xx

Nice listen

Yeah, lovely. Very spare but very cool and still in the rotation since 2009.

If there ever was an album I'd want to rate higher because of just one song, this would probably be it for Intro. I've heard it so many different places and it serves so well as an intro to build up hype. Luckily this album has quite a few other good tracks so it gets a pretty good rating anyway. When I listen to this album I want to be alone in a dark warehouse with blue lighting and wind blowing, but still warm enough to be comfortable in shorts. Not sure why that environment comes to my head, but not many albums transport me to places quite like this one does. A few of these songs seem like they may have been an influence for Billie, and others as well. I don't think I've heard most of these yet they all still sound familiar, and chronologically these tracks would have been before most of what I think of as a comparison. Great album, probably should go to a 5 but I'll use a fraction to note to myself to give it another listen. Favorite track "Intro" 4.4/5

I never have heard of this band before this list. This is my second album from The xx that I have had. I like this album better than, "I See You" but, I am going to go back to that one again and see if my impression improves. I like the miniamalist approch with the dreamy quality of the vocals.

I close my eyes and it takes me back to a 2015 esque promo for a music festival

4/5

Very cool sound

4.5

Never heard of them, but I quite liked this album. Interesting how one band can go moody guitar rock that catches you, where ten others didn’t. They have the magic sauce.

Actually really like this album- I’ve been listening to it off and on since it was released. When I feel like listening to something but I don’t know what, it’s usually the xx.

floaty, emo vibes with breathy singing and guitars

I really really liked this album!

I remember seeing these guys in a tiny tent at Reading festival in 2009, just before this album came out. The overriding memory was then chucking out x shaped frisbees into the crowd. Album is very good in retrospect. Some quality songs, and some obvious filler.

xx is undeniably a beautiful album, if a bit indicative of the sound of that era. Hard to argue with the idea that if you have the best ingredients, even a simple recipe can become something magical. xx exemplifies that concept in so many ways.

I enjoyed this as some calming background music to work to - I needed it today!

Catapults me back to when I was 17 and living in Brooklyn and used to listen to this all the time on my old iPod, alongside Florence & the Machine and MGMT’s early albums. Very floaty, vibey, chill. Somehow makes me feel a bit cold temperature-wise. I like his voice better than hers, but they do work well together.

Would definitely turn on during work again; very nostalgic and ambient for me; Intro alone could take this all the way home, but I also like most of the other tracks just fine.

Very mellow. Minimalistic. Slightly haunting and depressing.

I like this

I'd never heard of this band before today, and that's one of the reasons I'm thankful I've been doing this listening party. If I hadn't, I've had missed a real gem of an album. I love male/female vocal duets. I loved the electro-pop. It's not something that I'd normally put on for myself, but it's something I'd definitely listen to again

I've definitely heard Intro before on some instrumental playlist. It sounded way too familiar. And it's weird when a song called Intro is the most played song, but in this case, it's really good! It totally sets the tone for the rest of the album. The intro riff for Islands is incredible. Caught my attention right away and loved it throughout. I think my favourite song from the album. This album was a really fresh listen. The vocals remind me of Of Monsters and Men (guilty pleasure of mine). The instrumentals don't try to do too much but compliment the vocals nicely. It's one of those albums that I can put on in any mood, and I'd happily listen to it cover-to-cover. Did it blow me away, no. Did I enjoy the heck out of it, yes.

#86 - Great album, love the intro particularly. Amazing for a vibey session. Not five star because I cannot find a foothold in it.

Perfect

Listened to this album at work. What a start to our day. Just what we needed.

Surprisingly good.

nostalgie

There is very little to this album. It's subtle, quiet, chill, intimate. It has White Stripes vibes, if The White Stripes had a stripped-down sound. It comes really easy, and feel so comfortable, but at the same time is serious, like teenagers telling each other secrets at 2 am during a sleepover. I really like it. I think that the bass and guitar work is what makes it so good. If the style was even slightly different, it would have ended up being a much different (and probably worse) album. It'd be cool if the album were a little bit longer, but I'm not going to complain about a shorter listen. Favorite Song(s): Crystalised

An album from my mid to late teenage years. Was certainly an "in" style for a while. Reminds me of the like of City of the Sun and London Grammar. "Intro", although heavily used in many different media, is an almost epic song to start the album. The rest of the album mostly delivers on the promise of this song. Islands, Heart Skipped A Beat, Fantasy and Night Time as my favourite of the rest. Gets a bit tired by the end, so 4* seems to be the fairest. Good ol' Jamie XX on the production and electronic stuff. Nice!

8/10

For a sad day, a lonely train journey, a break-up, when you find out your newborn is ginger, this is quite the soundtrack, albeit highly formulaic. The formula features heavily reverbed guitar picking out a melody and downbeat delivery. The vocal duets work excellently. It's actually rather surprising how many of these tracks have seeped into my consciousness, without going out of my way to listen to them or ever to listen to this album. Maybe because the BBC has probably used every one of these for advertising various bleak dramas over the years, probably written by Jimmy McGovern. The album does dip as it goes on, never quite matches the opening run of 4 or 5 songs.

I don't mind that the songs kinda sound the same. Really chill stuff.

I would put on something like this in the background while I read in the evening.

A good album for night shifts - Intro and Islands are classics. Does get quite boring towards the end, Infinity especially just gets louder without much else going on. Overall good 3.75/5

Cracking album this, great background music

Nostalgía. Gott chill og vinnuplata. Minimalisminn nýtur sín vel og átti vel við early 10's. Má ekki taka þessu of alvarlega.

Frábær vinnuplata. Var aðeins betri í minningunni.

+++ crystalized, infinity --- heart skipped a beat, night time somewhat familiar with this one (thanks mom). every song i already knew i knew for a reason, they're some of the best of the album. intro is so instantly recognizable, and infinity was a sleeper for me in how much i loved it despite never hearing it before. the low points aren’t even that low, just feel more generically 2010 indie than the rest.

Suddenly im 14 again....

Really liked a couple of the songs when this was out, but never listened to the entire album. I like it a lot. Will add to my playlist!

very polished indie pop that doesn’t do anything crazy, but doesn’t do anything really bad. not fully my thing, i think jamie xx’s solo work is much better than this, but still, pretty damn good

Good album

4 stars. Surprisingly good. Lots of goodness here.

An album I was pretty intimately familiar with going in, though I hadent ever heard it in full. I very much enjoyed it- the vibes are enchanting and mystical, and the play between the dual vocal parts in the songs is fun and smart. The bangers were definite bangers- the Intro starts off strong and Crystalize is an amazing song. Overall- simple and effective.

I love The xx. I knew it would be enjoyable

cristallized ist cool und generell mag ich den Sound der Band. Hört sich n bisschen nach Florence and the Machine an. Gefiel mir 4 Sterne

Okay I've never heard of this band before but I immediately recognize the intro. I like the chill vibe, it's great background music. Very airy and minimal. Worth giving it a second listen to find my fav songs and adding them to chill stoner playlists. Right up my alley. 4/5

HEAVILY fw this one. I like how it blends together many elements of many genres while still being a cohesive project. Would give it a 9/10 but theres only stars so its getting 4 of them. 👅

Very good for modern minimalist electronica 3/4, delivery and song writing tips it to 4.

My love for this album is about 95% nostalgia bias, but I don't care. I remember hearing this for the first time about 3 years ago, it was late in the evening and I had heard of this band called The xx and had no idea what to expect. I wanted something new to listen to, so I thought why not. And as soon as I pressed play, the Intro song was one I was unknowingly familiar with, and it felt so comforting. The rest of the album was exactly what I was in the mood for in that moment, and now whenever I hear it I always think of that night.

Minimalistisk, chillern, veldig 🥺👉🏻👈🏻 musikk. Noen ville kanskje kalt det kjedelig, men jeg tenker «less is more». Akkurat som en god matrett, så har den rene lyder (smaker) og lite støy. Veldig nice! Passer ekstremt til eksamenslesing, og mens man går hjem fra byen kanskje ? Jeg rater den 9/10 og 9-10 GT’s

Great album! Definitely going into the rotation. It was very magical. Can't wait to listen to this album in the middle of summer on a camping trip staring at the stars

I really enjoyed this album! It was different and a pretty great listen

unique, timeless record. 2009 i miss you

Loving the vibes in here. However, the album's very frontloaded, with the first four songs being the best. Whole thing's worth a listen though.

This was a bit more boring than I remember but it's still great. It was a revelation when I was in uni.

Good album, surprising add to the album list

Very enjoyable

Great album. Such a cornerstone of the 2010s and big influence on a lot of the vibey music i listen to today (khruangbin etc).

Liked many parts of this album, although stylistically it will always become background music. Not terribly complicated and somewhat predictable. First time with this band but I’d listen again. 4/5

cool

Great chill wine and hookah music. Artsy and light!

a very influential indie pop record that i find hard to dislike. now an established sound of the whole era of indie pop, the minimalistic instrumentation, paired with graceful vocal performances, makes this record feel like a soft touch, a warm hug, a tender moment in a dimly lit room during nighttime.

Actually really good

liked songs: Crystalised, Fantasy, Infinity Very good album, very cohesive, and just about exactly what it should be. I do wish that a couple of the songs would have built up just a little more, but I really enjoyed this. 4.25

Turns little to lots, With simply slick beats and coos Sung sweetly, sadly

Ha mi nie so richtig mit the xx befasst aber immer denkt dass denn das irgendwenn no passiere wird. Und jetzt isches passiert. Grundsätzlich chammer scho säge das mer das im gsamte sehr zueseit. Isch mer aber mer aber ab und zue scho gad chli gär plain und troche von sound her. I bi nöd so en fan vom gsang vo de frau, find aber super dass es e wiblichi und e männlichi stimm het. Aber alles i allem gfallt mer das eigentli scho.

damals, wos no kei youtube premium geh hett undmer sich video ah video hett chöne inezieh, hett sich klein basil wölle bibringe wiemer im pool am lengste dluft chan ahhalte als ältischte sohn vo de familie mayer/ruckstuhl isch das natürlich essentiell dasmer sich da vo sine chline nerfige brüdere chan abhebe und als nr.1 badenixe etabliere drum isch de KB denn über es video gstolperet vom tüfschte swimmingpool uf de welt – de nemo 33 (absolute traum döte mal chli go schwümmerle gah) und ufem einte video wo sich de KB inezoge hett isch natürich im hintergrund es sehr tolls lied gloffe, und zwar isches VCR vo the XX gsi und somit isch de link zwüschet dere band und em KB hergstellt gsi es witers treffe wo mir mit dere band im chopf blibe isch, isch natürlich ihren uftritt ah eusem 2. melt gsi damals frisch mit de soma zeme hend mir beide und dkarin eus ah dem konzert vergnüegt, bis en liecht ahtrunkene basil sich denkt hett; ah das isch doch sonen ruhige romantische moment, de werded dsoma und ich eus sicher no lang drah erinnere drum hetter sich ih sinnere jugendliche liechtsinnigkeit zu de karin übereglehnt und hett gmeint; chum karin gang doch mal weg, denn chani da en romantische moment mit de soma ha lustigerwiis ischmer vom ganze konzert nüt im chopf blibe, nume dasi fies zu de karuse gsi bin ah dere stell namal as dickes sorry ad karin, das isch ganz blöd gsi, hoffentlich bischmer nüme bös danke fürs lese XOXO

guete morge, wow basil riese review leistig gsi gester <3 mit gmüesreferenze umegrüehrt als wäre mer ufm farmers market zu the xx: han mi gfreut das album ganz z'lose, nachdems denn aber fertig gsi isch, isch mer das woni vermuetet han no meh bewusst worde: die beschte lieder vom album hani scho gspeicheret und es sind kei bahnbrechendi neuentdeckige gmacht worde… 1 lied woni mal grossartig gfunde han (the intro obviously) und 3 lieder woni mal sehr guet gfunde han , rest okay… mittlerwiile findi 1 grossartig (the intro obviously), 1 sehr guet und 2 guet zu dem ziitpunkt wo's usecho isch hani s'gfühl heds sich sehr ziitlos und futuristisch ahgfühlt aber irgendwie lahd mi s'gfühl nöd los das das album eifach zu fescht nach early 2010s tönt und fast chli stuck in time isch… und das nöd zwingend uf en schöni nostalgischi art sondern fast chli nervig -> probably eher tagesformabhängig, aber gseh mi jetzt nöd sick s‘ganze album ineballere ih naher zuekunft trotz dere aktuelle kritische ihstellig hani aber doch schöni ziite mit dene lieder verbracht also gids doch 4 chnuschtis id friteuse

Hooky and yet also very minimalist. I’m not sure why I slept on this so long. There are some really nice songs on here and tons of space. I’ll be revisiting this again

11/5 never heard this one but I’ve heard good things! I love it! So groovy so catchy

How'd I miss this one? All around a great album

Not bad. Parts of it kind of reminded me of New Order

Ultra og hipster

Intro always gets me in the feels. I absolutely love the vibe of the full album. Such an indolent sound.

Discovered this album in 2009 but never made it past the first 4 tracks. Glad I give it a full listen.

4/5

Vaak viel ik in m'n reviews over het gebrek aan variatie en ogenschijnlijk simplisme. Dit album loopt daar van over, maar het stoort me geen moment. Ik denk zelfs dat het de sleutel is tot z'n succes, en waarom het vandaag de dag nog steeds 'fresh' zou klinken. Het is uiterst effectief met z'n echoënde gitaren en subtiele synths, en de piano die precies doet wat je brein verwacht. Het zou eigenlijk saai moeten zijn, maar los van een zwak middenstukje weet hij me wel echt te boeien. Nog steeds, na al die jaren. Het oor voor melodie, en hoe die te verpakken in een eenvoudig - en vooral tijdloos - concept, maakt van Jamie XX wel echt één van de meest befaamde pioniers in de indie pop van deze eeuw. Ik snap echter wel waarom de discografie van het duo als een nachtkaars uit leek te gaan, want waar je bij deze plaat nog wel geniet van de effectieve eenvoud was al hun kruit al wel aardig verschoten. 8/10 Highlights: Intro Crystalised Islands Heart Skipped A Beat

Het sfeertje dat wordt neergezet op xx is erg lekker. Intro zet dit echt fenomenaal neer. Wat een sterke plaatopener en echt een cult-nummer geworden door fifa en festivals. De trage dromerige sfeer wordt heerlijk doorgezet, maar the xx klinkt toch anders dan veel andere dreamy indie bands. Volgens mij komt dat twee dingen; 1. Jamie xx - hij is de drijvende kracht achter de band, en iemand die werkt als een producer van elektronische muziek. Dat maakt de muziek van een indie band ritmischer en dansbaarder. In alle nummers zit een soort opbouw en drop, ook zonder harde beat. Jamie xx heeft zelf veel van de nummers van the xx geremixed. 2. Romy & Oliver - de stemmen van Romy en Oliver Sim zijn - in tegenstelling tot veel dreampop bands - kraakhelder. De samenzang van uniek en zeker de stem van Oliver Sim is super helder en fragiel. En ik hou erg van de stem van Romy, die slaat altijd aan bij mij, merk ik. xx van the xx is prachtig mooi en heeft een uniek plekje in de 00's/10's indie-wereld. Ook naar de solo-albums van de drie luister ik graag. Voor een 5 sterren is deze plaat net iets te traag, maar heb er van genoten! 8/10 Highlights Intro Crystalised Basis Space

ehhrh si

Its a grower I have passively listened to tracks of this for a few years now and this is my first visit to the full album since my initial listen. It works beautifully together with great production

Sehr schön. Sehr eingängig. Recht viel aus den wenigen Einfällen herausgeholt.

its funny that the intro is the most famous song, already heard that track before and also crystalised, good album!

Bit of a grower here. At first I was put off by the weak vocals, but music took over and it gets better with every listen. Nice synth sounds in particular.

This album makes me as unsure as Englishman. You see, I happen to really enjoy this music. Fun bass-heavy ‘ear candy’ that has those playful progressive mildly trippy cuddly warm beats. You hear a "but" coming don't you? That Shakespearean vacillation... Well... its also a bit of ‘guilty pleasure’ - I wonder if it's like highly refined food. So perfectly produced & polished so it goes down so easily. Is this musical snobbery/its mass appeal/lack of ‘edge’? ...or that their albums sound so ‘same’ and numbing - so that can get a bit “missionary” or .... hmm.. How do I say this? Soon a need for refreshment creeps in. Why do we doubt what's good? We’re spoilt, and entitled and so easily bored. Confession: I do own a copy. Not on heavy rotation. Of this I am neither proud nor ashamed. "What is infirm from your sound parts shall fly" (All's well that ends well, Shakespeare). It just does feel worthy of a 5

Never really listened to this at the time as it was released in my new music wilderness years (2009-2012) and I was always a bit put off by the cool posh kid vibe. Reflections now: Intro, VCR and Crystalised are among the best songs of the past 20 years. Not sure my interest is held over an entire album though, especially when it's this front-loaded. Still, most songs are great additions to any 'quiet times' playlist.

This is making me feel a lot of good things. What a joy to listen to, it's simple, but so effective. So rich and sparse at the same time. A fantastically simple album with so many hits. It makes so much sense to me now. However, it starts off incredible, but then it becomes a little bit samey - a little bit of variety couldn't have hurt. Hence not the 5* This made less sense to me when it came out.. In the late naughties I was listening to very different music, and catching up with rock and metal from the 90s. So this would have passed me by.

Forgot how good this album was. Flows so well.

Distinct sound. Great listen, loved the lead singer. Soft sexy voice.

i didnt really get it then i realized it sounded like half of all pop music from the 2010s onward and im just desensitized so clearly it's influential if i didnt know this album was prestigious and on the 1001 list i might not have passed the wisdom-check to properly appreciate it

I liked the new (at the time) laid back and stripped back vibe but got a bit fed up with it being massively overplayed. Good to revisit it, doesn't quite live up to the promise of the great opening track but pretty good nonetheless

Quite like this album, minimalistic, low-key beats, subdued duets, it's a chill vibe. The downside is that it's largely forgettable. The Intro is such a solid opener!

Lazy voices! Love it. I love this album for what it was for me. Perfect for the hipster college student at the time. This is a funny one to me because I can totally see why someone with no connection to this album would give it a 1.

Classic and solid album, strong start that begins to fizzle a bit toward the end but overall a solid listen if the mood calls for mellow Favorite Song: VCR

I did listen to this as a kid remember Tim had a copy. Appreciate it a lot more now. Beautiful vocals and instrumentation. Possibly one of the best opening songs on an album?

Just grove and vibes with good texture, but some of it just rolls by

Soft, simple, beautiful.

Good walking-on-a-cold-morning music.

- In letzter Zeit irgendwie viel the xx gehört - Bleibe bei meiner Meinung. Tolles Album, ikonischer Sound, in dem man viel entdecken kann, aber für die letzten 10-20%, dass es mich richtig mitnimmt, reicht es leider aus rein subjektiven gründen nicht 4,25/5

- 4,25 / 5

It's good but very short!

good alt album nin would like it

Buena música, tranquila,

I don't think I could fuck to Intro so I do find it very surprising it is the song on most playlists containing the word Sex. I had not paid much attention to The xx before this. It isn't my normal wheelhouse for music. But I have to say the minimal compositions and lyrics hooked me. I enjoyed most of the album with only a few songs leaving me a bit bored or disinterested. This album goes to show that you don't have to complicate your sound in order for it to be relatable or interesting.

good harmonies and songs backed by interesting electonic beats

7.5/10 I’m a fan of the XX, and think that each album improves on the previous, so this is their least good album. But still very good. It sounds like a group finding their feet and almost getting there: excellent production from Jamie XX, but somewhat bound by a specific sound rather than the expansive one they’ll get to; good vocals that sometimes sound more tentative than they do in later stuff. Having said that the sound is sticking in its own lane, it’s a very good sound. The album sounds slick, the songs are well written. The opening track is iconic Best: Intro

Good

Had heard the intro before but nothing else - definitely my type of music! Could become five stars on further listens.

This was absolutly new to me. Great vibe -

82

Hahahahah nee joh All rise for the YouTube anthem Voor de rest geen gek album

Sehr toll. Mal was anderes.

Listening to this album made me feel old because I listened to it when I was in school on my iPod touch and it’s now 15 years old. Despite reminding me of the gradual and unstoppable march of time, it was nice to revisit this album as I do like it and had kind of forgotten that I like it. I do remember in my old age that I used to think the album peaks in the first 4 songs and I would still have to agree with my teenage self on that front, as that is the best run of songs on the album. It gets a bit too sparse and boring in the later songs, but I do like some of those as well, basic space is nice.

I've heard of The xx as an electronic indie rock band comprised of guitarist/vocalist Romy Madley Croft, bassist/vocalist Oliver Sim, and drummer/producer Jamie xx. All three members have gone on to release solo efforts, some of which I've listened to prior. This would be my first listen to them as a group, checking out their debut album with former member Baria Qureshi on the keyboards. This is minimalist yet introspective indie pop music with influences from R&B that can be compelling in the right setting. From the epic intro track to cuts like "Shelter" and "Infinity", there's a melodic tightness from the instrumentation with electronic touches sprinkled throughout, as the group channels their collective shyness into a commanding yet thorough examination of relationships and losses gone through at such a young age. The only track I didn't care about much was "Fantasy". That song was primarily sung by Oliver, whose baritone vocals felt inferior to Romy's mezzo-soprano. The lyrics about an unrealized love interest don't quite strike me and the synth drone throughout the two-and-a-half minutes doesn't offer much as it ends abruptly. But that's the only blight on this solid debut. Even if I am aware that other indie pop groups would come afterward into the 2010s to muddy the style of this album, there's still a place for The xx here as they carved out quite the niche in their early 20s. Give it a listen.

All music should be this chill, no?

I really dug this album. Very satisfying. Mellow and soulful. Loved it

I originally heard most of this album on a mashup album by Wait What that combined this with Notorious BIG. I grew to love the hooks and both of their voices. It took me a long time to actually properly listen to this record. I’m happy that I did. It is the perfect early morning/reading/chill album.

Sparse beautiful songs of love and loss. Vulnerable voices in economic songs. Better at night but mighty

Awesome album particularly for a debut, especially considering so much of the indie-rock sound at this point was so homogenous. 'xx' really stands out and is a superb little gem

I’m usually not into understated music but I really enjoyed this album. The first song is a banger

Fun album that start strong. Chill listening. I remember listening to this album at the end of my collage days. Care free, broke, and little stress in your life. It was nice bringing me back to those easier times. You forget how music can make you feel and remind you of things. This is why I feel like music is like a Time Machine.

Great album. This is such an influential album for the late-00s/early-10s and encapsulates that indie era for me. The duets are interesting as it's not the traditional back-and-forth conversation and more two people experiencing the same feelings independently. There's a lot of mood and emotion here. ****

Subtle, great music. At a surface level it seems like the average electro-indie pop record, but really it is much more stylistically unique than many similar bands

I really like this album. Usually prefer more to my music but the space and the male and female combo work so well. Would give it 5 stars but does get a tad boring towards the end

Good album but lots of songs that have amazing sections that should be longer.

No surprise to see this album crop up - I’d never heard anything quite like it when it first came out. Its sparse and icy tones provided an impactful soundtrack to what was a particularly cold winter in 2009-10, if I recall correctly. The first four or five tracks are great. In my memory it kind of dropped off a cliff after that, but listening back now I realise I was being harsh. The second half, while weaker, still has plenty of decent moments. At any rate I’ll rate it favourably for being both highly consistent with itself and pretty different from anything else.

Despite the dual chanteur-styling, this album feels like Joy Division if the antidepressants had worked. Still overarchingly-winsome and sad, but more soul, more warmth, more restraint - less nihilism. It’s one of the best moods of the 21st century (so far).

Rated July 29th 2024 Simplicity done excellently.

6.5/10 - The minimalist stylings work super well. I think it is a fantastic chill album that is so nice to listen to. I think I will revisit this whenever I am in the mood. I think that if only half of the songs were this mellow I would be more into it since there would be changes in the feelings.

Cracking album. The intro is beyond banging. Really cool, super enjoyable.

Some nice songs - prefer Romy / Jamie xx solo stuff tho!

Solid album, intro is such a good song, was the first song I heard from them back in the day (worked into a high school drama performance haha)

crystallised is one of my favourite songs ever

Beautiful album that I only recently rediscovered in the last 6 months. VCR and islands are amazing tracks.

An indie album that is really good to listen to.

Incredible album. Possibly fueled by nostalgia, but their sound was unique and simple and just plain groovy.

I like this type of lo-fi chill music

This album stands out with its distinctive sound. It’s a perfect blend of pop, indie, electronic, and ambient elements. The minimalist guitar work, laid-back breakbeats, and ethereal synths create a dreamy, atmospheric soundscape. The intimate vocals touch on themes of love and longing, adding emotional depth to the music. This album definitely delivers a unique listening experience that captures a perfect mix of genres and moods.

I feel there two way to make a great album - one is to challenge listeners by taking them in all different directions. The other...capture a mood and stay with it. Adding just enough to move things along and keep it interesting. This is definitely the latter. Thee establish a mood and stick with it - and it's a great mood.

Really enjoyable and really satisfying. Surprisingly so. Ann album of go to when I want some quiet contemplating time.

This was a surprising, pleasant treat

H really nailed it when they said it "sounds like making out with a girl in a dorm room, from personal experience." Glad our family is so musically inclined. Really helped *crystalize* the dark and space-y sound that would influence many future indie bands and pop artists. The harmonies and integrity of the music really helps secure this as an emotionally and culturally significant work.

Dream pop, megarrelajante. Muy bueno.

3.5 The intro is so good

VCR Crystalised Islands

My Pandora algorithm loved these guys in 2009.

- wow this is really solid - I love how simple the guitars and beats are, but they still play an integral role - the dual vocals work really well

A great sounding album.

No soy muy fan de la música Indie ni la electrónica, pero he de decir que me ha agradado mucho la música de este grupo. Es suave, un poco viajera (en el sentido más eufemístico), agradable para una tarde cenando con amigos.

I like xx

Done listening ....it was like a picture painting with words.... great storytelling experience

Good background sound.

subdued indie beats, incredibly 15 years old now, but still a relaxing album

Not too bad! Pretty pleasant to listen to, and the vocals were nice. I had never heard of this band.

I would have bet that the Intro was from the Chainsmokers.

Interesting. Not was I though, but it was an enjoyable listen.

Intro - 5 VCR - 4 Crystalized - 4 Islands - 3.5 Heart Skipped a Beat - 4 Fantasy - 3.5 Shelter - 3.5 Basic Space - 3 Infinity - 3 Night Time - 3.5 Stars - 3.5 Wish I could give a 3.5, but I cannot. So it's a 4. Not quite low enough for a 3. Most of it is pretty chill.

06/19/24 S Tier—————————5 A Tier—————————4 Intro Islands VCR B Tier—————————3 Heart Skipped a Beat Infinity Crystallized Night Time Stars Shelter Basic Space C Tier—————————2 Fantasy D Tier—————————1

xx by The xx Wednesday 6/19/24 8:16 S Tier————————— Crystalised Intro A Tier————————— Shelter Islands Stars Heart Skipped A Beat Night Time B Tier————————— VCR Fantasy Infinity Basic Space

I was surprised to see this album on a list like this. I liked it when it came out, and I still enjoy it.

I dig it

Nice light electronic music. Might be a little forgettable but a good listen none the less. I wonder if we'll see groups like The Knife, Sylvan Esso, or Marian Hill that I prefer to this.

Surprisingly chill album. Would give it 5 stars if the intro wasnt overused by now

Very relaxing, very chill, very chic.

Love it!

Relaxed ambient alternative album featuring same great male/female vocal duets. Tracks flow into each other with ambient instrumentals for a seamless, trance experience. I think I would have been into this in college.

Refreshing to re-visit xx in full instead of just snippets from its' use in advertisements and every other indie and pop artist shamelessly ripping off their sound for the last 15 years. It's hard to describe just how much the sound of pop music changed in the years following the release. Some tracks are obviously stronger than others, but the overall atmosphere of the record is impeccable.

Knew the first song very well reminded me of some other early 2000 bands with the female vocals. The bored whispery but not whispery vibe. Other band name not coming to mind. Like!

Beautiful mix of electronic and contemporary instruments. Opening track could be one of the greatest intros to a band you could ever hear on a debut album.

The xx’s debut is a consistently great indie listen, with a plethora of intriguing melodies and sleek production

I thought this was beautiful. It was somber and hypnotizing, with the singers bouncing off each other nicely

Sehr angenehmes Album mit ruhigen und klangvollen Tönen. Das Album ist eine Oase der Ruhe ohne langweilig zu werden. Die zahlreichen Duette sorgen für Abwechslung und sind in die minimalistischen Bass- und Gitarren sowie die synthetischen Klanghintergründe eingebunden. Irgendwie würde auch Chris Isaac’s “Blue Hotel” auf das Album passen. Gut sind das “Intro” und “Crystalised”.

Actually surprisingly really enjoyed this. The minimalist production is really nice and some songs are bangers!

Very mellow and enjoyable (indie alt)

those first four songs go so fucking hard because they're so soft rest is whatever

Immersive, spare, succinct, R&B-flecked pop music--and massively influential. This came out in 2009 and many of the 2010s indie revival bands sounded a lot like this: the drum machine, bass, and clean guitar lines; the hazy mix. I'm inclined to say The xx set the benchmark. 'xx' is also a great blueprint for the contemporary bedroom pop boom. It feels homemade, but not messy or under-cooked. Highlights: Intro, Crystalized, Islands, Shelter, Night Time

Freshman year baby!!

Chill album, captures the vibe of the period it was released in. Some songs are too short, but they don't overstay their welcome and leave me wanting more. :)

I am already a fan of The xx so my review will be biased. While not quite in my wheelhouse, I especially love the simple beats and harmonising singers. Listens: 1 Fave Track: Crystallised Rating: 4

Connected with this much more than previous listens, really enjoy the vocal dichotomies and the instrumentals are subtle but complex and moving. Listened to: walking in Prospect Park. Favorite tracks: Intro, Crystallized, Heart Skipped A Beat

good chill album

Liked the texture of the production, with interesting rhythms and an all-around good listen

Bass driven sparseness, like Hank Marvin in the 2000’s. Bonus points for creating a unique sound.

M'ha agradat moltíssim. Ha entrat súper bé al matí quan anava mig adormit a la feina, molt relaxant de la millor manera possible. Expected Lorenzo rating: 3/5

Strong start, an album I’ve already listened to previously. Great to stick on in the back while concentrating

Nostalgia is going to cloud my ability to judge this without bias. This album came out when I was going through a shit breakup and ended up living in a strange city by myself. This was on repeat for many months. Minimalist, lo fi, haunting.

Simple, poppy, ringing sound, it's great.

Whilst I enjoyed this album and its relaxed synth pop flavour there were only a couple of songs that popped out for me. I will definitely listen to it again and I suspect that other tracks will start to grow on me.

Soothing and chill. Favourites: intro, islands, heart skipped a beat. Not super catchy songs but the album vibes were very calm and pleasant. 4/5

What a fun surprise. I love this album and have since I first heard it in 2009.

One of my favorite records. Vocals are fantastic - haunting, sexy, gloomy. Such a sensual sound throughout with a funky, dreamy vibe. The sequence of music is soothing and seamless; a breath of fresh, comforting air.

pretty good album, i recognised the intro off the bar and the first few tracks were really good, when the other half started, the album came to seem more ambient which was interesting.

This is my second The xx album. I like this one a lot more. I would consider this lo-fi style music. I like it.

Right up my alley

I'm not sure how I missed this album. It was great. Just chill and really good. I would expect to hear this at a coffee shop or something. I'm sure others would recognize it, but as a first time listener, I enjoyed it.

I never really gave this album much time as I didn’t really care for the singles, but the album tracks are really quite good. Very downtempo and atmospheric.

I really enjoyed this album, not sure if I have heard of them or if I have heard any of these songs. Good stuff, kind of ambient chilled out. I will definitely listen to this again.

Short and sweet, an unusual but pleasant sound

I’m surprised that I like this one so much. It’s funky, fun, and melodic. Not earth shattering but good.

I know this list is randomly generated, but I just had one of The xx's subsequent albums a few days ago. I liked it just fine, and I'm actually glad to have heard them so close together because I like this one even better. It's everything I liked about the first (their fourth) album minus a lot of the "electronica" that annoyed me at times. This was a great album.

Lush and atmospheric out of the gate. Ready to take this journey. “VCR” feels like it was made to be the soundtrack in a movie about new beginnings…ending the song on a minor note is chefs kiss. even when synths and keys come in they feel super natural in the mix. So many other artists I’m hearing in this but I don’t know who inspired who. Tycho, yeah yeah yeahs, Portugal the man, gotye, even lorde. Fantasy is really really cool. Like a reprieve. Really good album but there aren’t enough big moments, I feel like some more dynamics would have taken it to the next level. Very solid tho.

Wonderful debut

Me re copó! Muy buenos sonidos y melodías. Para profundizar.

What a fantastic album! So cool. I loved 'Infinity'.

nice easy listen - ethereal indie dream pop/rock

I had never heard of this band or could I recall every hearing a song of theirs. This album was really enjoyable from start to finish. I will add them in to my rotation.

Such a strong opening to the album, reminds me of a lost love though.

This must be one of the only albums where the intro track is more popular than any of the actual songs-and for good reason. There’s something just so great about the intro that I can’t even describe. Just a certain calming euphoric vibe. The rest of the album is pretty good early 2010s music (a couple years ahead of its time ig).

I enjoyed this. I was on the fence between a 3 and a 4… but I’m feeling generous.

Don’t know that I’d listen over and over but I can imagine their music as part of an indie movie soundtrack or playing in the background of certain restaurants giving a specific kind of vibe to the piece or place.

Can hear so many other recent songs in their melodies

This feels of a piece with bands I love like Tycho and Alt-J. Will definitely be listening to this again!

Some say it's near trip hop, I say it's chillstep. And they know the way of chill. "Intro" is a song, that comes up in your dreams.

This was a refreshing album when it came out, though it does get a little boring. Still a fun listen.

nostalgic and smooth

Love this album, and had no idea it was so popular.

Nice mellow mellifluous soft house. Easy listening . mmm

(5,6/6)

Manages to be mellow without being boring

Neat

Mg

I love this album. One of my faves for work background music.

I really liked this. The stripped down musicality and the dreamy vocals were just what I needed. Also dropping XX on International Women's Day - was that intentional or just a cool coincidence?

I love the voices, the mood, sparse arrangements and general sound. When it's good, and it gets the vibe/beat right, it is amazing. My one complaint is that it gets a little samesy and there are many songs without a hook. Still very enjoyable.

Great opening track.

Nice to see these guys on here. Oddly enough, I think I've listened to (and own) an album from Jamie xx, but not sure if I've heard any of the group projects. This one is great alternative/indie style music. I really enjoy the alternating between male and female vocals. The opening track made me laugh though, it's one that has been co-opted by people making terrible inspirational videos. But still, that's a great song, and this is a pretty great album. Favorite tracks: Intro, Crystalised, Heart Skipped a Beat, Basic Space, Infinity. Album art: X. What am I supposed to say to that? They get half-credit only because it's half as many x's as it should be. 4/5

Hipster vibes

Love their sound!

Yeah this takes me back about 10 years ago…

Surprise find. Had a few catchy tunes. 4/5

Fantastic album. Have listen to it 100 times before. Great reverb, soft sounds and a unique sound. Definitely their best album.

har ikke tellinga på hvor mange ganger jeg har hørt på dette albumet, det har aget bra, men ikke så bra som jeg hadde håpet. Ganske ensformig i uttrykket men mye bangers og god sound.

A very chill listen. I really liked this album and the only reason I’m going to take away a star is that it can feel TOO slow sometimes, making it feel like there’s almost empty space in the music. Maybe it’s intentional, maybe it’s not, but if I’m in the mood for this, it’s a great listen.

Tough one to mark this, when it came out I really liked it. I still do but her voice grates on me now I'm older and cynical. I'll go 3.5

very intresting

Listening to this album is truly a form of selfcare

I love a good atmospheric post punk/dream pop vibe, so I knew I was going to like this from the first track. It definitely leans more toward a synth/indie pop sound with the melodies and electronic aspects, but it’s got solid post punk guitar and bass lines and well done sparse arrangements. “Heart Skipped a Beat” could easily be a song from The Cure or New Order. There’s a lot on here that fans of Cocteau Twins, Slowdive, or even Feist and Lana Del Ray would find familiar and appealing. As much as I love the genre, there’s a tendency for it to feel formulaic after a while, so the dual vocalists were a nice surprise to keep things fresh. I’m kind of meh on the male vocalist’s sound—it’s not *bad*, but he’s nothing special—but I really like the woman’s voice. The interplay between them is cool. Even so, the album follows the formula of maintaining the "chillwave" theme throughout, so I could forgive someone for finding the album boring. Is this a revolutionary album that should be on an all-time, must-listen list? Ehh, not sure about that. It seems pretty typical of the genre to me. It's also not subtle about its influences. The song “Infinity” seems to be a direct interpolation of Chris Isaak’s “Wicked Game,” though they somehow got away with not giving him a writing credit. "Night Time" also borrows heavily from the soundscape of The Cure's "Seventeen Seconds" and "Faith" albums. Then again, I came to post punk very late—in the last year or so—and a lot of the bands I listen to are from the last decade, so maybe I’m under-appreciating the influence The xx had on the revival scene? Based on the streaming radio selections that came on after the album finished, their sound seems to fall firmly within the general sound of that era, so I'm not sure about that either. That said, is it a solid album that I’ll add to my regular rotation? Heck yes. 4/5

Intro… has to be the best instrumental album opener ever - I can’t think of another. What a vibe that song creates, and it’s a brilliant decision to put that song at the beginning of the record. It’s one of my favorite instrumentals from a rock band ever. No, this isn’t music you’d listen to at the gym. You won’t listen to it while partying. You won’t hear these songs blaring at a football game. Yes, it fades easily to the background and it takes some effort to really pay attention to it. It sounds lazy. Sometimes it sounds sad but more often it sounds indifferent. It also sounds utterly unique and when you hear a song by The xx, especially from this album, you immediately recognize it as such if you’re familiar with them. This is why this album is great and why it belongs on this list. I will admit, my favorite song by far is the one in which they don’t sing. I also certainly wouldn’t want to listen to this every day. But I’m glad this album exists.

This duo are great for each other, composition and melodies are chill, been listening to em for ages. 3.5

Cool

have been listening to this album since 10th grade. Super catchy, waxing lyrics and lush instrumentation. A place of comfort.

Good album, but has that thing where every song sounds the same.

Una de las mejores cosas que dejó el indie de esa década

Cute

Never heard of this band before. Really like it

Really good chill out music.

Slow

Great album, highschool me loved this shit

Never heard of this band or any of these songs. I enjoyed this album; it was a pleasant surprise. Crystalised was my favorite song, added to my playlist. Overall pleasant album, 4.

Pretty good!

"xx" is the debut album by English indie pop band the xx. Indie pop, dream pop and indie rock are the genres listed and they all fit. The music was built by combining bandmember Jamie Smith's beats with Oliver Smith's bass and Romy Madley Croft's guitar parts. Smith was the album's producer. The other bandmember who would shortly leave was guitarist Baria Qureshi. Most songs are duets with Croft and Sim taking co-lead vocals with songs about love and love intimacy. The album had wide-spread critical acclaim and won the 2010 Mercury Prize. Commercially, it made it to #3 on the British charts and #15 on the US Indie Charts. The album begins appropriately with the instrumental "Intro." Slow guitar progression (not the last time), bass, synth in the background and double-tracked drums. There's also chanting. This sounds like trip hop. Xylophone keys open "VCR." Minimalist guitar progression (again). Romy Croft whispering, singing. They're watching movies on VCR's and talking about love. The guitar riff highlights "Crystallized." Romy and Sim are back and forth on vocals. An imagined romantic scenario: "You applied the pressure to have me crystallized." The guitar shines again on "Islands," mesmerizing and catchy. A synth bridge. Loyality and love. "Shelter" is stark with only Romy's vocals and guitar. A good deep cut. She's never felt this way with the lights off. The second single (there were four singles) "Basic Space" begins with a drum beat that sounds like horses' hoofs. An additional beat comes in. Sparse guitar and synth. One of the few times, Romy and Sim have vocal harmonies. This song has elements of both ambient and shoegaze. Slowdive came right to my mind. The closer "Stars" changes things up a bit with a deep bass and piano. Sim on lead vocals not messing around with intent here as he describes getting physical with someone on the first date and not worrying about the future. I got this album when it came out and liked it to some extent. It sounded great today and has aged well. The music is minimalist with sparse guitars and vocals. It's also simple and hypnotic. The emontional vocals display desire and longing. There's elements of ambient and shoegaze; something I didn't grab the first time around. An album worth going back to.

Lyssnade mycket när detta album kom. Men främst på några få låtar. Som sedan dess legat på en spellista jag haft. Gillar soundet.

Alltid gillat deras melankoliska och avskalade sound. Lite trist att Intro är bästa låten/beatet och att resten av skivan inte riktigt når den nivån, även om den är bra rakt igenom.

I've listened to this one before and still think the lyrics are so meh

Enjoyed. Would listen again

Another record I already love, but trying to listen to it with new ears. Man, The xx sure can do a lot with very little.

It's a kind of minimal sound I like. Nice album.

Never knew anything about this band or their album. I was surprised and enjoyed it. Will give it another listen for sure.

Nice and new for me. A little allí the same

I’ve liked Islands for a while now but didn’t know the rest of this album. Enjoyed the chill vibe, would listen to this again while working.

- not the most exciting thing to listen to but good for listening to on a rainy day inside - I like the bass and the singers voices they’re compatible - all of the song titles match the song vibes except fantasy that song title is gonna be Mariah’s forever

Love the intro, the rest of the album is kind of meh

An exercise in minimalism. Really nice.

So smooth... i had never heard of this band before - love it!

loved the vibe. I have to give Fenton a little credit, one of these tracks was on a Fenton Faves a few years back

these are just so calming, though mostly it makes me want to listen to the gorillaz cover of crystallized that i mainlined as a teenager and then promptly forgot about for ten years

I liked this well enough, might have to give their other albums a shot

I feel like this album is meant to be heard when you're in a very specific mood. With that being said, if you are in that mood, this has gotta be top tier. I give it four stars. Loved: "Intro", "Crystalised" and "Infinity"

I thoroughly enjoyed it, and will be adding it to my rotation!

I loved this. Intro is such a beautiful opening. Minimal, atmospheric and instantly recognisable. It sets the tone perfectly. Crystalised is another standout. Simple, moody and completely addictive. There were a few songs on here that I had heard before but never realised were by The xx, which made it even more enjoyable. The stripped back production really works. It feels intimate and understated rather than empty. This is an album I will definitely come back to. It is calm, cool and quietly powerful. Favourite songs: Intro and Crystalised Least favourite: None that stood out negatively Album artwork: Simple and striking. Clean and instantly recognisable

Surprised me with how much I enjoyed it. Chill out synth tunes with solid vocals. Sexy, but not too sexy.

I was surprised how much I liked this album!

I was just thinking about the place where I stepped out the tram like two years ago and started running with crystalised on full blast in my ears when this album showed up. Interesting coincidence... Oxenfree type vibe.

I enjoyed this album. The rhythms are light and breezy, but the lyrics give the songs an emotional punch. It's perfect coffee house pop.

7/10 Very chill, moody, atmospheric. Slight Of Monsters & Men notes. Really like the vibe, just not a vibe I'd want all the time. Really well made. Sprinkles of interesting percussion.

slowcore

This is very cool atmospheric album with a great vibe and seductive vocals. Really like it

drcent

Great album, amazing beats and vocals. All songs have a similar melancholic mood.

Some songs repetitive, but overall solid melodies and vocals.

Super chill. Giving me a modern goth vibe.

I didn't think I was liking this one until I gradually realized that I did. Gentle and relaxing. Again, hard to decide how many stars

Nice

Was surprised how much I liked this album. Very catch songs really enjoyed.

Blijft fijn album

Had this on while at work doing some sorting and tidying and it was a nice chilled listen. Quite enjoyed this, will look up further if I remember.

Not heard this album before! Instantly recognised ‘Intro’ - heard it a billion times on TV without knowing what or who it was. That opener made me sit up and take notice. I was pretty blown away by the album on first listen. Such a simple stripped back lazy style. The vocals just work together somehow, although I prefer her voice. At times they sound completely disinterested in each other, but the melancholy is just beautiful. At times I’m reminded of some of the dark melodies on some of The Cures albums. The prominence of that bass guitar. It’s a properly moody album and I love it. Another big reason to crack on with this 1,001 albums business :)

chill

Chill

I think this album probably shines more considering the popular albums the time it came out.

Album Nr. 5 Ein gutes Album. Leider ohne Höhepunkte und etwas wenig Kraft.

First album in my project. liked it. Easy to listen to. Both m/f singers have nice calming voices. Would listen again.

Atmospheric and moody. Not ground breaking, but an enjoyable listen, nonetheless.

I only like the first take Intro. Music is a matter of taste.

Ahhh yes, the greatest Intro of all the intros throughout the world of music. Beyond this gem the album gleams with simple, yet catchy and moving pop songs sung by male or female (or neither) vocals. It is a lesson in building momentum through tiny, almost unnoticed introduction of a new beat that crescendos into a final, gorgeous, pounding drum of emotion. 7/10

I really like the musical theory and soft singing that is put into this. It sounds very good

Ich denke, London Grammar hat sich daran orientiert. Witzig, mir ist da ein Lied vor 5 Jahren eingefallen, das ähnlich klingt, aber nicht mehr die Band: Habe dann nachgeschaut und es war "The xx" ;)

it was pretty chill and i really liked it a lot. Felt like being on a roadtrip during the early 2010’s

Always very much liked this album, it hits my indie-loving heart so good. Very chill and cool vibes, sparse arrangements, definitely sounds "of its era" (not a bad thing). The bass and vocals are so sexy -- it's on the list of albums for... ya know. 4 - will definitely listen again

This album was a real indie phenomenon when I was in college. On a critical re-listen, there are certainly some tracks that really didn't live up to the vibe created on the album. Still good though. 3.5/5

I must be a lonely middle class girl from the later 2000s