xx

It is OK, it's very listenable and chilled i get why people like it so much, but most of it lands a bit flat for me

Ok

There are definitely a few really good tracks on this album that I enjoyed and added to my playlist. The minimalist, atmospheric vibe is cool at first. However, my main issue is that almost all the songs sound exactly the same. The lack of variety makes it feel a bit monotonous over the full runtime. It’s a cool signature sound, but just too repetitive for me to rate it any higher. A solid 3/5.

music is love

3 stars - v chill. V of it's time! ------- My ratings: 1 star - actively disliked 2 stars - boring / not me, wouldn't listen again 3 stars - it's ok, would listen again, but no strong reaction 4 stars - liked it, will seek it out to relisten 5 stars - earworm, would listen and smile any time!

I am biased, I love The XX. Used to listen them and Jamie XX (the producer) a ton in my 20's. The minimalist sound is intentional. Listen to Jamie XX's album "In Color" if your interested in understand the range of talent he has. One of the best intros to an album. The duets, the music, and the lyrics are simply beautiful. I used to blast "Fantasy" in my CRV to feel that bass. No other band sounds like them, and this album was an amazing launching point for the XX and Jamie XX.

A fun listen but not enough to make it to 4 stars for me.

Just fine. I have a few songs I like, but it really all blends together into snoringly boring early 2010s alt pop

I forgot how good this album is. Would happily listen to it back to front any time

Really enjoy it, good travel music for when you want to nod off after a few songs. But it I'm trying to stay awake and listen to it, then I think the second half of the album needs a little lift towards the end.

Not usually my thing but I've always been a big fan of this album. Calming and minimalistic. Opened the door for 'In Colour' as well which was sick.

You know, it’s fine? I dunno if it’s aged that well? It’s a little bland.

First 3 songs are all timers. Falls off a bit after then though

Completely forgettable. The most generic 2000s electronic indie BS.

After the album finished I allowed the similar artist’s feature to continue playing. It was not able only because immediately I enjoyed and in some cases recognized those songs. I cannot really articulate why that matters but it seems to me that says something about whether this one was a must hear.

Ok

Hilarious meme song

So simple, very depressing, but goddammit I love this record. I will love this record for the rest of my life.

Quite dull. There's a moment near the back end where there's some oomph but it's quickly replaced with the quiet sound from the rest of the album. I didn't hear much emotion in their voices either. For emotional, ambient music, I prefer someone like Blanco White.

i thought it was pretty decent actually and was compelled to listen again

Dreamy quality. No complaints, but it didn’t really grab me.

Drifted by without leaving much of an impression

For what it is it's pretty good and well made. Personally I like my instrumentals to be a little more complex and not half empty.

Fun fact- this was the first album I got when I tried this website before joining our family listening group and restarting the same day or next day whenever it was. I’ve been waiting for it to reappear and I’m really happy it did today. This was my go to in college biking around isla vista at night. It soundtracked my undergrad and I love it so much. Extremely nostalgic

It was good but a little goes a long way for me on dream pop. Maybe a little too chill for me to actively seek it out to listen again.

It advertised being ambient and I really didn't hear anything from it. Like, no memories of this.

This is some hipster BS...

Gostoso de ouvir

Haven't listened to this album in full for a long time — wonderful work. The sound production is top-notch, the arrangements, the vocal duet — top-tier work within indie rock

This shit was so boring

A quiet and moody album that was one of the pioneers for the tumblr days of taking pictures of colorful oils spills on the asphalt and black converse. Besides the intro, I couldnt find myself getting into it.

2009. Debut studio album. Beats made from a members laptop, mixed with instrumental parts recorded by the other members. Lyrics about love, intimacy, loss and desire. Qureshi left the band after the release of the album.

I have not head of this band before. When I first started listening, I muttered my prelude to high praise – im not hating this. And that fuzzy feeling continued when the vocals started. Nice tunes, great vocals, some of the guitar sounded like Chris Isaak but all in all 3 stars is sufficient for me.

I liked the minimalist aspect of The xx. Most songs are just a drum set, a guitar, a bass, maybe some piano. They don't overplay, so it makes it a little more intimate. Having one male and one female vocalist gives the tracks a fun vibe, but it sounds more like two friends having a chat than a couple (which they obviously aren't). The lyrics are a little young, but they were 20 (or 'xx" if you will) so that's hardly an indictment.

not really into this one tbh

How boring was this? The shy vocal style is interesting I guess but not something I liked. I had high hopes the first two songs but they were quickly dashed. I see how it’s influential, sounds like all the twee/stomp clap pop that was on the radio when I was in middle school.

Weinerlich, langweilig, trostlos! Das nächste Machwerk von Leuten, die einfach den ganzen Tag heulen. So klingt das für mich.

I was aware of some of the songs because they were heavily played on 6 Music when they came out, bit this is my first proper listen. Turns out I like it a lot. The two voices working together are great, and I like the mix of electronicavand rock.

Very solid record, I feel like I would listen to it more if Jeep ads hadn't made it overplayed to me

Great!

I always get The xx confused with other bands from this time. I keep thinking they're going to be a bit bluesy, a bit rocky. Essentially, I get them confused with The Black Keys. They're not Royal Blood either. Nor are they The 1975. So what are they? Indie electro dream pop probably works as a description.

Removed, why, who can say

The intro gave a false hope of energy, as this was very low key and mostly boring. It faded into the background so much that I was surprised to find I was on the 7th track of 11 before I noticed. The final two songs, Night Time and Stars, were OK.

Opens with an 'oh this is them?!' classic - the catchy guitar line and idm drum machine creating a spacey ambiguous atmosphere, instantly recognizable but doomed to play on loop behind annoying short form videos forever. The rest adds a pair of singers trading whispered lines to the sparse reverby synth+guitars indie dance pop arrangement, dark and moody, light tension/release dynamics, easy listening - pleasant enough but pretty dull. The guitar leads are a huge Modest Mouse rip off: sad slow melodic messing with major 3rds/4ths and reverb. It's the epitome of post-hipster millenial retail music.

This was a pleasant record. Super relaxing, really enjoyed the vibe. Thought the instrumentation and vocals were extremely tasteful. The artists stayed perfectly on their lane. This is like English primordial Khruangbin. Lost some steam throughout the record and didn’t break any barriers, but I would absolutely put this on again. This is going in the rotation. 3.5/5.

This ok. Got old toward the end. 3

It's fine. That's all. 2.9/5

Not bad, pretty different stuff. 4/5

Not bad, but I couldn't sustain my interest. The male/female vocals got annoying after a while.

erg chill, lekker voor uit het raam staren en niks doen

I remember listening to this when it first came out and giving it a few tries but it never really stuck with me. I no longer have the album in my collection so I clearly decided that it was not for me. it is not bad, but at the same time, it is not grabbing me. It is like milky coffee. There is something there but it has been watered down and the impact is lost. I feel like Lorde was influenced by this album, because the song Basic space sounds exactly like something you might hear on Melodrama. I got a little bit bored by the end. The album did not really go anywhere. Again, one of those albums that is ok, but I really cannot see what makes it stand out to be on this list. Intro or VCR was probably the standout. Average 3 stars

Intro led me to believe that this album is more than what is actually is: boring indie pop.

Good album, lots of recognizable songs starting right with their Intro which is their best of the album ha!

To my ear is so similar to Daughter

It’s okay, y’know? No real highlights, no emotion or anything like that. Decent tracks right through, so dont get any hate but it starts like a new massive attack record so its a disappointment that its not. 3/5.

The way that the two singers pronounce words annoys the crap out of me. They don't pronounce their Ts or Ds enough and they end up coming out as this annoying "ts" or "dz" sound every time in words like "daytime," which they say more like "dzaytsime." Having to hear that for the length of an album is incredibly distracting. Outside of the way they pronounce words with Ds in them, their singing isn't much to write home about either. It feels like the kind of music I'd hear in a Burlington. Anyways, I appreciate them throwing Fantasy right in the middle of the album. Only took like 20 minutes to get something vaguely interesting. That song brings me to the other guy in the group, Jamie xx. Not to dismiss the secondary guitarist, but I actually knew who this guy was before this album because of his solo stuff. Somehow I never made the connection between that and this band, despite the name. His work as a producer here is mediocre, but I feel like it's more him being held back by the other people in the band than something in his control. It's all boring and low-energy to the point of making me feel tired by the end of it. In a word, yawn.

Very front loaded. Found myself losing interest come the end

cursi cursi cursi ay que cursi

Ok

It’s pretty bland. Only a few bits are enjoyable but most of it sounds the same

I used to want to like this record. It has components that I like. Seventeen Seconds The Cure guitars, simple beats and understated vocals but I find it pretty dull.

I like intro and vcr but the rest kind of falls flat.

No idea who this is. The “X” thing is over used. I like this first track so far. This album feels more 90s than 2009. I’m enjoying this. On track two now. This is a really good album. It didn’t make me want to jot notes, but I would listen again. I would also be interested to see this band live.

Gran ambiente

На фон поставить мне нравится, некоторые песни были уже добавлены

I see a lot of people are calling this boring, and I understand that some may think that. But to me, this is a fantastic minimalistic album, very relaxing and chill. Favorite track(s) Intro Islands Shelter Night Time

Good brittle atmospheric electronica.

Pretty satisfying minimal production, with very interesting instrumentals here and there. Overall not the most interesting songwriting melodies though - it gets a bit mechanical after a while. Faves: Intro, Crystalised, Islands

The opening bars set the tone for one of the most intimate electronic albums of the late '00s. Jamie's production along with Romy and Oliver...chef's kiss! VCR is so pretty. The diverging vocals that eventually coalesce in Crystalised is beautiful. This album is a full vibe of love and longing. I mean if you like echo-y sparse guitar and solid but subtle bass, this is certainly for you.

Quite low key and vanilla. It's ok and I'll give it another go again in the future as I think the songs would grow on me as I listened more

6/10 banger album that aged a little bit badly Will i add this album to my library: already is

4/7

Boring

Great energy

Little too electronic but otherwise pretty fye

Dull. Inoffensive but incredibly dull

Overall Rating - 2.95/5 (5.91/10). Overall a decent album. Nothing great, but nothing bad, either. Not really my preferred style, but, again, no reason not to give this a middle-of-the-road rating.

After listening to this record I'm filled with both nostalgia for my teenage years and also a real warmth. The music produced here is simultaneous atmospheric, chilled and comforting - the songs feeling lke a hug from a friend. The vocals and minimalist instrumental work combine beautifully to produce the iconic xx sound. This is a brilliant album from start to finish!

Smooth Sensory

It wasn’t really my style, but I did enjoy “Islands”

First album out of 21 that I’d literally never heard of. But this was *awesome*. I love how they don’t feel a need to fill in the white space. Pensive, tight album. Very 2009. Loved it.

tumblr era throwback

A great album that came out of the blue. Again as a guitar teacher a lot of my students, Simple melodys but cleverly done.

Mellow ambient. Liked it.

Second album from The xx on the list and it’s another two star. Much like I See You there’s nothing necessarily bad about this. I just don’t find it interesting. With no more albums on the list I would pretty much guarantee I’ll never listen to them again.

Could be good but I don’t think the music ever gets going. There’s a lot of intro through the album

Very chill, good music to work to.

Intro is great but then it’s kinda like why am I still listening… wish there were no vocals

Beats, fine. Vocals, bad

overall rating: 7/10! there's a completely different vibe with each song & i wasn't expecting to like this album given the fact that it came out in 09 and it's a trio band... idk 2000s band vibe yk? i was expecting paramore but corny and cringe but it was actually pretty decent!

Lovely, low-fi electronic mood music. Almost sounds like it was recorded next to your ear.

I like their sound, but overall a bit boring.

I listened to this a lot when it came out. Lots of nice Melodies and catchy bits, well produced. Its only fault is that it’s kinda boring? But makes for a pleasant listen.

Low-key and downcast to a fault. The songs are already background fodder as they are but the instant the rhythm section takes a backseat the songs become downright anemic. There's still some highlights here and there but they're mostly in the first half of the album. One thing is that the group definitely understands its sound and its niche right from the get-go, though they would only ever improve it on later outings. Key Tracks: Intro, Islands

Day868 - this is 2009 music in a nutshell. terrible

A beautifully dreamy, extremely well produced album. I was Taken to a place of tranquility from the ‘intro’ into ‘vcr’ and beyond. The album flowed superbly and gave goosebumps throughout. A very well deserved 9.5/10 for me! Fave track- ‘VCR’ Worst track- ‘stars’ maybe a weaker ending to the album. But only due to the consistently high standard the rest of the album set.

The xx - x Pleasantly surprised that I quite enjoyed this one. I always moan about modern music having so little space, but here we have nothing but sparse, echoey arrangenments where every note and beat is there for purpose. Shades of UK post punk, and bedroom indie - all the stuff I like. Amongst the tracks I went back to was the perfectly formed Intro, the Roy Orbison in a dark alley sounding VCR, the brooding duet Islands, and the build up and release of Infinity. Least fave were the slightly messy Crystalised and the close Stars which never really amounted to anything. Dabbled with the bonus tracks of the deluxe version and would quite happily never hear their version of Teardrops again 🤦 Do You Mind is a beauty though. A really lovely surprise 8.5/10

As weird as it is accessible…

Yes!!!!!!!!!

Everyone’s heard the intro to this album. If you’re wondering whether the rest of the record sounds like that, the answer is: almost. Musically, it stays in the same lane — the electronica touches are tasteful, the guitar work is clean and minimal, and the whole thing feels like it’s drifting through a dimly lit room. The real highlight is the vocals. Romy and Oliver harmonize and blend like a friendship bracelet — simple threads woven into something quietly beautiful. Their voices never overpower the music; they just glide through it. The album is shorter than I expected, and the songs tend to blur together. It’s not always easy to tell where one track ends and the next begins, but that’s part of its charm and part of its limitation. It’s calming, floaty, and pleasant, but it didn’t grab me especially hard. My rating: 4/5

esse álbum é para todas as pessoas que viveram a era Tumblr em 2009 !!!

Hard to separate the nostalgia from my relisten of this.

Not a huge fan of the make lead singers voice. Music is ok.

Sin interés, pero no es terrible.

Intro is the best song on this album. But it doesn't totally drop off after and is a vibe. 3/5

Incredibly 2012 Tumblr feeling. Really shockingly bland. Felt like it belonged in a short Hulu series about young millennials.

I remember this being massive when it came out and it is a good album. It's a lovely melancholy vibe and nicely atmospheric. The dual vocals are quite cool as is the guitar playing. The strongest tracks are front-loaded which makes the second half a little bit of a comedown, though, so capping my rating at 4*

when the guy started singing i said "fuck you" out loud

Grave sympa, pop rock un peu indie qui change

Je connaissais déjà; j’avais déjà l’album dans mes favoris ! Je trouve ça vraiment cool mais je mettrais pas 5/5 car c’est vraiment calme !

Plutôt sympa!

At this point this is a classic of indie music. The intro is iconic in a way few songs ever get to be, which is impressive that it has no words and just repeats simple motif for a few minutes. But simple works wonders when simple is good, which could basically be a slogan for this album. The mix is incredibly clean and the choice of having a producer instead of a more traditional drummer consistently works wonders. The heavy reverb on the guitars and the minimalistic electronic flourishes that pop in and out create a mood that is often replicated and the mix makes the band sound so supremely confident in their abilities. Is prefer a little more dynamic range than what's on offer with this album and the actual songwriting doesn't ever blow me away, but this is a really, really good listen.

so 2010s, intro is so overplayed but not their fault.

Intro is really good - I had heard this before but had no idea who played it (and never heard of XX before). The rest seems almost like easy listening. Background music for a coffeeshop. Interesting sound, but not very daring.

I might claim that this one is perfect - from the first song to the last single one.

gostei!

Wat een verrassend leuke band is dit. Het grappige is dat ik hier op kantoor naar heb geluisterd. Eén collega vond het eentonig, een ander collega vond juist dat er veel variatie in zat. Ik vond het dus vooral verrassend 😃

Wonderful! Listened three times and this album really grew on me!

Another album that I hadn't listened to in a long time. Has somewhat stood the test of time. Relaxing and enjoyable low-fi indie dance rock. Drags a little in the middle but worth a listen. 3 stars

They all sound so bashful. Do they know that music tends to be more enjoyable when it doesn't sound like a middle school class popcorn reading?

Understated, but mostly unexciting. Intro is a great start, but nothing else meets those heights for the rest of the album. Technically competent but sadly The xx seem to be lacking x-factor

imagining this being important to jack and lena

Genuinely did not expect to enjoy this at all given the genre tags, but it kind of fucked? It feels understated, with touches of minimal synth and really emotionally affecting vocals and lyrics. Definitely the kind of album I never would've picked out myself, but I'm really happy I've listened to it!

Good background music but doesn't stand out to me. I feel like it would be in the Winx tv show.

Starting of the late aughts musically, a game changer

Listening to this convinces me that their other album on this list has absolutely no place here. This album feels much more interesting, with more thoughtful production choices overall. I do think it's funny that "Intro" is probably the most recognizable song on the album.

thought id grow out of it but nah Intro still whips ass. it seems like the xx sound is defined by those snappy echoey guitar rhythms and i do enjoy them, but it does feel like most of the vibiness around that isn't as compelling. there's exceptions obviously, Heart Skipped A Beat has this wacky super sick production to it (probably my favorite track). as a whole though the album hits. other favorite is maybe Islands. very strong 3

Rating: 5/10 It's mostly just boring to me. I like pop music that's ambient, atmospheric, dreamy, minimalist, all those things, but the xx specifically doesn't really do it for me. I find it pretty unmemorable and I really don't like their vocals. It's well produced, it's a vibe, especially that damn intro, and it's not explicitly offensive so it gets a middling score

A second remarkably n o t h i n g album from our darlings The xx. I'm not even upset because I knew exactly what was coming for this one and it didn't disappoint. I need to watch a video essay on why people like this artist, because I'm just impressed at how an entire album release can lack any kind of emotion, PIZZAZZ, or even a little bit of any kind of personality. HOWEVER Intro is still pretty cool 2.6/10

Woo, what have we here? Nice. Dark and understated. Can't beat a bit of darkness and understatedness though. New Order-esque obvs but that's no bad thing.

I can't tell if I'm biased as this was the soundtrack to my teenage years, but I don't think so. I think this is a genuinely great album. Others have imitated, but this is the real deal. The LAYERS on crystallised! Iconic.

A strong 4. This hit the indie scene like a bomb back in the day. They came out of nowhere with such a unique and specific approach and sound. Debuts where the band’s sound is fully formed and you immediately know it couldn’t be anyone else are fascinating. Their minimalist approach, spooky/dreamy/sexy songwriting and production, along with genius use of empty space, evoked so much tension and drama. A true classic.

I remember this. OK. Cant remember what it sounded like already.

Feel like I should have enjoyed this more than I did, but not for me

Always tried to like them but have always found the vocals a bit shit

Excellent start, wee bit of a drop off but still great (3.5)

They're a weird one because they're clearly good. Jamie xx is a good writer and musician. Their songs are inoffensive but the powers at be were trying to make them headliners which they are not. They're a shoulder band made to fill up playlists but a good one.

el intro de este álbum podría ser la intro del universo. lo mejor del album es el intro sin lugar a dudas pero también me ha sorprendido el outro y alguna canción por ahí. En general es un album tranquilo, para escucharlo de fondo o de viaje. El intro todos lo conocemos no hace falta hablar de él pero sí del outro. que sensación de soledad, como los cantantes se les quebrantaba la voz a la vez que la instrumental se acababa, mágico. Muy triste que es obviamente lo que quiere transmitir el outro y lo consigue.

Me gustó la onda tranquila. Me dio romance me dio yearning, definitivamente una banda de la que quiero escuchar más.

Late 2000s indie rock. Debut. Minimalist. Very cool, creative and chill. Banger after banger.

Intro // Crystalised // Heart Skipped a Beat // Infinity // Night Time // 4.5/5

This is the first time that I think that I listened to this record in a concentrated manner, but I have seen them live at least once. This is a really beautiful record. This record has a fairly minimalist sound pallet of voice, bass, guitar, synth, and drum machine. It also has two vocalists, who at times exchange lines in the song. You can hear indie and post punk influences throughout, but those influences cohere into something that is distinctly their own. The Intro sets up the expectation that there is going to be more of a dance influence with this record, but that influence is tamped down once the record starts. The songs are strong and there is also a strong ambiance throughout the record. I'm being presented quite a few records from the aughts recently and its been at this point, pretty uniformly good.

I get it, but not my style, a little too self serious

I listened to this album a lot at the time. I liked it. I liked it on the re-listen. It troubled me that I had completely forgotten it since 2009. Like this band didn't exist in my headspace until this popped up again. So it is lovely, completely forgettable music. I am not sure what that means except it means nothing.

Super impressive debut

Good Album!

- Chill, quiet listening - The album felt quite short and kind of forgettable, apart from the first song

I forgot how good this was. Minimal but very effective. Great vocals

OK

feel like i'm bout to fall asleep to a vague, diluted version of my brother's indie mixtapes from '95.

The vocalists both suck and while there is nothing truly objectionable about the song arrangement and production, there doesn't seem to be anything inspired or inspiring here either. A fairly tedious, boring album. Personally, I was way more blown away by Imogen Heap's 2009 ELLIPSE than this.

I recognized a couple of the tunes from this record, which was interesting, as I thought I had never heard of this band or anything from them. There is some potential here for sure. I'll have to listen further.

Super forgettable. It wasn’t the worst, but I forgot I was listening to music for half of it.

I really wanted this to be better than it was. Intro is obviously a banger, but the rest seemed to be missing something. I'm not knowledgeable enough in music theory to know what was missing, only that it felt like a soup without salt.

Seems like there's probably a much more interesting album in here somewhere. But honestly I just spent most of it wishing I was listening to Interpol or Slow Club.

Don't mind the xx at all but I struggle to get fully into them. That said this album is perfectly fine, want to give 3.5 but downgraded slightly...

Love this album. Less is definitely more here!

Modern indie staple, so much vocal chemistry between Oliver and Romy

fome

This album was like a terrible handjob. Track 1 - Intro promised interest, arousal, perhaps even brilliance. What followed was 35 minutes of musical edging, slow strokes of melodramatic, yet simultaneously entirely emotionless dirge. It's going nowhere, you want it to stop, but out of respect for the other party you stay quiet, allowing your mind to wander to anything but the matter at hand. After 25 minutes the quest for climax intensifies, but the wolf is far from the door. It is only as the final track - Stars comes to a blissful end that anything close to a climax is reached. It's over. Sweet, orgasmic silence.

Superb album. A soft, gentle summer afternoon of an album but also one for a bright cold winters morning. I love it.

I listened to this a lot when it came out, and it's super chill

Their music is cool as hell and it's wild to me this came out almost 20 years ago.

Friday, 8 May, 2026 Low fi in every way. Minimalist to the extreme. Several memorable songs. No real clunkers.

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

Quite pleasant and easy dream pop. Focuses more on textures than melody I think.

Материал сольный Джейми люблю отдельно, хх банила из-за хайпа в начале десятых. Первый раз слушаю полностью их альбом. Первая половина прикольная, последняя треть нудная. 4,5 точно, но не 5.

Пресная музыка, хотя пара хитов есть

хороший альбом, просто, красиво, ничего лишнего, приятный вокал, 4 или 4.5 не могу определиться

I remember back in 2010ish, when Pandora was a popular music streaming option, the xx would pop up somewhat frequently. At the time, I didn't really care for them. I think I found the music boring to my then musical tastes (which were not particularly into indie). Listening now, though... I really liked this album. It felt super intimate, like I was in the room with them as they were performing/recording. And that room was someone's own living room, or bedroom. The sparse instrument arrangements and space felt purposeful rather than incomplete. The vocals were more of a conversation, two people stating their views on things with each other, than people belting out for the audience. The melodies were engaging and pleasant even if not complex. And, while melancholy for the most part, the album felt like something the makers were proud of. I think I was really drawn to the simplicity and honesty they captured. Of course, it still has some issues. There really aren't many parts that do anything different, so it all feels a bit the same. And, despite everything I liked, it was still a little boring. An intentional boring, I guess. It's weird how tastes and preferences can change. Where before I would've overlooked this album, today I enjoyed being immersed in it. The flaws keep me from saying it's something great, but it was still very good. Overall: 3.6/5

sigma podcast intro, gotta respect that

i guess it aint that bad i kinda like it but its not too crazy

Made me fall asleep

Все чет мурчали, чет пукали, грустили. Вроде норм, а вроде вообще ничего что зацепило. Спасибо что не прогрессив рок.

Another album I never would have listened to if not for this collection. Also another album that is perfect for an early morning drive. Outside of that I don't know if I will ever return to this album after today. But I didn't hate that I had to listen to it. 3/5

If the early 2010s had a sound, this would be it. In my opinion, this is well-made millennial indie pop. 6/10

Generic mediocrity

Fifa pack opening music

Probabily they made a lot of money selling music rights for netflix dramas and amazon commercials. 1.5 / 5

Meh. Nothing special.

00’s Indie ⭐️Infinity

Wasn't expecting to have recognized a couple of these songs. In total it's nice to know that there are some decent recent entrants in the Alt genre. Sure the subgenre is decently popular and getting new music all the time but this was at least fairly fresh from a new artist. Was good through and through, lull at times but nothing bothersome

Was big into this when it first came out, such an immaculate sounding album, great reverb and sparse arrangements. I think it suffers from the fact that the intro is probably the best piece of music on the album, and even though the singles are very strong it doesn't quite live up to what the first track promises. A really great and unique sounding album though, shame the follow up was a step backwards.

Meh, not a big fan of indie pop

It is a 5er for me. Lots of memories flooding in while I listened to this on my run yesterday morning.

daft punk, khruanghbin vibes

Pretty great, really listenable, light electro-synth harmonies

Videl som ich naživo na jednom festivale a tam im to vôbec nepasovalo. Lepší by boli v malom priestore. Inak sú príjemní.

🙄

This an amazing piece of work. Euphoric, rhythmic and simplicity an audible pillow to rest on, or a companion to travel with. If you can find it, look for the cross over project with Biggie Smalls, it proves the versatility of this album and the talent of the XX.

Yes I’d like to order a scoop of vanilla ice cream on a slice of white bread with a marshmallow on top.

favs: intro heart skipped a beat shelter infinity night time rating 2.3/5

Een album wat ik op lp heb en goed ken. Toch ben ik iets minder fan van het album dan toen het uitkwam. Ik weet niet precies waarom. Het is minimalistisch en atmosferisch en ik hou van de afwisseling tussen de twee stemmen. Het is misschien afhankelijk van uit welke muzikale periode jezelf komt of dit aanslaat of wat meer langs je heen glijdt. Als ik het nu voor het eerst zou horen zou ik het een drie geven maar als ik het luister word ik op veel momenten toch teruggebracht naar die periode en zit ik er goed in. Het pakt mij nog steeds maar het verveeld ook iets meer dan toen, Het maakt ook zeker uit hoe je dit luistert. Het moet op speakers. Je hebt de bas nodig om de productie te horen.

Ik weet dat dit album erg veel impact heeft gemaakt, maar ik moet zeggen dat ik het toch wel tegen vind vallen. Het begint met Intro, en dat is natuurlijk wel een episch, anthem-achtige song. De rest van het album is wel een beetje veel hetzelfde recept. Bij het tweede nummer was ik terecht een beetje bang dat de zangeres de rest van het album om dezelfde lome manier zou zingen, ik vind haar stem al snel een beetje saai worden. De jongen doet dat ook een beetje op dezelfde manier. T’ gitaarspel vind ik wel goed, de dingen die ze speelt, maar vooral ook de sound die ze heeft. Ze maakt de Les Paul weer relevant. Ik snap verder de vibe wel, maar ik vind het niet per se een superleuke vibe.

Disco sobrevalorado

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

Lo recordaba genial y me pareció muy repetitivo

La verdad ni fu ni fa. No diría que es exactamente el estereotipo de música de la época, se parece pero tiene un distintivo. No queda guardado.

better than i expected

Two straight albums, fire opening track, followed by muzak

Understated but cool.

I see this get compared to Colossal Youth, one of my favorite albums, a lot. And while they're superficially similar in their minimalism, I think this comparison misses the mark. See, the minimalism of Colossal Youth underscores the beaten-down anger of that album, whereas here the minimalism is in service of a hazy, dreamlike atmosphere. That latter is something that I hear *a lot* in music that followed, and while I recognize that this is the originator, I'm just so tired of that type of thing, I prefer for there to be more substance in my music, personally.

Phenomenal ...

Interesting album, almost chris isaac like in places, but nothing stood out for me.

Very much enjoyed it. Especially the first song which is the only one I knew

This was well produced, the dual vocals are great. I’ll definitely listen again.

Car commercial music.

The singing is unnecessary

I am not generally an Indi person, but this album was decent.

This was good. Nice background music for just being chill!

This is a very special album to me. I listened to this dozens of times during my formative teenage years.

Interesting in a way and some of the music and guitar riffs are quite pleasing to listen to in a dreamy, super chill sort of way. But the songs never seem to go anywhere and there's not enough going on. It's not bad but it's not outstanding either.

This is such boring lazy music delivered without passion. I do not get the fuss with this band

atmosphérique calme petits riffs entêtants low volume voices slow simple growing sweet stripped resonating instrumental

Sooooooooo gooooood. A touch haunting, it creates a seriously seductive mood. Low lights, low levels, perfect atmospheric sounds with great vocals. Should be 5 of 5, but I'm holding back on that for now. So a very strong 4 out of 5. the strongest 4 possible. Heck, I may upgrade to 5. The music is simple, often quiet, delicately layered instruments that cut through you conciousness with understated simplicity.

Fantastic album, loved it as a teen and still holds up today

someone said that this was music for suburban white girls born in the 90s which tracks. my ex who was all of those things introduced me to this band. that being said, I really like this album despite the association with her. it's got a unique sound

É ok, me lembrou um pouco blonde redhead

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

I've not listened to this as much as coexist, which pips this album for me. However the style still works well here, and it is well paced. High 4.

So many memories. They have quite a unique sound from such a familiar set up

Classy production. Atmospheric. However, I'm not a fan of the vocal delivery, and everything is quite flat and monotone, to me.

In pop music more often than not, the tendency is to inject songs with an abundance of noise and energy, using this to create momentum, drama and a pulse. On their debut The xx achieved the same effect through making every effort to keep each song as small as possible. Each passage has the fewest number of layers they can get away with which creates a fragility and tension. It’s a cool point of difference that they whisper hooky melodies across the entire length of the tracklist. In 2009, at 16, I did find it a bit more profound than I do now. There is the odd sentimental lyric which doesn’t quite land for me. But largely it holds up in my estimation.

Today’s album is a pleasant surprise - my most played album as a 15/16 year old, this is getting a low 5 because listening to it hundreds of times means I know and cherish every note, even if it feels less groundbreaking to me now than it did back then

Good, but way more downtempo than I typically like. I'm also not a fan of the mumbly vocals.

Nice background music

A lot of vocals over a simple guitar track. Not really my thing.

mid, wydaję mi się, że to kompletnie nie mój gust, ale może za którymś razem moja opinia się zmieni, żadna z piosenek nie przyciągnęła mojej uwagi 2,5/5, zdziwiło mnie to bo gatunek wydawał się bardzo mój

This wasn’t egregiously bad but for some reason I kinda hated it. It was just so boring and bland and underwhelming.

joa, eher hintergrundmusik tbh, auch wenn da diese ultra bekannten melodien drin sind (intro)

Started good and then turned simply boring. Reminds me of a very stripped down and bland version of Daughter.

Legendary album for the time when it was released. Sort of repetitive, slow guitar, seems to use appropriation, lyrics lost in air. Nonetheless, can't deny my love for indie, hipster sound. I am rating lower that I actually like it.

One of my most listened to albums of all time. Seen 'em live. Own the vinyl.

Love this album

I had heard "Crystalized" before listening to this album, but was unfamiliar with the band. Pretty decent, some sexy sounding tracks in this one.

It was okay. I didn't have many thoughts on this one.

Kind of boring. From the UK.

Okayy

Out of the 1001 albums on this list, I'm sure this will be one of the few bands I've never heard of. Guess that's the point of this, to find new bands - very happy to have stumbled upon The xx. The duo of Romy Madley Croft and Oliver Sim, co-vocalists, combine on most of their tracks. Their eponymous album starts off with "Intro," an earworm of an instrumental track, famously mashed up with French Montana's "Unforgettable." Catchy melodies, soft guitar, and buildups that never fully crystallize into a beat drop characterize this listening experience. By the end, one completely understands this band's vision - they aren't trying to replicate any one sound or appeal to average pop music listeners. These guys are comfortable and content in their own lane. They have their own sound - don't try to put them in a box! Isn't that all you can ask for? The xx uses the negative space to build tension. If anything, we can call it "Minimalistic Pop." Highlights: "Crystalised," "Shelter," and "Intro."

2 - lethargic moody bullcrap

i’m sorry but it was mid

Olipa tunnelmallista mies ja naissolistin hempeilyä

Surprised I seemed to know every song on this album. Then I remembered - I really liked them until I went into a tent at Reading Festival with a shocking hangover. They were playing and nearly sent to me into a lethargy coma. Haven’t thought about them or played the album since. Enjoyed it so my tip is play the album only when you’re in the right mood and don’t ever go to see them live.

Not my type..

3/5

Classic

The music is nice, really chill. I'm digging it. Romy Croft's vocals are really nice. I could kinda take or leave Oliver Sim's. They're fine. Not a bad listen at all, maybe just a little samey.

After a brief break from all the sad boy rock bands or whatever, I came back to this albums intro. An instrumental with potential EDM vibes, I was excited to mix up the genre here with something fresh and modern. Second song in, straight back to sad boy cry cry wah wah. I'm on the brink. The only thing that can bring me back is some Kendrick or pendulum. Some MF DOOM would be hella clutch.

It was aiite man

Man, it’s been a while since we’ve had a truly boring, non-noteworthy album! I’m thankful for The xx for giving me the day off. This album is music, for sure. It’s sparse, but not in an intriguing way. The album lacks excitement, progression, and overall interest. No footholds to latch on to today. Just an overall flop. 2/10 for me.

Very low key sound that I can sleep to /pos

I know this album... Intimately. Sultry, groovy, and cool. Love everything about it. The vocals play so well together. Not one of the GOAT albums, but pretty perfect to me. 4.75/5.

I like the album, but it does not have the energy that I was expecting. It is an amazing album to listening when you are having a small party with friends at home in a lower volume, to fill the environment with a good and slow pace vibe

Has some bangers in here. Intro and crystalized mainly, but the others still fit the same vibe but don't throw quite as hard.

Indie Pop seems like such a contradiction. You want to be independent of the big record companies and do your own thing... But still make your music as commercially viable as possible. Tangent aside, this was better than their more recent album on this list. The R&B influences are mostly prevalent in Croft's vocals, while Sim's vocals are more... monotone.

I was surprised that the four first songs of this album all turned out to have been radio hits here in Belgium. So I was familiar with a good portion of it. And while there is beauty in that minimalist sound, that also cuts the other way by not really asking for your attention. Those radio hits have had years to percolate into my brain. The remainder of the album was not really making a strong impression.

forgettable for me. I've heard the song 'intro' before but that's the only one that left somewhat of an impression.

Nipples are covered

Quiet; didn't really care for this one much

I wish i could put 0

Great album. I have a copy on vinyl and should listen more to it. Excellent songs.

el indi que nos gusta a todos

Very influential album. Before this came out gossip girl originally said “oo gossip girl” but then they added the xx after hearing Intro

Really well produced. It’s minimal but still has atmosphere. Just didn’t really grab me

not rlly my style but would love to listen to more folk sruff like this

Starts well. Gets samey. But i like it.

This one is difficult for me. It's not that it's outright terrible as much as that it's just boring. It's like boring Phantogram, and Phantogram isn't super interesting for me for the most part anyway. Somehow, XX is a bit more boring than Phantogram. It's like listening to a couple of hipsters record a boring jam session with their guitar and their Casio keyboard and sing over that, but even they sound bored and disinterested with what they're doing. I dunno, man, this one kinda sucks. 4.5/10

I hadn’t heard the album before, and perhaps I was expecting something different. Something a bit louder. Noisier. No, the album isn’t loud. It’s more like quiet, minimalist indie pop. The call it dream pop. But the album is a bit monotonous. No, very monotonous. Individual tracks hardly stand out, and not much sticks in the mind. It’s not a bad album, but it just doesn’t work for me. If I want to listen to that sort of music, I’ll listen to the quiet songs by Velvet Underground. Perhaps I’m simply too old for dream pop.

Simple but great

Sounded like music for a car advert. Started ok but by the end was rather boring

I miss when my Spotify discover weekly sounded like this. Top tier lay on the floor in dark music

It's ok

It was pretty decent, not bad.

I was really expecting much, but this was pretty good. A lot of the songs do kinda sound the same, but it is a good unique sound so it isn't so bad. I don't understand why intro is their top song by a good margin, I mean it is fine, I just don't really see much in it. I guess it's a Tik Tok thing. Mid 4.

Fedt album, talentet føles meget mere ligeligt fordelt end på den sidste vi havde med dem

Alt for længe siden! Den her bringer virkelig nogen minder tilbage. Kun bangere, perfekt produktion.

Clean sounding production, simplistic, good songs.

The instrumentals sound really calm and kind. The sound of the songs themselves remind me of warm summer memories. I also think the lyrics are beautiful. Overall, i like this album, but sometimes it can get a bit boring or repetitive.

The xx debut album xx was released in 2009. I have been a fan since the first time I heard them. Their blend of indie pop and dream pop is perfect. I like Romy Madley Croft's vocals, especially when Oliver Sim joins in with her. And to make it even better Jamie Smith aka Jamie xx is a genius of a musician. My favourite songs are "Fantasy", "Shelter", and "Crystalised". Is it just me or does "Infinity" sound like a Chris Isaak song? And why wasn't he included in the list of 1001 Albums? The song is probably my least favourite, yet it is still a decent song. Speaking of songs that sound like other songs, "VCR" sounds like a David Bowie song. I think it reminds me of "Heroes". Overall, I like the whole album. It was a great debut album. I love the vocals from Sim and Croft. 9.5/10.

Brought me right back to high school. Love this album

Best Song: VCR This wasn't bad at all. It was needed after the run of bad albums I had to endure lately. A little more mellow than I was expecting and I can see a good use case of having this on while working/writing/cleaning. I will take this over some of the other garbage that came out in 2009. 4/5.

everything sounded the same

The first tracked showed such promise, but then on the second they began to sing and that promise quickly vanished. Things then got more tedious as each track passed, until the end when I felt like a coma was imminent. The instrumentation would be nicely relaxing on its own, but with the droning vocals my brain just wants to turn to jelly.

I can understand how people might find this boring. But I did find it quite enjoyable, even if I’m not a fan of the genre.

Obra con intro inmortal

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

(V) One of my favorite records in the past 15ish years.

Middle of the road.

I wanted to love it but it is boring

redelijk

Cool vibes

I am still looking for what makes this album special... so far, I haven't found anything. It is neither horrific nor a captivating, impressive record. It just is something, mediocre and not very detailed. After listening for the first half of the halbum, I was a bit suprised when "Basic Space" featured drums that were remarkable for the first time on the album, at least it was the first time I actually noticed it. I guess you can put it on as background music, but for me, it isn't anything more. 2/5

Dull and dated

The dual vocals don't match well. The guitars are repetitive. l'm all for minimalist pop that's not crazy overproduced but this is dull.

Good chill album. Not a mindblowing experience but definitely a good listening. Best track was Islands.

3.5 Depends on my mood

Great listen. Looked into their group. They have a great sound. For sure will place in my rotation.

Цікаво) Інді, таке собі(

The first thing that struck me about *xx* was how much of its character comes from what The xx refuse to do. Nothing is overplayed, nothing is oversung, nothing is crowded. The arrangements are so spare that every sound has to justify its presence, and the remarkable thing is how rarely you feel anything is missing. Liz’s verdict was that “the tunes don’t go on,” which sounds almost comically faint praise until you realise that it gets right to the heart of the record. The songs arrive, establish their mood, make their point, and leave before they can dilute themselves. That discipline is what makes the album work. Plenty of records are sparse because they are underwritten. This one is sparse because subtraction is part of the composition. The empty space is doing work. Guitar figures appear more like outlines than statements, bass notes have room to carry enormous weight, and the vocals sit inside the arrangements rather than trying to dominate them. There is never any sense that the band are nervous about whether you have got the point. They trust the song, and they trust the listener. The common comparison with R&B initially seems useful. You can hear why people reach for it: the weight of the bass, the intimacy, the duet vocals, the late-night atmosphere, and the willingness to let silence sit inside the groove. There is also something of the production economy associated with the Neptunes here, that confidence that one sharply chosen sound can be more effective than five adequate ones. But the R&B comparison quickly becomes a false friend. This is not particularly warm music. It does not swing very much, the vocals do not have much elasticity, and there is very little of the sense of the body that even minimalist R&B tends to retain. Ultimately this is white indie, albeit white indie that has paid attention to what contemporary Black pop production had learned about space. Its deeper emotional ancestry feels closer to post-punk. There is a line back to Joy Division in the album’s temperature: not in the sound itself, but in the cold air around the parts, the emotional distance, and the sense that restraint can carry as much feeling as excess. The xx make that chill vastly more comfortable. There is no industrial dread here. The coldness is sleek, intimate and beautifully upholstered. This is austerity that knows where the nice headphones are kept. Romy Madley Croft’s contribution is especially impressive. Her guitar playing is wildly tasteful. She seems to understand exactly how little a part needs to do before it starts damaging the balance of the song. I was reminded, oddly enough, of Justine Frischmann: not because they sound alike, but because both have that gift for graphic clarity, for placing a line rather than merely playing one. Frischmann tended towards something harder and more angular; Romy is softer and more inward. But both understand that taste is often a matter of refusal. That may also explain why this record was able to become so successful without ever sounding particularly commercial in the conventional sense. It is mass-market restraint. In old Radio 1 terms, it feels much more Richard Skinner or David Jensen than either daytime programming or John Peel: stylish, selective, clearly cooler than the centre, but still perfectly legible inside the mainstream record-buying world. It never threatens to become difficult for the sake of proving its seriousness. It is HMV-friendly minimalism. And I mean that as praise. There is a tendency to treat accessibility as though it somehow cheapens restraint, but *xx* demonstrates the opposite. Making something this sparse and still making it immediately communicative is a considerable skill. The album does not require you to admire the concept before you can enjoy the music. It simply creates its atmosphere and lets you enter it. What I like most, though, is the confidence of the editing. The xx seem to know that a song does not become more meaningful by lasting another ninety seconds, and that a feeling does not become more intense simply because you add another layer. They stop when the work is done. In a musical culture that often mistakes abundance for generosity, *xx* is a reminder that one of the most sophisticated things an artist can do is simply decline to add anything else.

Música água com açucar que toca na renner