xx

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

Opening song has a nice strong build up and rhythm, draws you in well.

music designed to evoke a little bit of a feeling in the context of the television show/ad it's paired with while being so forgettable that it doesn't register as a song. the 2 star for their 2017 release and the 1 star for this should be switched but putting both on the list is a 1 star choice. music: hated. (⌐■_■)

Better than the other one on the list (music much better suited for 2009 than 2017), but it’s crazy to have two albums by the xx on here. You can see that’s crazy right

Pretty dull, might suit me better in a different mood.

Ok so overall I like this a lot. It’s really like gentle but also interesting to listen to. The bareness of the actual tracks makes the bass super prominent which is cool. I just feel like I wouldn’t have that much of a reason to listen to it again. Fav songs: VCR, basic space

this was such a staple in my high school years. to listen to the xx while scrolling through tumblr was such an experience. i've never listened to the entire album but hearing it takes me back to such a specific time and place in my life and evokes such a nostalgic feeling.

Pretty good indie songs here, nothing insane though.

It's a painfully cool sound and a couple of songs are outstanding. Problem for me is that I'm rarely stoned these days and so I'm rarely on the mood for this

Not bad - on paper i should like this more, all the elements are there, post punk, minimalist arrangements, good mix of male and female vocals. Songs aren't really there though. Might open up something over a couple of listens, but i doubt it.

These guys are new to me. Sounds like my thing from reading about their influences. Let’s go! Ah I’ve heard the intro before and quite like it but the rest of the album is a bit underwhelming

Intro is great, but most of the other songs blended together. I think it’s a little too soft for me.

thats great, genius

The xx was a phenomenon of the 2010s. Two albums of them are on this list and I think this one is not as good as the other. The two singers sing at each other, not to each other. They feel disconnected and especially the male vocals feel like they trying too hard to be an outcast character full of teenage angst. Good music which give the proper backbone for this kind of choices with some dubious choices of certain percussion that sits all the way with a clingy sound on the right channel. I thought my fuckin speaker broke. No, The xx can do better than this. But there are also better bands out there.

Started off cool but then nothing else happens.

Good album, good vibes and happy to revisit it in the future. nice to hear other songs than the intro ! 3.5

Listened to it a lot when it was released and still enjoy it a lot.

I would study/ work to this I like it, recognized the first song and I think I like the band after listening to some of their other stuff on autoplay

This album is a nice and simple listen, nothing too dramatic or energetic. Great for a cold snowy day that I have right now. This album reminds me of my Alt-Rock era and the album ultimately leaves me wanting a show stopper song I cant help but sing along to, but the laid back nature keeps me from getting that. Overall, it was a good listen but not anything above average.

‘Intro’ made me immensely nostalgic, but then I remembered how annoying I find the vocalists and the rest of the album was a drag to listen to

Extremely good, a classic

Intro

Me esperaba algo completamente diferente, no se si es algo que yo escucharía me parece mdio genérico, pero no malo.

This band sounds like if you told AI what post punk sounded like and it shat this out. Gotta say though, pretty impressive to have a band with two vocalists where neither can sing. That’s bold.

3/4 border, a little repetitive in the downbeat minimalism but nothing bad here (definitely ripped off Chris Isaak with the one song though). Shelter/Heart Skipped a Beat tip the scales to a 4

Wow, didn’t expect to see this album on the list! Impeccable vibes. 4.5 stars.

This is a band I see talked more about music journalists or critics over day to day conversations. Not that their totally obscure or something, but even among my friend groups of people in different music scenes and tastes wouldn't ever care to bring them up. The whole 'indie pop' thing that exploded in the mid to late 2000s was not something that ever appealed to me. At least it's not a sad white singer-songwriter boy with an acoustic guitar. [Editor's Note, which is me who is also the writer that is also me: My last.fm logs say I have listened to this album in 2011, and I do not remember having done so at all. I have re-listened to the album of course] Let me expand more on my dislike for indie pop, since this album essentially fits that late 2000s/early 2010s mode to a T, minus the aforementioned acoustic guitar stereotype. The BPM/pace is slower, sung in a manner that makes the scene seem competitive on who can mumble or speak as softly as possible. There are synthesizers and I will never complain about that. Fantasy has this great bass on it that you have to go through a minute of boring indie pop singing to hear it. I'm not the best at hearing lyrics through songs so I may be rhythmically biased (as you can read), but my hearing focuses on the sound of the vocals like you could imagine hearing someone sing in a foreign language. The vocals aren't bad, just boring and not engaging. The engaging part feels forced on the deep breath-sounding reverb. Shelter could be engaging song if the drums could be played with someone that can play faster than a heartbeat. That gives me the most ire of the genre/xx: PLEASE SOUND LIKE YOU'RE ALIVE IN THE ROOM. Drums being this mellow enrages my soul. And even when the drums are present, it's got the repetitive boring beats to it and not even the Krautrock motorik style that you could appreciate or feel shroomed out hearing it. I could go on and on about certain complaints, but it's just me saying something that something is boring or basic. I don't like to rank things one star unless I truly abhor it (in contrast I'm fairly lenient about 5 star records, which is essentially a "fuck yeah" from me or really digging something I haven't heard before), but this album does capture a sound of a decade, a pretty shitty one at that I grew up in. I think in a sense it's an iconic and reasonable inclusion on the list. Lots of boring bands were inspired by this sound, in a small group of genres one ought to formally call "millennial bullshit". Stomp and Clap, Indie Pop, Postgrunge: working together to make rock music sound sterile in three different ways. There's nothing on xx, even the parts that I liked in most of the songs that makes me feel like hearing any of the songs again on my shuffle playlist filled of all the music I like, which is over 30,000 songs. All the cool surf guitar tones, synthesizer tricks, an occasionally interesting bass line: I can find all of that elsewhere. There's a reason they say you need to learn three chords, because using the same two over and over again on different songs would make the Ramones scoff and laugh. The reason for my dismay for this music is that I cannot stand the vocals, the lack of good rhythm, the slow-paced nature of a "pop" record, it's all too conventional and corporate-approved emotional music. I need life in my music, I want to feel energy or some kind of actual vibration or pulse of vibration to feel moved by music. It just sounds lifeless or a soul was sucked out of someone. This was the sound of 2009/2010 if you hated partying and club music, but felt perfectly okay about synthesizers lest you hear it go too fast, loose, and crazy. SAT/ACT prep music to study to ass shit. Music to lower your blood pressure to dangerous levels to. I feel like Miles Davis talking about that cat Steve Miller writing all of this. Two thumbs down.

One of the best surprises of this list so far. A group I wasn’t familiar with where I absolutely needed to be. Beautiful album

very very good and nostalgic

New to me but I liked the guitar. Shame that they screwed over the guitarist and she is not on the later (disappointing) albums.

A solid indie-tronica album! Some solid moments and singles on this album. I’d give it a solid 3.5/5 if I could in here. I think the second half is a little better better than the first half.

Gosh this takes me back to my 20s. Generally very bland apart from infinity which I still like.

Had really high hopes for this, intro track is iconic but….that’s about it. Production is really dry and made me lose interest pretty quick. Maybe one or 2 songs made me interested, which then quickly faded away after I listened. Just meh, not terrible but I won’t be listening again

Pretty good all round. Nostalgic to me as well. I wouldn't saying the singing/lyricism makes this album worthy of a classic though. My wife was very annoyed by Romy's bad singing habits which are very hard to unhear.

Норм, чуть выше 3

This one was okay. Just so slow

Mellow pop-rock with electronics and two voices, male&female.

I had never heard The xx before but this was an incredible album.

So solid!

Underwhelming.

I can see what’s good about it but it is incredibly dull

🥇intro 🥈crystalised 🥉islands HM: shelter, infinity

8/10

A very pleasant surprise. Minimalist electronic with good guitar work and blended vocals. A good album to chill to.

4.2

Some nice sounds but no soul. 2.5

not terrible.

The instrumentals on this are timeless. It think my enjoyment of it is more limited by the vocal performance. However, this album still has a soft spot for me.

Solid album and was popular when I was younger. Overall, a great sound and a start for a lot of indie information.

hella nostalgic and still top notch indie electronica production

Damn I really want to say this is boring. Its that lame sort of cozy. It feels forced in some ways. 2/5

There are a few songs in here that are pretty good but it ultimately reminds me too much of my annoying hipster self in like 2012-2013 to want to revisit

Nicely striped down with good melodic sense. Dont mind this at all.

It's not a good sign when an album's intro is its most enduring track. An intro is supposed to hint at the possibilities of an album, with the later tracks building on that sound. Here, that build-up never comes. Pretty much every song has the same minimal, melodious sound of the intro. To be fair, there's probably a song here that's better than the intro, but most of them are so similar that it'd be hard to pick one. Choruses are subdued. Vocals lack emotion. Some songs, like "Fantasy," are barely there. And yet, I can't dislike this because it is all very pretty. It's a little hypnotic when it's on. The melodies are attractive, even if they're simple. Still, real catharsis never comes while listening to this, leaving an album that hints at the heights that indie rock can reach without ever reaching them. It's nice. But it's forgettable.

The XX’s self-titled debut features muted, introverted vocals paired with a distinctive, sparse indie-twang guitar. While the production and arrangements are impeccably executed, the downcast vocal delivery lacks the dynamic range needed to truly command attention. There is nothing offensive or disappointing to the ears in this album but neither is there anything remarkable. It is a pleasant listen, though it occasionally struggles to stay engaging. Of the eleven tracks "Infinity" was oddly compelling and stood out the most, closely followed by "Heart Skipped a Beat". Three stars but not an album I will be revisiting. 1 "Intro" (3/5) 2 "VCR" (3/5) 3 "Crystalised" (3/5) 4 "Islands" (3/5) 5 "Heart Skipped a Beat" (3/5) 6 "Fantasy" (3/5) 7 "Shelter" (3/5) 8 "Basic Space" (3/5) 9 "Infinity" (4/5) 10 "Night Time" (3/5) 11 "Stars" (3/5) Total - 34 Average - 3.09 218/1001 122/218 albums reviewed were new to me.

boring and plain. 2/5

I have PTSD when listening to Intro as we used it for a dance warm up every morning of high school marching band. Never listened to the rest of the album because of that. So it is like an indie thing. Not my speed, but I am sure someone out there likes it.

Lame

It sounds all the same.

I liked it cuz it would more modern

Good ambient music kinda of a chill background album

Okay, this is an interesting one. Musically it is very minimal, but in a way it works. I think the singers’ voices complement each other very nicely. However there isn’t much variation in sound or tempo and it stays to get a bit repetitive by the end. Overall not bad and a fairly pleasant listen, might come back to this one again at some point, we’ll see. Standout Songs: Crystalised Islands Shelter Infinity

The soft guitars on this album are marvelous - great album to relax to, read, work...

Stunningly beautiful. Well-produced. Sparse in the best way possible.

Boring

8/10

Great chill album with calm beats. It is very of its era and doesn’t have much re-listening value for me, but some songs I did enjoy. Top Songs: Infinity, Crystalised, Islands

Very empty but not in a comforting but annoying way

melancholic

The intro is too cool. There's a scale to it that by comparison the rest of the album feels weak. They're like demo scratch tracks. Most of the album just seems like a couple college kids goofin off with music software.

They have a unique sound and they perform it well, but the vocal styling is not for me. So credit to them, but I really want to check out half way through the album.

After shelter it was great but wholly forgettable before it

Not for me

if the concept of sleepiness was an album! Intro is a classic of my youth, the rest is eh

Used to like them more when I was younger. Still okay but definitely dropped off for me.

This album was a revelation when I discovered it likely 2011. I saw the clever video for Islands and was immediately pulled in. I normally dislike breathy soft vocals but the contrast of Romy against Oliver is like ice and fire…especially effective in call-answer sections of several songs. I think Coexist is a stronger album even if the guitar styling has since been co-opted as soundtrack for ‘emotional’ moments in shows like Bachelor. I did play this album a lot 15 years ago and will still put on from time to time when in the mood. 4/5.

It's maybe a teeny bit repetitive, but it's such a good, chill vibe. This is exactly my kind of thing for a midnight listening sesh (which is when I listened) and I might put this on instead of trance etc sometimes in the future.

I started out really enjoying this, but the more it went on, the more tired I grew of the sappy feeling songs. It's kinda funny that the song I enjoyed the most is Intro, but maybe it set my expectations for something else. Moodboard music I guess.

There are some good tracks on here, but they're interspersed with far too much low-tempo musical rambling, so it's hard to stay awake for long enough to notice them when they come. Favourite tracks: Intro, Heart Skipped a Beat, Night Time

Pretty good album... a little "soft" at times but solid.

interesting gets a 3 for composition more than anything even though im not the biggest fan

Oh hell yes, the xx were so fresh to my ears when I first listened to them. Alternative, but good beats. I now notice the minimalism, and I still really like this. 4* from this alt-loving millenial. Back half is a little too mellow for me now. Highlights: intro, crystallized, islands

I dismissed this album when it came out. Upon further reflection, it's fine.

fire🔥🔥🔥 multiple liked songs

Solid intro and fun listen. Won’t be coming back to it

Timeless goated opener

So chill, could listen for days

boring - can’t distinguish between songs

It was ok.

The intro is the anthem to all influencer slop. I doubt the artists knew what their effect on the world would be. All in all, ok.

Intro Alone makes the album a banger. Overall not my style of music, but was enjoyable.

some songs 5 others 2. i cannot stand romy singing in some songs

bland, lame.

I’m a sucker for indie pop I should give it a three because a lot of it really wasn’t great but I kinda want to give it a four because it just felt so right for today in a way I can’t explain VCR especially hate that I love it

Wow! I didn’t know I knew this! It’s one of those albums I’ve heard snippets of throughout the years on tv,film, ads and didn’t know. Went on to listen to their full catalog

Intro is exteremely iconic, but realized I haven't listened to anything outside. So far really great modern music.

I already know this music but didn’t really know the album or artist. Crystallised is on my liked songs already. Oh my god is this on the twilight soundtrack?? Crazy this is the album I get right after watching the movies with Cassidy and Alex

damn i can't believe this was such a hit in 2008 it is boooooring

Not quite my style of music

Genuinely enjoyed this album!

It was fine, appreciated the minimalism of it, the call and response vocals, but wouldn’t say it got me excited.

Very enjoyable. I kind of got into them, when this album came out. Didn't really stick with them. But enjoy their stuff pretty casually.

maybe you just had to be there when it came out but goddamn

zero skips

an okay listen, nothing special to me, bored me a little

It is giving soundtrack do jakiegoś early 2010s serialu w idk Brighton czy innym miasteczku UK o nastolatkach

THE XX — xx (2009) — Notes Summary • Final score: 72.6/100 (Tracks 31.6/40 + Album-only 41/60) — C • Top tracks: Islands (10/10), Stars (10/10), Crystalised (9/10) • Weakest track: VCR (5/10)

listend to it while cleaning my room, I enjoyed It I might listen again to get full experience. it was good but it didnt stick out to me nothing special alot of songs have this sound 6.5/10

Might have sounded groundbreaking when it came out, but now that everyone's copied it, doesn't really stand out. Kind of sterile and overly clean. The intro is the best track here, can't remember much about the others. Don't love it, don't hate it, it's alright.

Very low energy but nice

Enjoyed this more than expected.

2⭐️ I found this hard to rate! I think I was originally excited for the more indie tumblr-era sound so expected to rate it higher, but a lot of the songs didn’t really capture me. maybe needs a few listens! songs I already knew: n/a fave new song(s): crystalised

idk im just not enjoying the melancholic vibes of a lot of these albums, intro has gone viral at some point because i recognized it but the album sounds like something in the background of Love is Blind

short and sweet, intensely indie

loved this album when I was 14 and sad on Tumblr

Was it supposed to put me to sleep?

Need a relisten to this album, but definitely not bad.

Surprisingly magnetic. Unlike much of what I have gravitating toward in the past, but glad I found it. Crystalized is a standout song on the album for me.

Already heard it when it came out. Great album. Best songs: Intro, VCR and Crystalized

Confesso que não prestei muita atenção, coloquei de fundo enquanto jogava Minecraft, a intro é bem Minecraft vibes e bem maneira, não achei grandes coisa mas não é ruim nao

a very chill album to listen to, all songs were good, and would listen to some again. This is a very indie album (which i love) and are definitely 2009 core, and as the descripition says it very for like sad and melancholic scenes on movies or tv shows. i woudlnt listen to the album as a whole again.

Awesome. Feels kind of like a blend of Cigarettes After Sex, Lorde, and Arctic Monkeys. No-skip album.

P good

boring

Would give it a 2.5 to be honest but it was fine. They could’ve gotten a better singer but the album was easy to listen to

Intro: 7/10 VCR: 6.5/10 Crystalised: 8/10 Islands: 7/10 Hearts Skipped a Beat: 7/10 Fantasy: 6.5/10 Shelter: 7.5/10 Basic Space: 7/10 Infinity: 8/10 Night Time: 7.5/10 Stars:8.5/10

Great example of a girl guy duo with sparse instrumentals like beach house ect

I enjoyed this quite a bit when it was first released. It’s a very 2009 album but is still an enjoyable listen 17 years later. It’s minimalistic and clean, doesn’t overstay its welcome. I totally get that the lazy vocal delivery won’t be for everyone but it works for me. It’s a dream pop album with a splash of electronic and it’s crisp as fuck. 4 stars

Meh. Unobjectionable, but that's about it.

This is closer to the music i listen to everyday. It’s not my absolute favorite but i would add it to playlists i make in the future.

This kinda music isnt really my bag. Vocals were nice, I guess. Favorite Track: Crystalized

I like the simplicity and way the songs are layered and build. I have also always been a sucker for duets. I really liked, I Dare You. Most of the songs were catchy and chill. I liked this album a lot!

Kind of white depressive girl songs. But I liked 4 of them. Specially "Crystallized".

Indiest album that ever indied.

Recognised the first song very well, love the dreamy sound of the guitar and the soft voices echoing. Overall great album. A few weaker songs, thus not a 10/10, however the good ones are GOOD.

Going with Regnix here - the Intro is one of the most epic sounds created by humans. Rest is not my cup of tea.

Love the opening track, Intro, one of my favourites. I have listened to the rest of this album before because of that track, but it's not really my cup of tea.

Portishead fans rejoice, they're back, instead now they're called the XX. It's good stuff, I liked that they ended the album with the hot single instead of starting with it. I reckon they'd be better live because I did want just a couple of moments above second gear, I feel like they could have lifted and done a bit more with it. There's a song that fades out for god's sake! I think the engineer just fell asleep on the board.

The xx sind eine britische Band aus London. Ihr Debütalbum xx entstand überwiegend in den XL Studios im Londoner Stadtteil Notting Hill. Musikalisch bewegt sich die Platte zwischen Indie Pop, Dream Pop und minimalistischen Elektronik-Elementen. Auffällig ist die reduzierte Instrumentierung, viel Raum zwischen den Klängen und der zurückhaltende Einsatz von Beats und Effekten. Besonders prägend sind Songs wie „Crystalised“, „Islands“ und „VCR“, die den nüchternen, intimen Grundton des Albums gut widerspiegeln. xx wirkt bewusst unaufgeregt, entwickelt aber über die gesamte Laufzeit eine klare Atmosphäre und einen eigenen Charakter. Insgesamt ein geschlossenes Debüt, das weniger über Einzelhits als über Stimmung und Konsequenz funktioniert.

Album is really good but her voice starts to get on my tits. Also one of the worst bands i have ever seen live.

Great indie sound.

As someone who claims to love indie this just doesn’t speak to me much.

Minimal...atmospheric

Boring. At least it has the decency to be short. 2/5

This album has been with me forever, am a big xx fan. I ended up listening to their entire discog after this. Ride or die.

Beautiful and interesting. Can’t draw comparisons to anything else… very original. This is the kind of record I think could grow on me the more I listen to it. The coherent sound is atmospheric and minimal, but there’s a depth in the music and lyrics that is pulling me in. Giving this one a 4… a lot based on the potential to blossom for me on repeat listens. And I will most certainly return to this one to get to know it better.

Weibliche Lou Reed Stimme und bissel poppiger, mit synth.

Calm, not very dynamic

Excellent minimalistic synth pop, especially for a debut. Reminds me of Young Marble Giants plus electronica (and 30 years later).

Never listened to the whole album. Good album that's really chill.

pretty good

who gaf

I love this band and I'm honestly not sure why I don't listen to them more. Loved every single song on this album. So much influence - especially in the guitar - from Robert Smith and The Cure. Also influence from New Order/Joy Division. Love the vocals and the music. So glad this popped up and I listened to it from start to finish.

Some songs were pretty good

late 2000s indie slop. there's a lot of that on this list and this is the worst of it. boring as all hell.

This is good I like the vibes Cohesive catchy songs while also

This album is what you would get if New Order did Dream Pop. Liked it a lot.

What a debut. One of my favourite bands so going to be biased on this one. Arrived fully formed, the opening track is iconic. Album is just perfection. 5

Not mine

Interesting

Not quiet my taste but it’s not bad in general

Laid back and moody vibe, nice singing and sound, quite cinematic.

Good Instruments/beat/dream pop vibe

- not too exciting of an album, but sonically very good. i can tell this laid the groundwork for much of the pop sounds in the 10s. 3.75 stars

this album is truly not good

Liked this a lot, worth a re-listen, gentle lo-fo beats, reminded me a little of monsters and men

Really disappointed by this one after having just gotten their most recent album ("I See You") yesterday, which was an easy 4 stars. Too muddled and same-y without any appealing factors.

4.0 (38:34, 11 tracks, 2009, debut) dream pop OK for everyone criticizing it as "boring" - I get it, its repetitive and can be boring but you're not getting the genre (dream pop) Driving bass beats, post punk drumming, minimalist atmospheric sound at its best. This is great and I'd give it a 5 if they could have held the vibe for all 11 tracks. Mood music for when you to tune out by tuning in. Music is almost spooky good.

Not bad, just wildly bland. Like if the Cure weren't spooky and made music for coffee shops and yoga classes.

Indie pop unfortunately really isnt my jam

Love it! Classic!

This album has had influence past what I was even consciously aware of. So many YouTubers in the pre copyright strict era used the intro for their video openings. I kept going "Oh THIS song!" A lot of the songs don't waste time getting to the interesting parts, and don't overstay their welcome. Refreshing and nice to listen to.

Perfect for hanging out and putting together Christmas Legos

bastante interessante, é bastante bom para acordar de manhã, ou para ouvir numa tarde assim mais calma.

I've heard of this album before being good but this is my first time listening to it. I liked the harmonizing between the vocalists and the steady feel thought the records. This album feels spacious, between the soft yrics and steady drum and bass/808s

The xx? More like The zz. Best songs: Nil, unless you wanna go to sleep

Quelques chansons sympa. Bonne ambiance

Gotta get another listen in but was good

It's a cool album, and the first half is great. But the second half just drags on. "Intro" and "Crystalized" are fire though.

Yeah pretty good, surprised I hadn't heard it before. Starts better than it ends. Quite Tycho-y.

3,5 stars

Classic

I like the songs especialy the opening is good

At the beginning this sounded very fresh, but it got bit 'same old same old' towards the end. Good pop album though.

Some of the dream pop elements are really good, as well as r'n'b style grooves. It also feels very clumsy and kind of stumbling, which is very distracting to me. I very quickly noticed I stopped listening to the music and was more of a waiting game for the next distraction or annoyance that would kill the flow for me.

Top 10 Minecraft mods ahh album

This by all accounts should be one I favor, but I have to admit there's hardly any depth beyond the ambient, melancholy vibe. However I do know the influence this had on indie electronic music in the 2010s and I imagine lots of current popular music would not exist without it. I do appreciate that for a time when EDM was all the rage, this album refused to dial up the energy past 2 or 3 despite having the aesthetic qualities of a 2010s EDM/pop track. But ultimately, when paying attention to it, I was somewhat bored and disappointed. Being good background music isn't sufficient to make a great album.

I See You is better but this still sounds like being a teenager.

I think it’s one of those albums that you have to give it a couple listens to really appreciate it. You can definitely tell it shaped a huge part of early 2010s indie pop.

A very Indy sounding album and if you don’t like Indy this will not change your mind. I do like Indy and found myself really enjoying this album. Both the music and vocals I found entrancing and found myself really enjoying quite a few songs

Very iconic example of the time. I remember everyone going mad about the XX, but they didn't really seem to ever live up to this debut, like so many other bands of an era defined by a continuous search for hipster before-they-were-cool novelty.

Had to give this album a second listen to really form an opinion on it, as I felt I missed something the first time through. The vocals are relatively boring, but the instrumentals were pretty different from most things on this album and really helped to make it feel different. Favorite Songs: Intro, Night Time

Loved

Knock-off, dollar store edition of Elliott Smiths' "XO." Best song was the intro.

I have never heard of these guys before. I think it’s a bit of an acquired taste. I usually like more upbeat music. It was somewhat relaxing. I like the songs with a female lead singer better than the male singer.

Huh, so that's where that's from.

yass 2009 in a nutshell

I knew of this one as it was popular when I was in high school. A good album, but after the peak at intro it doesn't quite reach such heights again. Still consistently solid.

The opening and first few tracks have a sense of intimacy about them. a closeness. I like what they're doing, I also enjoy their music in general.

Indietronica, very minimalist. I was not a fan of her vocal style. Through the first 3 songs I thought this would be a good album, unfortunately it went downhill for me.

Pretty good

Yeah, this is pretty terrible over-produced crappy pop, just like the other The xx album on this list. 1.0/5.0: Embarrassing

its a travesty they even have one album on this list much less a second one. this makes me wanna blow my shiii smoove off brother

Not bad, never felt like turning it off but at the same time none of the tracks really stuck.

Not terrible, not great, like a lot of the albums here just kind of there.

I’d roadtrip to this for sure

Better than first listen

Meh

11/10 I don't understand the hate this group gets, but then again I hate Elvis so... 12-10-2025

A very gentle sound

No

4.5

It’s a really good sound, the breathy spoken vocals get a little old for me

Slow, dull simplistic songs that all sound exactly the same. Even when it gets interesting, its just the same slow dull song as before. The only saving grace is the female's sultry voice, which sounds like every other sultry singing voice. The male's voice sounds like he's trying too hard to be cool & is annoying. 1

It was fine.

This album is a modern classic. The songs all use subtlety, quiet and minimalism to create an ambience and mood that lasts the whole album. Each song blends into the next and by the time the album is done it feels like you wish it would keep going. I feel like this is a great example of an album with no bad tracks and that it should be appreciated in its entirety. I also think the synth-electronic sound that they stumbled upon in making this album and used across all of the tracks has had a huge impact on modern music but it feels to me like The xx may have been the first ones to get it right quite this well. I'm sure this also received additional points from me for the nostalgia factor as this was in heavy rotation for a couple years of my life, especially effective in calming the anxieties of a dark and foggy maritime winter.

For some reason, this album kind of reminds me of Broken Social Scene, but not really in a good way. Where I find Broken Social Scene lively, complex, and interesting, I find The xx is more dull, muted, and boring. I think the similarities I see/hear is just because it’s indie music from the same era; I could absolutely see The xx playing at the Toronto Island Concerts back in the day or the more recent Field Trip Festivals at Fort York. Anyways, is there any Broken Social Scene on this list? There should be, and if there’s not, I’d trade this album for You Forget It In People.

This was a tough one to rate. "Intro" and "Crystallized" have been in my rotation for a while now, and listening to it now, I enjoyed "VCR" and "Islands" as well, but this album kinda falls apart in the back half. It gets a little too loose and ethereal and forgets to make music happen. If it was just the first half it'd be a solid 4, maybe even 5.

This was another that was on constant rotation for me back in the early 2010’s. Both Jamie xx and Romy have put out killer solo efforts recently worth your time if The xx are new to you. Pure nostalgia here, easy 5.

Almost halfway through, and this is largely a snoozefest. Islands is alright, as is Heart Skips a Beat. I mean, this isn't a bad album, but I don't think it belongs on this list. There are groups that came before this that put out better music in this style, so I'll give this a 3.

This has some decent hooks but is overall anemic and sleepy. Without any real ear candy or fun production tricks this is a bit too boring.

Chill stuff

Favorite track(s): Crystalised, Fantasy, Infinity

Not sure what to make of this album. The vocals were really hit or miss for me with some songs being really pretty and others just being a bit lifeless. It's minimalist, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but "minimalist Britpop" is just not really a subgenre I find entertaining. Truthfully I don't think "boring" has any place in the Britpop space. However, I'll give this an additional star for a couple pretty songs.

An interesting listening, makes you go throw different emotions 3/5

This is a beautiful album. Great beats and tone, mellow vocals and medium tempo throughout. Hits....crystalized, islands

Interesting Dance/pop/House music. Some good tracks, but I would only say there's good excerpts.

Really chill album. Intro and Islands are a classic. It flattens out towards the end though

Before looking at the reviews, I felt in my heart that it would average a 3.2/5. I totally see it - the lyrics are whispered, the beats are reminiscent of 2009, but thats what makes this album shine. Its the entry point into electronic and house music for mainstream pop fans, and is a mellow entrance into a dance/club style of music that would become popular into the 2010's. 5/5.

an opening track so cool it makes you want to smoke cigarettes in the dark with a lover. ending track is also great. middle is unremarkable. I think for those middle tracks, The Echo Friendly does this sound a lot better a few years later.

Yep this sounded like 2009 lol It was like the soundtrack to tumblr or like I’m shopping at urban outfitters or something. I see where other bands got influenced though but I just didn’t care too much for their singing. Started off pretty solid but the second half just felt so slow and boring. It just felt like it was trying too hard to be deep and emotional.

Really happy to see this on the list. It hearing this in 2009 changed the way I listen to music. Still sounds fresh 16 years later. But is somewhat inferior to this mammoth list

I like this

I had high expectations for this one. Especially after an incredible starting track like Intro, which might be one of the top 20 best album opening tracks of all time (maybe?). But I have to say I'm disappointed. Nothing stood out, especially in terms of writing, it was all bland. I can understand what the fuss was all about for those who liked it in '09, mostly from a sonic point of view, but it didn't do the same for me.

How did I not hear this before - it's SUPERB !!

An intro with 700 million streams? What is this, Abbey Road? As warned, the music is very minimalist. It almost functions as a sort of blurred ultrafuturistic utopia-dystopia soundtrack. Like the beautiful gleaming skyline hiding dark, dirty secrets beneath. Well, either that or it's just a shiny exterior with nothing to hide. Either way, it sounds alright. The arrangements tend to include synths, vocals, and bass, sometimes with kick drum or acoustic guitar added. A few tracks have vocal back-and-forths – including Islands, Heart Skipped A Beat, Basic Space, and Stars. That seems to be the band's "thing". It feels gimmicky and gets old really fast. There isn't terribly much to pay attention to, so the most interesting aspect of each track is often the singing, and when the singing sounds exactly the same between tracks, you lose focus very quickly. Crystalised is about as busy as it gets. In the second half of that song, the xx really revs up the texture, including having male-female octave harmonies (not as good as non-octave, but we take it), solid bass and guitar parts, and a whooshy high-drone synth. And a really nice sounding percussion part. The wait and payoff makes this one of my favourite tracks. Shelter reminds me of Lana Del Rey's stripped-back stuff, à la Norman Fucking Rockwell. (Which I absolutely love.) Even the vocals are kind of reminiscent of the LDR, and the understated guitar part that mimics a slow build but never actually does it is classic alt-pop. Again one of the strongest on the record. The weakest tracks are towards the tail end, like Stars and Night Time, where you're often checked out. (Those songs easily live up to their name, in a bad way.) 3/5 Key tracks: Crystalised, Islands, Shelter

I'd heard Intro and Crystalised before. Not the best of albums, but that's more the overall fit with my tastes more than the technical skill part.

actually a huge fan

I never liked this sound when it was popular but tried to give this album a chance. However the weak vocals coupled with the weaker instrumentals just came across really bland and gave me no interest in listening to it for a second time.

robert christgau, on whom i depend to reliably and smugly shit on lame music, wrote about this album that “it’s hard to imagine their music getting much better.” so not only did i have to sit through another xx album of royalty-free tracks for AI-generated travel videos, i also lost faith in one of my favorite haters.

https://on.soundcloud.com/QirYqE9pABRARfU2dl

I can see it now, 40 years in the future -- I sit on my rocking chair, and regale my grandchildren with colorful accounts of how The xx changed the landscape for shitty commercials for ever. 1

3.5/5 B

Not for me

Recognised 'Islands' from the radio but nothing else really resonated. It's clear it's 'first album' material but it doesn't engender the wish to go look for anything else.

Cool!

Too dark and mysterious for me.

Meh

Electronic not my jam

This is the music that plays when the mc is sad

From what I can remember about 2009, that was the first year where popular music started to get real big, loud and dumb. Y'know, the party club era. A time where artists like Katy Perry and the Black Eyed Peas could shine, providing maximally produced hits for the people to jus' go fuckin' **off** to. Heck, the highest placed single on Billboard's Year-End in 2009 was "Boom Boom Pow", which is an utter cacophony of ideas and fragments. And after this, we'd get shit like "Like A G6" and "Sexy And I Know It" ... jus', a whole lotta big, loud, dumb tunes until, eventually, gradually the hangover started in the mid-late 2010's. And if that hangover had any forebearer, I'd say it was this album I'm talking about here: 'xx' by The xx. Seriously, in the middle of a year like 2009, I can only imagine what a fresh of breath air a record like this would've been. Next to Pitbull and Flo Rida and "Single Ladies", here you have an album which aspires to do, y'know, less. Minimalism! Music as defined by the empty space between the notes as it is the actual notes itself. Songs largely taken up by a sparse electronic beat, vocals, some bass, and a little atmospheric guitar work. When you compare it to its pop contemporaries, I can see why Big Important Critics™ would eat this shit up and eventually hand it that year's Mercury Award. It's an exercise in restraint in a period of time where basically no one had any. And its influence had stretched out for years: I mean, later pop hits like The Chainsmokers' "Don't Let Me Down" and Shawn Mendes's "Stitches" are clearly biting some of this thing's guitar styles. You can hear a lot of where pop would end up even now in this album. Which is all fine and good and all. But the thing is: I don't really find myself liking a lot of modern pop. I don't particularly like "Stitches", and I sure as heck don't enjoy "Don't Let Me Down". And as for 'xx' itself... One thing you need to know about me is that I am sort of a big fan of overproduction. When you take a song and jus' damn go over the top with it, giving it anything and everything you can. Oasis's "All Around The World" is one of the most overproduced singles of all time, and I have a soft as hell spot for it because of that. It's why I do enjoy a lot of pop music from this time: specifically **because** it's big, dumb and loud. I'm not gonna tell you all of its good, but I got the kinda brain that, when it hears a fun hook, I am all damn there. "Poker Face", the number two song of the year? Yes, please! And that's not to say that I don't have room in my life for sparser music. Sometimes you just need some quieter shit to calm down and not wear yourself out. I mean, I have such a fondness for Linkin Park's "One More Light", off the top of my head. But minimalism, such as what this album is doing ... in what this thing's aiming for, I think it did it well, but goodness is it not for me. I feel like I spent a lot of this album just ... waiting for something more to happen. And I knew it wouldn't, so it's not like I got my hopes up or anything. Darn it, though, if I didn't wish something more **could** have happened. I know it's just an issue of my attention span. It's not like I always need everything to be big and flashy to hold my attention, but in music that's so defined by empty space, it's gonna feel like there's just not as much to latch on to. Subtly is not often my friend, y'know? It's really not the album's fault. But, at the same time, it's not like I wanna lie and rave about how incredible the album's minimalism was when, in actuality, I just wasn't feeling it. And not even in a way where I'm like "Oh, this is so **intolerable boring**." I'm just like, "That's it?" And that's really the size of it. I get what this album's doing — I promise you, I do, and that's why I'm not being as hard on it as I could be ... but I can't front. Like, dang, I get why it was a big deal to people back then, but gimme the Black Eyed Peas over this any day. Even "Boom Boom Pow". Like, in terms of its influence, 'xx' might be so 3008, but I guess I'd rather be 2000-and-late. Or something — you try to work this song into a meaningful conclusion, goodness.

I've known of Jamie xx for a while before we got this album, and all I got to say is that if this is what the beginning of his music career sounds like, I should definitely give the rest of their catalog a shot. 4.5 bumped up to 5.

I’m at a 5. Hell, probably a little higher. Pretty striking minimalism here. I’ve gotten so used to tracks that fill up their soundscape with everything to add as much “depth” as possible, and yet here, that sense of empty space is used to a really, really strong degree. This album doesn’t do anything super complex with its melodies, relying on the presence (in the “aura” sense) of the instrumentation to sell the mood. Everything here is deliberate, whether it’s a simple guitar pattern, some punchier or lighter percussion, or pulling back that instrumentation to let the vocals breathe more. It’s so tightly produced that it’s easy to notice what the album is trying to do, but it’s also easy to underappreciate how effectively it’s doing it, because it does it almost effortlessly. It stems from the usage of the empty space in the tracks; it’s an instrument unto itself, and it’s used really, really well. A number of tracks make the instrumentation quieter, letting that empty space stick out more. Lyrically, this is an album focused mostly on love, but a specific corner of love; namely, the tension that exists in the paranoid little corner of the brain that’s too hesitant to fully commit to a relationship out of previous fears. Some tracks overcome it, others don’t, some take place long after that tension has boiled over in a sad way, and some leave that tension unanswered. In a way, it’s a little bit one-note, and mixed with the generally persistent instrumentation, I can hear how this album might bounce off to some people as one that’s a little too similar for its own good. For my tastes though, I think this album approaches the subject matter with enough musical variation that it never got stale or felt too similar. Part of it comes in the vocals; I really, really like Romy Madley Croft’s vocal style, as she reminds me of Bjork with more of a slight British accent. She harmonizes well with Oliver Sim, and while his vocals aren’t as trained, I think it helps make the tension feel more authentic, since it sometimes feels like they’re talking past each other rather than talking to each other. Overall, the lo-fi, vaguely dreamy tone of the album worked really well for me. I think the lyricism enhances the tracks, but they’re not as necessary to capture the soft-spoken nature of the album. These aren’t confrontational tracks, nor are they angsty or messy. They’re just… complicated. I can’t think of many other albums that leave relationships in such a gray area, with a lot of the anxious, earnest & avoidant honesty intact. Commitment is a struggle, clinging on feels like delaying the inevitable, breakups are tense, & those lingering feelings of regret are really hard to navigate around. This album captures that overall anxiety really well, & it makes a track like “Stars” really stick out as the first truly comfortable relationship portrayed on the album, and a very appropriate closer. I think it’s structured really well to get to that point, and in that sense, it’s a super successful album. If it bounces off from just a musical standpoint, I could understand that, but I think it deserves its flowers. Hence, a 5, if not a bit higher.

Intro is one of the most iconic songs of this era. Great album. I always remember them walking on stage to intro at Lollapalooza and the huge crowd reaction when it hit. Still holds up and glad to revisit.

A dear album to me, so will hardly be unbiased. One of the better albums from around 2010, without a doubt. Such unique sound and atmosphere. I read that they recorded this mostly during night, which you can definitely hear. The whole album has a mellow mystical feeling to it. The album feels very coherent and complete as well. All songs work in each others favour, and sets each other up nicely. While there are some unexpected turns, there is definitely a red line throughout the album and nothing really feels out of place to me, Strongest songs in my opinion are 'Intro', 'Islands', and 'Shelter'. Though there aren't really any big duds for me, all songs are good in their own rights. Romy and Olivers singing just work so well together as well. Good singers in their own rights, but they also tag team very well and create a cool dynamic together. Easy 5 stars.

It’s hard to describe what a turning point The xx, and similar bands, were for pop music around 2010. Just a few years earlier, festival headliners were almost exclusively big and loud acts. Then, seemingly overnight, bands like The xx could top festival bills instead. It was a significant shift in pop culture. I find it hard to be neutral about this album. I was about 20 when I discovered it, and I met my first girlfriend at a music festival where The xx were playing. Anyway, I think this sound really works—airy, minimalistic, and indie. “Intro” is a great way to start the album, and you can already tell that Jamie xx has a future in electronic music. The vocals work well too, and many songs are memorable, such as “VCR,” “Crystalised,” and “Islands.” My one main gripe with the album is that many of the songs sound very similar. Of the three hits I mentioned above, I sometimes have a hard time telling them apart. The album is barely over 30 minutes long, yet it still manages to feel a bit samey. Probably a four-star album, but for the memories, time, and place, it’s a five-star for me. It will always hold a special place in my heart.

This is an easy 3.5

Already knew I liked it, a good ‘un

I thought I was gonna hate this, but despite it being the same song 11 times, I was kinda into it and would probably listen again! 3.5

Pretty boring, just never really went anywhere.

Somewhat haunting and minimalistic, but I think it works quite well. Heart Skipped a Beat was my introduction but Night Time is the absolute gem of the album.

Actually loved this. I knew some of their tracks but didn’t know this was them!

So, I knew of Intro because of it's overuse in ads, Islands because of the OG Rocksmith. I hoped the album had more moments like the outro of Islands, it is chill, but I wanted a bit more of energy. Not saying that it is a bad album, just that it didn't give much more than what I knew beforehand. 2/5 whispers

Joy Division with MPC and not as compelling. Not bad not great.

I love this album. It's a bit too short, but they're all bangers. Such a fresh and unique sound that came out of nowhere....unfortunately they could never really capture it again. But Jamie XX's discography has been interesting.

A fun indie jam, but for better lack of words this record feels too quiet to be monumental.

Very chill album. It was fine, but almost too chill in spots (if that’s a thing). I feel like I could have used a little more energy sprinkled throughout. I got some White Stripes vibes, but maybe just because of the male/female vocals sharing. Anyway, this was another one that I didn’t dislike, but I also know that I won’t be going back to.

If this were more dream pop, I might have liked it.

Beautiful, aching, simple arrangements on this sad, indie version of Captain and Tennille. Possibly the best late night album of the 2000's. Excellent production by Jamie xx, who adds emphasis to the emotion in all the right ways while remaining pulled back and never overwhelming the fierce intimacy of the singers.

Honestly, I got more out of this when I listened to it the first time. On hearing it again, it feels flatter and less impressive. I also don’t care for the guy’s voice.

Prva pjesma mi je naslućivala bi moglo biti zanimljivo pa je otišlo u dosadu i cringe. 2/5, 3/10

4 dage med The XX har mættet mig. det fungere for mig i den rette stemning, men det her et reklame soundtrack for meget for mig. Jeg vil klart lytte mere en anden gang, nok ikke det her album.

Hvad er odds’ne for at få de to The XX albums på listen back to back? 0,00017% Jeg var ikke væltet bagover af gårsdagens album, selv om The XX har været i heavy rotation på P6. Det er heller ikke fordi deres debut slår mig omkuld. Men det har en rigtig fin følsomhed. Jeg tror det håndspillede står mere frem på deres første udspil.

"islands" and "heart skipped a beat" are already on my old favorites playlist - first time i can say that about any of these albums! the other tracks, however, left me unmoved. i likes the guitar in infinity. on the whole, snoozy

Clearly well-produced but this simply lacks the juice. I prefer the songs where Romy's on lead vocals a bit more. Islands and Shelter are improvements over the others. Islands is a quietly propulsive, hooky tune. Shelter has a desperate ache to it. I understand people were over the moon about this album when it came out, but it mostly didn't land for me.

This is a beautiful album. The confidence of a debut album to strip back everything until whats left is so powerful is impressive. A successor to Portishead and a precurser to a lot of the london influenced house/dance music, this stamds the test of time and is best enjoyed in a quiet and intimate place.

A coming of age album for many people, including myself, who reached their teens in the late 2000s/early 2010s. There's a quiet melancholy to the sparse guitars and light electronics here, which cosily contour the sensual lyrics. But with the exception of Intro, there aren't any songs with staying power and more than a decade later XX is a somewhat drab and underwhelming listen. Unfortunately this is a pattern with a lot of the indie-electro British scene in this era: not much of it has stood the test of time.

Late night Mexican beach walking sad boi hours music

Intro est vraiment bonne. 5/5 Shelter est pas pire le reste: It doesn’t sound like they can sing. i mean good for them, art is for everyone but this is just not my cup of tea

cool

Wow, so this was a surprising gem. Very chill, and great quality. I would come back to this.

Googling this band is not safe for work. Lo-fi millennial soft rock. That type that got famous just whispering rather than singing. They have a unique sound, I'll give them that. Like "We're disinterested in life, and only barely interested in doing this whole music thing." Perfect coffee shop music. Some moments sound vaguely Khruangbin--ish but without the wild funk and psychedelia. "Infinity" sounds like "Wicked Game" By Chris Isaak, but not as good.

Could hardly be more lifeless.

Dig their later stuff more, this one is good though

第一第二首歌好熟悉

The band just released a deluxe edition of this like today, perfect timing. I'll preface by saying that I like the xx. Before I give a perfunctory analysis that sounds mostly negative but isn't. Their debut album is foundational snoozecore, but they know that. Simple, homogenous compositions. Tender lullabye singing. Band name lowercase, no pretentions to capital letters. the xx whispered so that crumb could mumble. But that's the style. It's music for sensitive souls that need a break from loud noises or sudden tempo changes. Music for sitting in the dark with headphones, creeping your crush's posts. The guy's singing is pretty lackluster, I do admit. And Romy has distinguished herself a lot more as a solo artist since this album. And Jamie's productions have likewise come a long way. But they've got the cute best friend band thing going, and that's the charm. I do like the xx. I would see the xx live again. I will put my baby to sleep to the xx. But this is like a generous 2/5.

I don’t think I knew the band but I definitely remember some of these songs from this era. This first song makes me feel like I’m on hold. Very chill background music. I zone it out and forget to pay attention to it a lot but it’s soft and soothing. This album gets a little stronger by the end but I don’t think anything really grabbed hold of me.

When I first heard this album when it debuted it felt like a breath of fresh air. In an era of overproduced Recession Pop, bubble gum indie dance, and the last vestiges of butt rock this minimalistic soundscape was like an oasis. It cultivated immaculately chill vibes. It’s still solid. Billie Eillish brought this type of sound to the highest peaks. This brand of shoegaze now feels a bit played out. I kind of view this music created by the grown up versions of the goth kids from South Park.

This album doesn't have a message, it has a mood. Im not sure what it is they captured, but i remember it. The early summer night was warm, and the stars were very bright. Favorite track was Stars

ONE OF THE BEST ALBUMS OF ALL TIME I MEAN C'MON!!! <3

I knew they would be English just by the name.

Has there ever been a clearer example of track one, side one of a debut being good and everything after being shite than The xx. To be honest Intro isn't even that good just familiar from being used as background music in every TV programme of the early 2010s. I was baffled by how popular this was at the time and having listened to the album years later I was shocked at just how mild and uninteresting it was. They rip off the sound of Chris Issak's Wicked Game on a couple of the tracks but rather than singing about a world being on fire, I felt more like I was listening to someone upset their toaster wasn't doing both sides evenly.

I think this is the first record I bought on vinyl. Very nostalgic but I still listen to it somewhat regularly. Great overall album.

Atmospheric indie that is easy on the ears but doesen't excite me too much

This is ok. Just ok. Its about as indie coded as it gets in every single aspect. Just run if the mill indie to my ears. I do like the idea of a male and female vocalist but I prefer women singers to such a large degree it made me dislike the man sorry. But neither of them are all thay striking anyways. Sounds like every other singer in this lane. Didn't hate it but I didnt get anything from it either. Just good enough. Participation trophy I guess

Das Intro… grandios. Dann wird’s schwächer aber immer mal wieder melancholische Tracks. Tolle Beats!

Lazy, slow and boring. Yet I kinda fucked with it. Into slapped, and the rest of the album had the same laid back, relaxed feel and was overall a very chilled vibe.

would be 2x (haha 2x is the band name) better if they muted the vocal track

It was nice, not really much else to say

Really enjoy this album, nice to see it on the list. Not for everyone I guess.