phenomenal, after that still great, but less

It's fine. Like, I remember this album being a big deal when it came out, and I didn't understand the hype. Sure, it's chill, kinda sexy, definitely a type of vibe, and some of the songs are catchy/hooky, but it's so one note. I just find a the songs running together with minimal memorable moments.

I asked a coworker about this album. Cause she recognized the cover. She told me it's great, it's moody and creates an atmosphere. Didn't say what kind of atmosphere. She also is scared to call people or answer the phone. I wish I was joking about that part. Personally I found it to be boring. It's moody, but the kind of mood that feels like being at a middle school dance where the boys are on one side, the girls are on the other and NO ONE is looking at each other. Everyone is staring at their feet or everywhere but another person. It's like someone tried to make a depression album and settled on quiet instead.

some good songs here. It deserves a re-listen. After the first listen I was unsure about it but I did listen again. Definitely a good album, not sure about putting it in a regular listening rotation or a purchase but a good solid 3 stars

Esa 'Intro' es ya mítica para los oídos de los crecidos en los 2010s. No creo que sea una obra maestra, pero tampoco un mal disco. Marcaron época, sin duda, y es un disco muy disfrutable a la par que tranquilo. No busca hacerte perrear o mover el esqueleto, casi lo veo como una buena banda sonora para un paseo en medio de la ciudad.

This was a tough rate for me because at times this was really interesting and other times it was just really boring. I decided that any time the guy is singing it's boring and any time it's the woman or instrumental I like it. Lol

I don't know, the album was just overall very meh. It was quite chill, but nothing really exciting happened, and it's just a bunch of Xs here and there - the band, the album, the album artwork... I can see it having a proper fanbase but not really something that I would actively listen to, apart from now when it was alright leaving in the background.

Really not a fan of the minimalist indie pop. This was interesting though

Really intriguing, but to really catch me something is missing.

Slow and repetitive. Unimaginative background music. 2/5

Other than the first song it really isn’t that interesting 2.5

Not much to say, alright

there are some wonderful ideas and sounds in the nuances, but too often the songs are very similar and sound somewhat uninspired

Hadn't listened to this before but I recognised Intro of course. And more broadly I have heard the influence of this album. It feels like this is the blueprint for a lot of indie/mainstream pop of the 2010s, though maybe I'm wrong on that front. This album in particular, though, fits very neatly in the cultural zone of early 2010s student life in England a la Fresh Meat, Facebook, fluorescent paint etc. I'm not old enough to have hands on experience with that but it's a comforting vibe anyway.

Cozy, minimalistic indie Life is Strange Vibe

classic

Haven't had a contemporary pop album in a while so this was a kinda nice change of pace but really forgettable. I'm writing this review several days after listening to it and I'm not motivated enough to listen to it again. Favorite(s): Fantasy Least: VCR 1.5/5

Fav: Infinity L: Basic Space 2.5 This is the kind of music they have in a movie theater when you show up before the have the ads/previews playing. Maybe the whole spartan sound playing in an empty hall thing was cool at the time, and it is a little cool, but I don't know that there's enough emotion in the music for me to latch on to. Also they sound so disinterested in what they're singing in a bad way. Also is Infinity a weird cover of Wicked Game? Album Cover: 3.5 The cover is a good representation of the sound and mood I think the album is going for, maybe not super interesting though. Album Name: 1.5 All I can think of is this must be Elon Musk's favorite album and band but it does kind of work with the cover.

Honestly pretty annoying at times. Mostly just boring. Some of the laziest vocal performances I've ever heard. Indie pop production that is at times reminiscent of strfkr (based). But that's about all it's got going for it. W: crystalised L: Infinity, VCR, stars 1.5/5

Decent album.

l'intro bien youtube

Ils ont plein de fans sur Deezer et pourtant c’est des random c’est bizarre

intro is fire, feels like an album that you would have in the background to relax 3/5

In a nutshell, I'd describe this album as a story of teens falling in love, falling out of love, and figuring out all the emotions which go along with that whole process. I'm not feeling anything really special here. I can absolutely understand differences in taste profiles. But I would say that this offers nothing new, nothing revolutionary. I'm not sure it really belongs on a list of 1000+ albums you must hear. On the actual music, I would say that I didn't especially enjoy this. The male vocalist's voice sounds extremely unenthusiastic. He sounds like he doesn't want to be here, A feeling which rubs off on the listener. The album as a whole is a snoozefest. Extremely quiet, extremely unambitious. It doesn't seem to have any particuarly deep story. It started out kinda average, and it was all downhill from there. Rating: I don't like it at all, but it hasn't made my life actively worse. So we're in the 2 star area.

#82 Moody, atmospheric, and relaxed indie dream-pop. I've heard a few of these songs over the years, nice to hear the whole album now. Highlights: Intro, Crystalized , Islands

Une pure regalade 😋😋🤤

This album was good but I do think that I See You is just a better album maybe as it just has more catchy songs on it. Have not listened to Coexist yet so not sure how it ranks against these two.

Was not expecting to recognize intro but that’s a fun surprise. This was an incredible lowkey vibe and a super enjoyable listen. I was disappointed lyrically and a little bit in the mix. In my opinion, every song in the album was good but no song was great, which is why it doesn’t break ahead. Favs Islands Heart skipped a beat Shelter

Boring, don’t want to listen again

Intro starts this one out so so strong, and it feels like it fades out quickly after that. I absolutely love Intro and I went into this album thinking I’d be getting 40 more minutes of that. Perhaps that was on me. Shelter is another stand out for me, but I was hoping for a little more energy or at least advanced things happening instrumentally and production wise. Nothing wrong with a low key album, but I would’ve appreciated a bit more from a couple of the songs. The vocals also felt pretty weak. You can tell they rely heavily on the guitarist and the beats to make the hits work, and the vocalists just can’t match that. Basic Space in particular felt like a bad remix of some Edward sharp and the mag zeroes music. The reverb guitar was the only redeemable part of that song. Favorites: Intro and Shelter

holy fuck this was a boring lazy nonchalant featureless plain low-energy total snoozefest zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. sorry i fell asleep typing the review for this BORING ASS ALBUM. Favorites: - Intro. Misleading as fuck

This is my first 1-star. Even Elastica managed to squeeze a 2-star rating. An entire LP should not be relegated to just background music, but that is the ceiling for this album. I wouldn’t even put this on while driving because I’d find myself in a ditch after falling asleep from boredom. Maybe that’s the best way to utilize this album, put it on when I want to take a nap. This won’t be a 0/10 because I used to listen to The intro before exams to calm my mind. The final song wasn’t so bad either, but the rest… BORING! Rating: 2/10

There's a few songs here and there that are quite enjoyable under the right mood and circumstances, but others sort of just sound like a popified version of triphop that just doesn't work for me personally.

I don't know if I'll be giving every album the same rating, while I did like the album I didn't like 2 songs so maybe a 5 star for me would be one where I like every song. Overall the album felt calm in a good way of course. I will say however a lot of the time I am playing a game in the background while I listen to these albums so I obviously do not become fully immersed in what is playing therefore perhaps I'll come back to some of these and rate them again in the future!

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

Not at all familiar with this one (band OR album), this list has trained me to raise my hackles raised as soon as I see the words "English Indie Pop." That calmed a bit upon pressing play, as the vibe here is super chill, and a few tracks in I would even describe it as Spartan. Ambient and minimalist, occasionally melodic, and generally snooze-worthy, the album doesn't leave much of a taste in mouth when done, and is generally inoffensive but unmemorable. It's a 2.5/5 that I don't care to round up or revisit.

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

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

One of my favorite albums from one of my favorite groups

Boring out of context of 2009.

Music for "aspiring DJs" when it dropped. Softness does not equal depth of emotion. It's not bad, especially viewed as a time capsule.

Not for me but cool album.

LOVE INTRO!!

Pretty great. Really cool downtempo stuff. I’m a fan.

Particularme nunca fue un grupo que me llamara la atención pero no cabe duda que me trae grandes recuerdos (no había playlist en la prepa de los grupitos “alternativos” que no tuviera una canción de este disco, incluso con 10 años de haber salido). Creo que marcaron a ese grupo entre los millennials “tardíos” y “primeros años” de los Gen Z. En fin, no está mal pero prefiero los proyectos en solitario de Jamie y Romy.

I think xx is genuinely one of the most important indie debuts of the 2000s. But I don’t think it’s a masterpiece in the same way OK Computer, Disintegration, Doolittle, or After the Gold Rush are. It’s too limited in palette. Too repetitive. Too dependent on atmosphere.

Très bon, j’avais jamais pris le temps de me poser pour écouter l’album au complet. J’aurais du le faire plus tôt, j’aurais beaucoup plus enjoy leur show à Osheaga 2026

nice indy

Déjà écouté avant. Une pépite de pop indé, qui va au bout de sa logique minimaliste : quelques notes de guitare, une basse mécanique, des voix tout en détachement, des beats électroniques glaciaux, une utilisation des silences et des pauses tout en subtilité... Il n'en faut pas plus à The xx pour imposer un son qui ne ressemble à l'époque à pas grand chose d'autre, et livrer un album d'ambiance d'une rare beauté, atmosphère extérieur nuit, Londres sous la pluie. Bien sûr, le minimalisme a ses limites et peut finir par être répétitif, et xx n'échappe pas à ce travers, mais sa concision (moins de 40 minutes) évite que ça ne devienne réellement un problème. Du tout bon, en somme, dont on retrouve l'empreinte chez de nombreux artistes jusqu'à aujourd'hui, et ça n'est pas un hasard. Top : Crystalised Flop : Fantasy

This is the kind of chill music I like to listen to while at work or relaxing. I only knew the song Intro so it was nice to listen to the rest. Immediately add to my library.

summer eletrohits 4/10

Despite the dumb band name, I liked their music.

Will probably like it more with additional listens

vibey. takes me back to high school.

This album captures a mood in the mid 2010s that I could not really verbalize. It’s a magical time of in between life stages, with an interesting balance of freedom, obligations, and dreams. Music wise it is incredibly pleasing, even without the emotional implications. 4/5

Good enough.

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

It was an album

Never listened. Expectations: Low - Verdict: Alright - Obviously I am familiar with the intro as it has been used in countless videos and TV segments over the years. It sounds good but it very much just an intro. I find VCR quite boring. Crystalised is marginally better but not by a lot. The dual lead vocals definitely give the album something a bit different but it can’t save it from blandness for me. Fantasy is a bit more interesting and Basic Space sounds far less generic, at least until the chorus. Overall there is nothing particularly wrong with this other than the fact that I don’t fee any affinity with it.

Already listened

Downtempo, immersive electronic indie-pop. It reminds me a lot of my childhood, actually. There’s a nostalgic quality to it & I think that’s intentional. Subdued but knows not to overdo it, which is a quality I can appreciate. The songs have a very repetitive sonic landscape, however, and the vocal performances were hit or miss. I’ll go with three stars. STAND-OUT SONG: “Crystalised” HONORABLE MENTION: “Intro”

It's good. but definitely not my favorite. It's got a nice atmosphere, but I think other albums do it better. I'd say it's a mid 4, because I still like a handful of songs.

This was certainly one of the albums of all time

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

Very chill/lowkey

388/1001 The XX - XX Heard before? ✅ Revisit? ❓ This was one of those albums on release that took me forever to get into, but ultimately found it rewarding when I did. Nowadays I don't often listen to it and effectively I'm now back to square one. It's the minimalistic and cold approach to their debut that's so hard to get into, but there is a weird beauty to it. At the moment I'm back to thinking it's OK, but if listened to it more, could get back to really enjoying it.

Some decent / chill songs but nowhere near as good as I remeber

Can I get these guys as an instrumental band? The singing isn't bad but that opening track is great and stronger than their singing. I'm going to toss in a mashup of Intro with Juicy that I heard years ago. It's great https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbbAj3EDJM8

This is pretty good, and a fine example of a genre. I forgot we had listened to them before. I think, like before that I will forget this too. Maybe not tho. It is kind of nice.

muy minimalista, algunas canciones me dan vibras de música de McDonald's, mucho bajo, podría ser tranquilamente un disco que salió ayer.

3.5

A subdued, muffled, and intimate lyrical conversation between two young lovers struggling with their emotions in the dark. Sounded very homemade, on a few songs it sounded like one of the mics was out of adjustment or turned off. Got a decent threefer with Crystalised, Islands, and Heart Skipped A Beat. The songs do get very similar and run together after that as the album slows and gets a bit sleepy. Perhaps xx created a new music genre; shoesnooze? (3.33*s) I listened to several of their others songs from later albums and couldn’t discern any changes. No growth. Sounded like the same songs…

Can't deny The xx is unique. Their debut is full of sad, soft songs with a lot of emotion. Leaves the listener with a relatively empty feeling. I only know the band from the song "On Hold" shared on a sibs Spotify list way back. I do like that song but this album was a tad bit slow and lacking. The duo ushered in the whispery singing style that I don't care for and has blown up since with Billie the Eyelash. I give them some credit but not making my playlist with much of their stuff...1.59 stars.

Really glad to see The XX hit this list. A friend introduced this album to me years back and it became a hit within our group pretty quickly. I understand why it is classified as indie-rock / indie-pop, but it seems like it released right as a new wave of the genre was emerging with dark electronic beat production as the baseline of the backing tracks. Maybe I'm overlooking it but it seems like this trend has been gaining traction over the past 10 years and maybe XX had some influence on that. Not sure exactly what to call it but there are a handful of other artists that have a similar approach that it's hard for me to just lump into indie rock. Seems like I need a new genre qualifier to be established at some point. For what it is worth I find XX debut album to be solid from pretty much the opening notes on Intro all the way through the end of Stars. The first half of the album is an amazing 20-minute album side, that has the best songs and serves as a perfect nighttime listen when trying to wind down or calm the mood a bit. I'm glad the XX have some lasting success and are considered a bit of an indie darling among critics. I've seen them live a couple of times and one of their shows is among my favorite concerts of all time. 3.89 stars

Was better than I expected, pretty nice background music whilst working. But also not much going on, wouldn’t rush to relisten. A slightly generous 3.

This is the kind of stuff that gives me the shivers. Girl/boy tender vocals, cold, isolated production, warm guitar and bass riffs, electronic beats, and romantic yet heartbreaking lyrics. The first 8 tracks are a masterclass in dynamics and minimalist production, with very similar "bedroom" engineering that Joe Meek was doing 4 decades prior. I simply adored how this sounded 15 years ago, and still love it today. They truly captured the the naïveté of being young and full of hope but growing up and realizing how fleeting it can be. I suppose if you're not touched by that, you're probably not really listening to the album at all or not allowing yourself to have an emotional reaction. I'd normally give this a 5 but it does run out of gas and gets a bit repetitive by the end. 4.5 stars simply because to this day I've never heard anything like this release.

Loved this album.

I like the XX for what they are. It’s minimalist music. It’s not mind blowing but it works. It’s background music. The bass playing is decent the guitar is okay and the other stuff is there but you just kind of groove with it. It’s nothing amazing it just kind of works.

Bit bland but it doesn’t overstay its welcome

Would do well on a melancholy indie playlist. Very pleasant and muted.

Not bad, but I can see why people would say it's boring. It's perfectly pleasant chill music, but it's not going to stand out in the end.

2.3 Theres some catchy stuff in there but very minimalistic and repetitive to the point that I was getting frustrated at the end.

Really liked the ambiance of it, sounded like dreamy pop. Wouldnt listen to it on a daily basis but was a fresh air from just being purely lyrics focused.

Meh.

This is thee current record on my turntable. A good one, though I’ll give a 3

This was significantly better than expected. 3.5 but i want to give it another try.

I guess I enjoy the vibes it gave

loved this album in high school and listening again was really pleasant. Heart Skipped A Beat is probably my favorite, as well as Intro. There are some downers on the record, though, and it can be maudlin at times. It's a complete 180 from the Pere Ubu album I listened to yesterday.

Alright for what it wants to do. There’s like 2 songs that stood out but nothing much to really surprise me. 6/10

history was made.... theyre playing a festival im going to next week but i dont have a ticket for that one day.....

I still don't like their voices together

❌️ great singing ❌️ great musicianship ✅️ groundbreaking indie record

I was surprised to learn that I had the other XX album very early on in this project, but, to be completely honest, I could not remember a thing about it. This is slightly more memorable than that.

Funnily enough the first song without any words is the most popular. Really great intro that gets me hyped up only for the rest of the album to fall kind of flat imo. Just not my kind of music I guess, almost difficult to hear the vocals over the track. It wasn't bad, but left me feeling pretty underwhelmed.

Suprisingly pleasant mood music.

A little low key

Chill album.

Intro starts out so solid… the whole album is… maybe I should have gone to their day at lolla?? I mean, I would have skipped Tate McKrae to see them. 4.3

This was a pleasant surprise. Chill, understated, and beautiful. Definitely a specific vibe, but I enjoyed it. 7/10 Quite Likeable

2/5 a decir verdad no es de mi gusto y ya

I remember listening to this album in college. I was familiar with "Intro," and thought that if it was so good, I ought to check the rest of the album out as well. I was a little disappointed by what followed. I've revisited this album a few times in the years since, and my appreciation for the rest of the album has grown quite a bit in that time. It is relaxed and almost lazy (in a good way). The intro is still kind of the show-stealer, but there isn't a bad track on the album, just a few that I wish had a touch more to them. And there are some really great tracks in addition to that, like "Infinity," which I have also liked since the first time I heard it. It's a really good album that is so close to greatness, and unfortunately those moments of greatness make the less interesting tracks stand out more. Favorite track(s): "Intro" and "Infinity"

really good!

- this is the first one where i've actually listened to this album?

𝘹𝘹 is less dreamy than many similar albums from the era, but that works in its favour. The music is sparse, intimate, and built around quiet tension rather than lush atmosphere. The restrained vocals and minimal arrangements take a little time to unfold, but the album remains consistently engaging. It never pushes too hard, yet it has a distinctive mood that kept me listening.

The Good: Not a damn thing The Bad: That I should have known a band calling themselves “XX” would showup twice on this damn list The Ugly: Normally I’d say that it was not nice for me to spoil the fun by telling you the artists have 2 albums on this here journey… FUCK ME I had to go back and read what I said about the other XX album… and it pretty much sums up the same thought about this album: shit. Why this has to be on a Must Hear Before Die list goes well past my intelligence… but two fucking albums? Either I have zero taste in music, or I am a masochist who just likes to listen to albums that make me want to jam a pencil into my ear after a while… 1*

i liked it

Inoffensive dross. I'm sure there's some merit to this stuff but I really don't have the time to dig it out.

ok

The XX are a vibe. It was surprising to me how well these songs translate into the live setting. At Coachella they played the main stage and fully occupied the stage although the three of them seem disconnected they are in fact very connected musically. Romy Madley Croft plays guitar delicately such that the vocal interplay between her and Oliver Sim is fluid and flawless. Jamie XX’s drumming and production are the glue that keeps the music from losing it’s connection with the listener. As albums go, it is an emotional listening experience particularly on songs like Crystalized and Islands which takes the foundation of beats and bass with guitar for largely atmosphere to wrap melancholic vocals around. Along with Intro and VCR the first four tracks are as good as any 1st four tracks on any record. There is a bit of a drop off in the middle as there is a sameness to the second half although closer stars is pretty good. Their sound is instantly recognizable although there are historical antecedents to this sound found in bands like Young Marble Giants, Mazzy Star and perhaps Portishead. First rate record that should be in every pop fan’s collection. If you have Cure records, you should be comfortable with this record along side. 4/5

Good listening. There was one track in particular that had crazy good bass. The two voices adds variety.

Beautiful, spare, crystal clear, understated.

A mad chill and moody vibe. Described as “atmospheric pop”, and I can both agree and dig. The intro is iconic. Still not a love, but I did like the mood it set.

Perfectly fine but kinda background music. The two sound like they're on qualuudes or whatever. It reminds me of when I checked out CHVRCHES because everyone liked them.

Okay

The intro was incredible the rest of the album was the most annoying fucking thing ever like i cannot listen to that ever again my ears were bleeding

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

3.5 like intro of course but kind of samey overall

meh

Actually liked this album a bit less than I thought I would. Plucky pop, but it seems to be missing something that I think later XX albums have. So probably more on me for going into it with the wrong expectations, but still. Didn't dislike it, but yeah, didn't rate it as highly as I thought.

This album really didn’t do anything for me, I found it quite flat and not too interesting

Stars was peak

What the fuck is ts

Charming-ish pop

Intro Crystalised Islands

More boring indie slop. The singers sound as bored as I am. At least its only 38 minutes but it feels twice as long.

This is the epitome of an okay album

Had no idea what to expect having never heard of the band before. Recognised some of the work as being used for TV, which surprised me. Quite a good album but probably wouldn’t play it at a party! 4

This was fine. Pretty mellow. 3/5

The opening beats of Intro open up you a dark sultry world of beautiful sounds. Doesn’t always have the songs to match the sound but still an engaging listen.

I tried not to judge it by what I'd read... But this literally just feels like music for people who go on holiday just to aurafarm and act nonchalant. Seriously, every song feels like the musicians are trying to convince me they don't care about the music it all, it's only the female vocalist that keeps me from viewing this as music literally made for corporations. The album feels like a nothingburger with the only benefit I gained being appreciation for other albums with any modicum of feeling in it more than this. I'd rather listen to octanecore slop, at least that builds to something

Pretty solid

UYYYY ME ENCANTA ESTE ALBUM. Yo ya lo escuché, pero estaba esperando que apareciera para reescucharlo.

wasnt for me back in 2009, isnt for me now. downtempo apple adverts. some instrumentals sound alright (Fantasy, etc.), but they lose me again once they start singing

Open instrumental in "Intro" was instantly recognizable; heavily sampled, the combination of those echoing guitar notes and deep drums make for something with emotional heft that advertising has leaned on time and again. A shame, because advertising sucks and this rocks. After this... I was shocked how much it sort of fell off for me. "VCR" and "Crystalised" were both completely forgettable and I only perked up at "Islands" because I wondered if I was still on a single song for a while. The the percussive claps of "Heart Skipped A Beat" was nice with the soft guitar and duetting vocals; this song is the only one with any real personality since the whopper of an intro. Although the instrumentals are beautiful in their softness and simple execution, it is both the best and worst part of this album that hits or misses pretty hard. "Fantasy" didn't feel worth listening to until the 1:30 mark, but the Bass and that signature plucky guitar trailing the female vocals in "Shelter" was gorgeous and it quickly became one of my favourites. Other songs enjoyed: "Infinity" (despite the disappointing lack of a proper drop at 4:43) , "Stars".

On paper I should really like this album. It did absolutely nothing for me. The intro was decent, but it only lead to disappointment

I feel like this music was on repeat radio play back in 2010. Not offensive, but a bit bland.

Yeah I like this. The understated feel and disinterested vocals work with this style. It’s nice and chill and I recognised more numbers than I thought

Nothing going on here musically, it’s just the talk singing over the simplest of beats. I’d hesitate to even call this an album.

Blir fryktelig nostalgisk av dette her. Jeg setter mer pris på The xx nå enn da det var nytt.

Deilig plate. Var en favoritt når den kom. Har kanskje ikke helt tålt tidens tann.

Begynner bra, men den intime minimalismen fungerer ikke utover på plata. Søvndyssende kjedelig. Dårlige tekster også.

I found this one really boring. It was alright as background music but I wouldn't listen again.

Contemplative without being obnoxiously moody.

This duet has a relaxing quality that works just fine; however, there is not much variation from song to song and, after a while, their sultry/haunting voices start to sound bored.

I hear it used as background music. It’s ok it’s nice

This was…ok. Nothing special and I don’t need to hear it again. I will say that I really preferred the voice of the female vocalist. The male voice got really lazy about holding pitch. 3 boring stars.

er ingen ting

This kind of stuff is normally out of my wheelhouse, but the interplay between the two vocalists managed to keep my attention on this one. Solid 7/10 for that and the songwriting.

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

Was this the dawn of chill indie?? The oversaturation of the genre might be to blame, but to my 2026 ears this sounds like a whole buncha nothin' Standouts: Crystalised • Heart Skipped a Beat • Basic Space

Hard to figure out where to land on this album. I have a long history with it. Been listening to Intro and Crystalised since around the time it came out and I have had multiple false starts where I just wasn't interested enough to finish it. Pushing through now, I felt it had to be listened to at high volume so I could hear everything going on. The front half is strong but the back half kind of fell apart in my opinion. I also can't stand the way they sing but that style was popular at the time so I can't blame them too much either.

One good Song eveybody knows - apart from that pretty boring.

Occasionally captivating, sometimes bad, but primarily boring. Their later output is far more dynamic and gripping. That said, this is a decent study in minimalism and stretching one specific guitar sound as far as it’ll possibly go.

I love the chill, minimalistic stylings of The xx. I much prefer coexist to this album, but still decent. Solid. 3.5/5

VCR Crystalised

Bra artister men gillar inte killens irriterande indieröst

130726 15:25 3

Low-key ass je catch pas le hype

Bien.

5.5/10 - Very much an album reminiscent of the times. Feels like a lot of the albums of this era (Nico and Vinz, Alt-J, etc.) I prefer the songs that the woman sings. I think he delivery is a bit better and less generic. It’s not bad but it never crested to any meaningful climax or excitement.

I don't really like the guy's vocals on this album and the songs border on boring. 4/10

it was bad.

i've tried to get through this record i think three times before? and never actually been able to sit through it completely without getting bored out of my mind by like the 4th track. now tbf this was a long time ago and my taste has changed a lot since them, but this definitely gave me pretty low expectations going into this. and honestly? i guess it wasn't as awful as i thought it would be (i didn't outright hate it or fall asleep listening, though i came close), but it definitely wasn't memorable; the only parts of it that stood out to me and stuck with me at all were the iconic "intro" and the bassline in "fantasy", while the rest all just blended together. it pretty quickly got both boring and a little annoying, though i guess it can make pretty good background noise if i have nothing better to put on. instead of taking time to talk about why i don't think this should be on the list, i'll just say a few names of albums that try to do similar things to this but much more successfully: turn on the bright lights, hurry up we're dreaming, carrie & lowell, in colour (which is by a side project by a member of this band! it even has a song, "loud places", which is just like the songs on this album if they were interesting!), overgrown, untrue. (also, why is this the first indie record i get? couldn't i have gotten something actually good instead?) in short: 2/5 album, very boring, has no right to be here over other stuff that does the same thing much better

5/10

Can’t for the life of me understand why these jokers have more than one album on this list. There are some fun groves, but the vocals sound like they’re asleep at the mic. Like they didn’t even want to be singing their own lyrics, which I get because their lyrics are fucking dull. This shit sucks.

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

A good record. Each song has a little something that I like. Great production.

This was a bit more interesting than the one from the other day. Still doesn't really get my juices flowing.

Its first half is stronger than the second, but I think this album deserves a place on this list based on influence alone. This is the album that brought the spotlight to bedroom pop, arguably one of the biggest movements in music of recent years. It’s a lovely album, I love the minimalist arrangement of VCR and the slightly ominous Intro.

Es sind schöne Melodien dabei

I would say that this album is generally unremarkable except for the Intro and the song Night Time which for some reason I was OBSESSED with when I was 14. It was my most played song that year. It scratches an itch in my brain that I cannot find a good reasoning for. Either way the whole album gets an extra point for hosting Night Time and being generally good background music.

Still often on repeat

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

The album overall has this kind of uniqueness and simplicity in the instrumental but sometimes the vocals tend to lack a bit on certain songs. Overall it lacks of risks and feels a bit dull

I remember this not really grabbing me when I came out and on relisten I can see why. The intro and the lead single are great but the whole album is the same tone with no real variety. Atmospheric and pretty but ultimately repetitive and without a second gear. A generous 3/5

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

Very atmospheric, one of those albums that rides the border of consistency and repetition though. Gotta be in the right mood

XX

This is the profoundly depressive indie rock that my ex was into right before she left me. Let's try to conduct a somewhat unbiased listening, shall we? There's no drummer, so while it's rhythmically interesting, the credit goes to their sampler guy, Jamie xx. The bass playing is competent but not particularly distinctive. Romy Madley Croft's guitar playing is distinctive: fairly clean, mostly single-note loopy hooks with just enough reverb to add atmosphere. The dual vocals alternate and weave in and out a little bit but never harmonize. I'd describe the overall feel as anhedonic -- these folks seem to be experiencing a clinical emotional numbness while writing and singing kind of mopily. If you're not feeling anything, how are you writing music? Or why? Especially: why must I listen to this? Songs like 'Islands' do develop sort of a groove but it's not deep, doesn't last long and is totally undermined by the flat delivery. Indie often did this roundabout 2009 and it's a hill I'll die on: the cultivated affect of listlessness that a lot of bands played with at the time is anti-musical. It should be fought, tooth and nail, both in music specifically and in culture more generally. It's true that anhedonia is a very real affliction of depression and other disorders of mental health but expressing it and wearing it as a badge are very different things. Mostly, this sounds like two musicians and a DJ got to jamming in the wee hours after a party and had had too much booze and Xanax. 'Stars' starts out OK but just because the bassline sounds like Tina Weymouth for a hot second. Then the singing starts. This might be for you. If it is, I recommend speaking to a mental health professional. Otherwise, 1/5; marginally better than listening to Morrissey. I'd rather listen to the Smiths or even Kid Rock.

It's a good album

It kills me that I don’t like this more because it sounds so good – this kind of empty, nocturnal, bleak, yet somehow at the same time positive and romantic sound is striking enough that even the weaker tracks are lifted up by it. Except that’s the problem – there are a lot of weak tracks that seem kind of barely written, as though the band was rushed into the studio without enough material. This isn’t so bad for a first album with promise as long as the band pulls it together subsequently, but unfortunately, this time they didn’t: Coexist, the follow-up, was a disaster, the group took five whole years to put out yet another weak record, and they’ve been on hiatus since that, with the members all releasing yet more forgettable solo albums. A real tragedy, because if we’d had more tracks like “Shelter” and “Infinity” this would have been a straight-up classic. As it is, it’s more like a beautiful promise that went unfulfilled. Best track: “Infinity”

It’s not massively exciting but I enjoyed the chill vibe. I think an album of it was too much for me though. It needs a change of pace somewhere. It definitely grew on me on a second listen, I think minimalist albums normally do. Still, I’m not sure I liked it enough to come back to it. It did make for nice background music while I was working though. Fav song: VCR – or Intro but that might just be because I’m already familiar with it. Least fav: Shelter

Perfect album for having a nap on the train. Can see why it might be boring if you’re trying to do something else (but I wasn’t) Favourite song: Basic Space Least: Heart Skipped A Beat

It’s okay.

Альбом слишком попсовый, но Intro я где-то слышал!

Soulless, programatic music with a muddy and uneven mix. The lyrics are all but indeciperable. "Fantasy" sounds like they accidentally hit record while they were testing out a software update. "Infinity" is aptly named as it goes on forever yet goes nowhere. This album supports the idea that maybe there aren't 1001 that you must hear before you die.

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

this reminds of that Big Black album, Songs About Fuc*ing. Not the music, just the title. This album is inoffensive but not super original. chill vibes tho!

it's ok, but not something i would want to listen to again

Bandinha preguiçosa mas o som é confortável, ouvirei mais.

Very chill album, reminds me of the Tumblr era (rip). I've never listened to all the songs, so it created a nice Friday soundtrack today. I have a feeling that I have to go back to it in Fall. No fun facts today I'm afraid :c

What a disgusting voices and lyrics. I vomited and got a headache from disgust. Have absolutely no shame publishing this crap

Nah

Solid album.

The simple and low-key feel of this album makes it feel like it could've come out in the early 80s, which is definitely a positive in my book. A very enjoyable record.

This was a pleasure. The overall tone and vibe of the album is extremely calming and soothing, making it perfect for peaceful background music.

Very pretty. I can’t decide if it’s 3 am music or mid morning music but manages to be quiet but not boring.

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

If you were in the UK in the early to mid 2010s you will recognise half of these tracks solely from them being used in seemingly every other BBC trailer or ident. They won the Mercury Prize in 2009, with their sparse, understated style providing a contrast with a lot of the other music being released around that time. While their sound has been incorporated by a lot of other bands since, the album still sounds fresh, and the quality of songwriting is great, making for an enjoyable and somewhat nostalgic listen.

This is one of those bands/albums I’d heard of without being able to name a single song, but actually recognised quite a few. It’s a solid indie pop/rock album, with very moody, minimalistic (sometimes almost ambient) electronic-based arrangements, focused on the vocal interplay between Romy Madley Croft and Oliver Sim, with melancholy lyrics focusing on various aspects of young relationships. I preferred the tracks with a bit more energy (e.g. ‘Intro’, ‘Crystalised’) and wanted more of them, as I found it got quite samey, and my attention started to wander later on. Still a strong 3 stars.

fine

Vocals felt too pop for me. Instrumentation felt minimal (in a bad way).

It's a good album

Super iconic intro, really incredible. Unfortunately used so much for youtube shorts and whatnot that it kind of lost its novelty. VCR was a cute song and very relatable but the hook was not strong enough for me personally. Crystalised is a cool song, love the riff at the start, but is also missing something for me personally. Honestly this seems like the type of band that kind of leaned into a indie edm vibe that is chill. Never really messed around with it. Islands sounds nice too. But overall the takeaway is that the music is too slow or under stimulating. I do like the melancholy of Heart Skipped a Beat. Fantasy is awesome and surreal. Shelter by porter robinson is better. Still Shelter is prob my fav song so far beside intro. Still all that buildup for nothing? I need a scream or like a crazy guitar riff. Basic Space sounds like Human Music from that one rick and morty episode at the start lol. Infinity sounds fine. Hate how it swells just to deflate rather than pop or climax. 'There's a fine line between music that's "atmospheric" and "monotonous." ' and personally im in the latter camp. Night time is a bit more fun. I actually quite like this one and perhaps this is when the album clicked for me. It sounds sort of like Molchat Doma or even some Kino. I'm a fan. Let's see if the rest of the album ever makes me feel like that again. Nope, not that big a fan of Stars. Okay so prob like a 5/10 for me. I understand how this is an iconic album. The blend of minimalist sound with indie rock + electronic and dream pop elements are great. It's an incredibly intimate album and the guitars are artfully picked. The dual lead vocals of Romy and Oliver creates a fun push-and-pull.

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

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

This one is just ok. I understood why isn’t caused such a splash when it came out, because it didn’t sound like anything else and they did seem original, but it just hasn’t stood the test of time- it’s not very interesting.

*Sigh* More bland 2000s indie rock? Are we serious? As expected, there is absolutely nothing even remotely interesting about this album. It's just basic modern pop with whispery vocals and basic beats. The lyrics are as basic as everything else on this album. So, yeah, this shit is not good. It's not anywhere near worthy of being on the list, so why is it here? I've asked this far too many times, and I'll ask it far too many more if this damn list keeps throwing random boring bullshit at me! Just give me good albums! This album is ranked #2 of 8 albums for 2009. Other 2009 albums rated by me: It's Blitz!(1/8)-4 Veckatimest(3/8)-2

Definitely not for me...

xx keeps teasing you with it's stellar atmosphere, lovely production and clearly solid performances, but that's never enough to hide the fact this band can't write an actual hook into these tracks, most of which are at least 3 minutes long and yet still feel like they get cut off before they can actually develop into something. The only geniunely catchy moment in this is in the goddamn intro track, and even that one ends before you can get attached to it. It's honestly just sad, like watching a kid with talent deciding to give up too early into something.

I actually quite dug the quiet simplistic sound

I didn't hate it, but it was just more background music (my third such album this week!) come on generator give me an album to love or at least hate. This is getting old!

first time hearing of The xx or "XX". defined not bad but it feels like background music, not in a good way.

Interesting

chill

kinda felt like 'that's it?' after it was over.

It was ok. Kinda slow

another album the tumblr teens owe their lives to

Una po ron ga

A masterpiece!

It’s minimalist but I was expecting some mood changes. Didn’t really grab me at any point and repetitive.

This came out in my early teenage years so I feel that I am disposed to like this one. I wanted more energy, the primary emotion from this album is malaise. I expected to love it but felt like it was pretty middle of the road. I really liked Intro and Fantasy

One of my all time favorite live albums.

boring

is oké.. gwn echt heel saai maar niet per se slecht

k vind haar stem niet echt chill.. maar de muziek erachter s wel goed

Acceptable and enjoyable

Great

A few more listens and this will probably be 4, super chill

best track: fantasy

Am I deaf or what??????? I tried turning up my volume and the instruments are very loud and clear but I still barely hear what they’re saying. Why are they whispering and singing in cursive?????? Cool instrumentals but like I can’t hear the singing it’s so confusing!!!

Half of this is all-timer, the rest is extremely pleasant. Such a specific sexy vibe!

One of the best albums of the 00’s. Fantastic album and nostalgic

Xx and chill. Ultimate shag album 😂😂 not quite sure it fits the morning commute but a classic anyways.

Big big nostalgia trip for me, The XX always seemed out on their own, a bit weird, doing their own gothic electric chill indie thing. I have a lot of time for this album, it’s atmospheric and you know you’re listening to the xx. I don’t think it’s my favourite of theirs but it’s a fantastic debut. 4/5 Best Song: Islands