xx

This album feels like such a specific time and place for me. It took me a few listens to get back into it, but it’s still such a great album.

I thought I really liked this album but actually when I listened to it this time I didn't love it quite as much. Still very good though!

reconnaissable entre mille, ça doit être un des groupes qui a le plus une patte

debut album, more indie pop this time, straightforward and very simple, almost plain in production value. clearly the kind of band that feels like the foundations are all one needs, nothing too crazy or complex. unfortunately, this minimalistic indie music only gets me so interested. singers sounding a little bored, very... i don't want to say primitive production, but it's usually just a drum machine, a voice, and a synth. or guitar. it's a very narrow, very... ambitious album. ever seen the snl sketches where it's supposed to be a high school talent show? that's the aesthetic i get. while it would definitely hit for people in lo-fi and indie spheres, it didn't do a whole lot for me when i listened.

I'm surprised how into this I am. xx is a sweet collection of pretty chill jams. Very minimalist and enjoyable.

Vrmt bien

Good album

First tag said that it was boring, and it was right.

114/1089 (Relisten) Intro is still iconic. and the rest of the album is really solid and very up my street. not much more to add since i’ve already liked this album for a while. In particular i love a reverby guitar faves: Intro, Night Time, Crystallised 85/100

Whack this on a nice soundsystem in the lounge in the background, you'll have a nice time with it. Though the entire thing feels painfully predictable. The do almost everything right, but nothing magic.

Siento que debería decir 4, pero no me está gustando tanto. Aunque tampoco me apetece mucho escuchar este tipo de música sí me gustaría escucharlo de nuevo.

didnt finish come back

awesomeeeee

Was eye opening to hear the intro track and hear that one riff. Favorite Track: Crystalized

This was alright, I recognized the intro track from a commercial or radio maybe. Maybe a 3, it was kind of a dreamy background music.

Amazingly forgettable

Listened to this on the way back from penn state. Real good vibes, my type of dreamy, haunting sounds. Feels ahead of its time.

I was very excited to see this album cover pop out. So very popular, iconic, and yet something I've never made the intent of listening to. Right off the bat, with the introductory track aptly titled intro— OH I KNOW THIS. My brain felt the song was by Khruangbin, which no doubt have some xx influence in them. Along with I guess 80% of the indie rock from 2010 onward. I've heard and enjoyed their influence without ever needing to hear this record. One could debate the effort is better off as a catalyst than its own piece of work. It's still a solid project doing the job right. It's got some memorable moments, it's got room to breathe, just enough sonic variety to keep you interested for its duration. I think it was just surpassed quickly by a handful of emergent bands. Historically, very important. I'd add this record to the collection. 3.7/5

This albums probably doesnt get the praise it deserves because of how omnipresent Intro is, but the rest of the album is great Good riffs, good melodies

Cringy vocals - out of tune, breathy, unclear. Dull guitar tone. Some moments with instrumentals only, like the extreme bass in Fantasy, are interesting, but overall I’m just bored and want to take the vocals entirely out.

First 4 songs are great, album seems to get slower and slower after Islands. Middle of the road, weak 3/5.

I've heard a lot of hype around this album as, like,. incredible indie pop but honestly I don't get it. Especially about the intro, I just don't feel any real connection or interest in it. Favorites: Crystalized, Islands, Infinity

Not to my taste

I love this band! I discovered them at a live show and have been a huge fan ever since.

I remember a time when it seemed like every video used "Intro" as its soundtrack, which really put me off listening to the whole album. And then when I did listen to it, the intimate production choices made me feel like I'd walked in on a pair of lovers. I've since got over all that. For me this album very much evokes a particular time. I very much like that the album ends fairly shortly after I get bored of it. "Infinity" should have been a single.

If foster the people and Radiohead had a baby lol.

There's brief moments in this album that the overall vibe is working for me but then I usually have some nit that takes me out of it. It's usually related to the vocals. There's some kind of like clumsy attempt at a specific vocal affect that comes off inauthentic to me. Some of the melodies kind of circle around a specific sound that almost sounds like someone not realizing they want to recreate the feeling they get when they hear Chris Isaac's Wicked Game

Enjoyed, but a litttle samey

If you haven't been in the trenches of 2012 Tumblr, then you don't know what this album means to people. I saw girlies going to war for this. Not me, but some people really fuck with this.

2.45

Mellow

Fun techno-lite vibe

Some good tracks. Overall, a good album.

Shite

Saw it was from 2009, saw it was from London and just immediately lost interest. But we're here to give things a shot and try to be exposed to new music and I'm proud I haven't skipped it. First track, recognized it immediately and really loved it. I would want a whole album of exactly that. The rest of the album had some cool stuff but I didn't like the vocals. Glad I listened to it, wouldn't want to listen to it again though.

Thought their other album was ok but inconsequential. And that, this or both are no longer on the list? After only a few years. Inconsequential hey. It’s sort of ok, in that ambient and low energy, lost in your own bedroom, kind of way. It never really progresses, is quiet soporific and as such remains background in my mind, all low levels; electronic sounds, minimal guitar and low key vocals. Just reading wiki, and see it appears as background on a fair number of tv shows which kind of sums up the background feel to it. I can’t really raise much enthusiasm, other than ok. 2 Star

Ok

Ex-moderninho, 3 estrelas

This one brings back a flood of memories. My ex wife used to love this record and it’s really held up. I’m not sure if I love it because it’s so good or because of the nostalgia. Either way, 4 stars.

Sounds like car commercial music

I have only heard the instrumental intro song before, which I love. Turns out their voices are annoying, not into it.

This was my soundtrack to summer 2011

strong first four tracks, then kinda goes away. 3

bad. i hate this genre of music. also conveniently uses one of my least favorite styles of singing. get out of my fucking face

Lovely album, easy to get lost in, and easy to have on in the background - but not in a bad way - catchy and sweet, soft and upbeat - makes for a wonderful soundtrack for a rainy day. Will find its way back to my rotation regularly, I think. And if anyone else is reading this, go check out Jamie XX's Boiler Room set - you will not be disappointed.

Smooth. Beautiful. Dark. Mysterious. Moody. English.

Oh to be 15 again <3

hate this shit

3.5

Moody

Classic indie album — shoegaze for the club.

Classic.

I liked this! Nice ambient chill indie stuff.

RUINED INDIE POP!!!!!!!! but its shadow on mainstream pop led to some utterly fascinating developments. i find it a bit dull and plodding personally, though i see the appeal pretty clearly and think that it has earned a spot in the public consciousness deserves to be one of the 1001? i might not care for it much but yes

masterpiece

Surprisingly not bad

Interesting cultural impact of this. I hadn’t heard of the xx or this album. Yet I knew many of the songs. It’s very good.

Some generic crap. Why is your most popular song on Spotify the Intro song? Heard this sound with better bands.

Jeez, has it been 16 years already? Times fly, I remember the day this album came out, and I really liked it. Their minimalist, sparse, intimate, and quiet sound blending indie and dream pop with a warm and chilled vibe, was really welcome, especially during the time of Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift, Kanye West, and other contemporary (shit) artists of that time. But I'm quite surprised by all the negative reviews here - guess what I said the other day about this list being biased towards American music also applies to evaluating (indie) bands across the ocean. Even so, because of their beautifully crafted intimate and charming sound, I still reckon it's a 4/5.

Brilliant album. Very much slept on.

Great album that I had forgotten about.

I hope I don't get AIDS from this faggot shit.

Is it just me or does every song sound the same? Lazy singing, lazy guitar work, the rhythm section actually seems to want to go somewhere but can’t. Very yawn inducing

Many songs that I was surprised I had heard many times before. So many excellent songs. Great driving and background music, though I think it's a bit too atmospheric to take center-stage as more than music to play while doing other things.

Wasn't my things. Not much distinction between the songs.

Not really my music, but it was OK to listen to. I would have it on in the background. Really beautiful voices.

Elevator music on Xanax. Painfully boring and childish lyrics and melodies. I have no problem saying I hated this album.

The best track is the first track, and the album gets worse from there. Not a terrible album, just extremely depressing. The fact that the first track has nearly as many listens as the rest of the album really speaks volumes. There are hundreds of quirky coffee and antique shops playing some of these tracks on repeat. Overall 4/10

Super boring and bland

I really struggled with this one. The first track is dope and I’ve always liked it. Perhaps because it’s instrumental. When the vocals start, however, it’s like they suck all of the energy out of me. Exhausting sound. Not a fan .

Have you ever spent 39 minutes examining a carpet?

Ambient and depressing! I am reminded why I couldn’t finish this album when it came out - while the first track is strong they do blend together

that Intro is so good. Cool people music that I didn’t listen to back in the day. A guy who was much cooler than I was made me a mix-memory stick with the xx on it.

First song reminded like a modern, simple version of Heroes by Bowie (check the vocal melody). Liked the carillon/xylophone. (Chiringuito music to listen to while eating an avocado toast). Música de chiringuito para tomar una tostada de aguacate. Good background music.

Was better than expected, but songs did sound very similar.

Bland and lacking solid vocals

Sounded nice but pretty boring and uninteresting. Really lacking in any emotion or effort, which I get is what they were going for but makes for a very snoozy album. Didn't even notice when it ended. British.

not at all familiar w them. enjoyed low key background music, but vocals were incredibly bland

Gorgeous album already in regular rotation for me. Moody, sexy, underdone.

Love this album.

I enjoyed this a lot and will certainly come back to it - quiet and electronic without being boring.

There’s a reason why I only loved one song from this album in college. The vocals were recorded for the vibes only. That first song is pretttty cool though.

I liked this a lot more than I initially thought I would. Will play again.

Intro was the best song.

Iconic dream pop indie rock. Should be right up my alley but it doesn't fully connect Best Song: Stars Rating: 6.5/10 Stars: 2

Simple. Groovy and meloncolic

Really good, moody, breathy pop. 5/5

Pretty low key and forgettable ambient indie pop album. A couple decent radio singles but becomes very boring as a full album. Inoffensive and very plain. Top tracks: Intro, Fantasy

Solid background music album. Nice vibes, chill.

no.

so much nostalgia, feels like high school. low-fi vibes.

Very good.

I used to listen to this album on repeat when it came out. Love.

Perfectly fine albeit slightly boring atmospheric pop 2.5/5

Loved it back then and still really enjoy it. Perfect album.

meeehh, bom mas não faz meu tipo

Pleasant album with some songs that I liked, but I don’t think I would listen to the full album again

A little melancholy and good!

Minimalist instrumentation, song structures and vocal range on display here. Admittedly didn’t dig in deep with the lyrics but nothing that stood out there to me on the first listen either. Sets and sustains a mood, and there are a couple moments that feel semi- cathartic amid the gloom; however overall too much empty canvas to make me want to come back to this one.

This is boring background music they have on in the dentists office

This is definitely one of those "vibe" albums that is perfect for late night listening, and I think it's pretty effective at that. It's sparse and minimalist but quite beautiful at times. Intro is such a good opener and there are a lot of moments I really like. The back and forth vocals, the use of space, the way the instruments sort of reverb and decay into space. I get how this isn't for everyone but I think it fits an interesting niche.

Intro + VCR is legendary. The rest is totally fine. Love the understated nature of the album but they always felt like a lesser Sylvan Esso to me.

Starts out fine but gets so repetitive. It became a chore to finish listening to this even though there are like 2-3 really enjoyable songs on here.

I feel like this is the type of album that could be really chill or really boring. There is no in-between. This isn’t the most exciting album I heard and some of it’s a little eh, but I actually enjoyed this more than I want to admit. Usually, I don’t care for albums that go for “slow, chill vibes”. They tend to become background music and I get disinterested in them. But most of this avoids that, thanks to its ethereal, dream-like atmosphere. It’s the poster-child for 2010’s indie, but it’s on the good side of it. Favorite track: VCR Other hits: Intro, Islands, Shelter, Night Time, Stars

Low key & enjoyable, but enough going on that it grabbed my interest and didn't fade into the background for me.

oh damn - i totally forgot about this album

Good album. But i wouldnt mind dying without listening to it. Nothing world changing, nothing special.

Good for late-night ambient. Nothing too spectacular, but some of the songs are catchy. "Infinity" is a highlight.

7/10

I was not too surprised to learn that they first made a name for themselves by licensing their music for TV... It does indeed sound like the soundtrack of a hip Netflix series about angsty young Londoners. I kind of enjoyed it as background music. The gloomy atmosphere grew on me after a while, and there’s definitely a couple of nice loops here and there. But the beats are too minimalist for my taste, and the affected, blasé vocals are a bit annoying. It feels a bit empty, like comatose music for hungover people, and the whole band seems to be on the verge of passing out. Maybe they needed another X ? 4/10

Very nice. It's good to know they made the music before the samples.

A melancholic album, well-made... but without any particular flavor.

I bought this album when it first came out and instantly had a soft spot for it. Listening to it again while working, I can still feel that intimate atmosphere with sweet vocals, the melodic progressions built on a minimalist but emotionally powerful foundation, and that subtle alternative edge I’ve always liked. There’s a real sense of sincerity and restraint here, the kind that rewards quiet listening. The production is understated but precise, letting the textures breathe and the emotions come through naturally. It’s not a record that tries to impress with excess, instead, it grows on you, revealing its depth little by little. It’s not a game-changer, but within its style, it definitely left a mark and I enjoyed listening to it again.

3/5

Not a fan. Sounded like background music in a hotel lobby.

Interesting but not one of the toppers, even from 2009

This one is much much better than I See You 8.8 ★★★★

I like the mix of electronic and organic textures on this album. 4 stars

The other album by this band is really questionable for inclusion, but I think this is a great album with a cool sound that was really fresh at the time, combining dream pop, indietronica, and alternative R&B. I like the icy minimalism of the music, combined with the sultry vocals of Romy and Oliver. At times, it kind of seems like a modern, more realized take on Young Marble Giants. I think there's numerous standouts here including "Intro", "Crystalized", "Heart Skipped a Beat", and "Infinity". One of the best albums of 2009. 5 stars.

Bang average as opposed to being outright terrible like the other xx album on this list. Forges a distinctly icy, minimal sound and direction for itself by copping a tremendous dull ripoff feel of Young Marble Giants and combining it with the dullest, most fakest plastic facets of modern indie. Shame they couldn’t copy another trend of Young Marble Giants by limiting themselves to only one album.

xxting

It was fairly pleasant, nothing spectacular but I enjoyed it. Favorite tracks were Intro, VCR, Heart Skipped a Beat, Fantasy, Shelter, Basic Space, and Night Time. Not sure how often I'll revisit this one but first impressions are positive so that should count for something. 7/10.

Appreciate the minimalism on a certain level and this album has a vibe, for sure. If an album could be two awkward people in their early twenties trying to hang out and get to know each other, this would be it. Don't want to be too harsh, but the minimalism was a bit too minimalist at times - some songs feel like ideas that never got fully fleshed out; I would lose track of when a song began and ended, and quite a bit sounds the same. But I appreciate the homegrown nature of this album and there are a few songs on here that are exceptional.

Chill vibes. The intro is on every dramatic movies soundtrack from 2010-2017

Oh my god, this took me back to 2009. I love this album, I think what the xx was so innovative: melancholic atmosphere with minimalism in which you can pay attention to the most of what's happening at the song. I feel this list don't give credit to newer artists, but this album they nailed. The Phoebe Bridgers, Gracie Abrams and even Billie Eilish wouldn't do their whispered vocals if this album didn't exist. Also what would it be of Alt-j's experimentation? 5/5 And I still pray this trio will do an amazing album like this again

I appreciate the male/female vocal mix

Grei bakgrunnsstøy

This was one of those "how did this make this list" albums. Not really impressed with it at all.

ethereal surf mellow jams

Calm, serene and beautiful. Particularly the front half of the album.

Fav: Intro Least Fav: Fantasy But disappointed, it’s not bad but it goes nowhere and just feels kinda boring. I thought Intro was alright and felt dread when I realised it was the best the album had to offer

Quite a nice low-fi feeling album. Though I don’t want to reward the soft voice with tons of reverb too much.

Yeah good stuff

What a great album! I've love it since it came out and I have liked this band immensely!

This is a really monumental album for me and I think it was the catalyst that helped shape me into such a pretentious and quite insufferable music listener. Intro… what an intro! VCR reminds me of the guy I used to be crazy about at the time so while the track is great, I’m put off by it now (curse you, guy!) I used to play a lot of these songs with my uni flatmates, and Crystalized was always fun, as was Islands!! What a tune. Was never fussed on Heart Skipped a Beat but like it more now, especially the last minute of the song. I LOVE Fantasy, but my god, I was just the WORST because all I thought of here was being sat in my window at uni chain smoking. I am now, unfortunately, being confronted by how massively embarrassing that is. What a dick! Moving on, I really love the instrumentation and production on Shelter, and it’s immediately followed by Basic Space which is fun, but I’ve always felt a disconnect on that track between the track itself and the vocals which I find jarring. I think I would enjoy it more without the vocals entirely. Infinity is another of those chain smoking songs for me so again, filled with embarrassment and disdain towards myself while listening. I’m so conflicted about this album. It’s hard to separate myself and my memories of it from this listening experience right now. It is not my favourite XX album, and I do actually prefer Jamie XX’s solo releases, particularly what he’s put out this year. I THINK it’s a 4 from me. And I’ll probably never listen again. Who ever allowed me to be such a twat!

I remember friends raving about this in 2012. I think I had a copy on my iPod, but never really listened. I found it quite pleasant, but lacked certain aggression. The melodies were sweet. But a friend listening with me called it; 'slightly beyond cafe music'. 4 stars

This album is like being at a house party with your new girlfriend. Your friend’s parents are rich and their house is massive. You decide to leave the main party room, and get into the spa pool together. You and your girlfriend are in that initial phase of a relationship where you haven’t discovered any of each other’s character flaws. Everyone else is inside and the doors are closed, so the party noise has been dulled down to a quiet background sound. You are already comfortable enough together that silence isn’t awkward, and you don’t feel compelled to say something just for the sake of talking. Instead you just look at the stars and enjoy the peaceful quiet.

Good minimalist tunes. I know that intro song from somewhere but could not say where. Easy relaxing music. Doesn't try to be anything it is not and does what it is well.

Interesting, put for me active listening was difficult. Great vibe, though

Not a bad album, but I'd have to be in a certain headspace. It's very moody, which I just can't do right now. Latter half was definitely better than the first, with Basic Space being a standout and maybe the most upbeat.

Reminds me of college.

Quite an original sounds, keeping me hooked throughout the album.

really on my xx roll rn...just listened to jamie xx on how long gone etc

English indie pop. Excellent post-house music electronic pop. Favorite Tracks: Intro VCR Islands Shelter

This album surprised me started of strong and just got better. It’ll be played in my house from now on.

I never loved this band but recognize a lot of the songs. Pretty boring, but definitely different than a lot of things out there when this came out, so a little bit of respect for that.

I saw a joke online once about how “Minimalism is a scam designed by big Nothing to makes us buy more less” and that’s how I feel about this album. It feels like they repeatedly tried to find the least amount of effort they could put into a song and still call it music. There are times when this works, like in film scoring, but as a standalone album it feels sparse and uninteresting. I would actively skip any song that wasn’t Intro from this album.

Was never a big fan of xx. Just always sounded "fine"

I liked some songs. All songs have the same chill out atmosphere, some are more interesting while others just fall under the same repetitive style. I would probably listen to two or three songs again but the rest is just music to have on the background. Nice to hear but a bit boring.

I really liked this album. Wish it was a little longer.

Too low-key for me.

This album came out right when I needed it, so itll always have a soft spot for me.

This will be a new addition to my rotation.

Never heard of these guys, which kind of surprised me considering the first song on the album had 750 million listens on Spotify. Overall I thought they were pretty good. They were a little poppy (popish? pop-centric) for my tastes, and often floated into a blend of background music, but really enjoyed it.

“Intro” is good, albeit somewhat overplayed, but the rest is just music for shopping at H&M

Not bad nice voice

I appreciated some minimalist music, but not this. There has to be something interesting musically happening and I can’t find it here.

Lofi pop to get murdered in a David Lynch film to.

Another 4 and especially loved the suggested songs that came after this one, excellent Sunday vibes

OHHHHH yippee 3

I remember this album banging a lot harder than this

Nydelig nostalgitrip, elsk.

Favorite: Crystalised

Banger.

This is an interesting one. It starts off great. Love that broody minimalist kind of early Cure vibe, and the downbeat boy/girl vocals recall MBV. However, as it goes on you begin to realise maybe they only have this one idea? Maybe repeated listens will reveal a little more depth, but I'm not sure I have the patience to find out...

Better than Coldplay

I love this album. Jangling guitar riffs and laid back whispering vocals make it a unique sound which can only belong to The XX. I have this album in my collection and also subsequent ones. If I do have one complaint you only need to have one of their albums to appreciate their sound as they all do tend to sound like one another. But this is a fine album and well worthy to be on the list as there are few bands around, if any, producing this sound. 4/5 25/9/25

me aburrí

Refreshing sounds and atmosphere listening to this album with a clear view, fan of Islands and Infinity specifically. Really solid 4 song run in the start of the album, would give a strong 3 to this one just because personally still didnt get me that attached.

Dope

Like

As tired as I am of the abundance of no name English bands that are on this countdown, there is something about this record that I dig. Not that this is amazing, because it isn’t. The singers are average at best, especially the male one who is mediocre, while the songs and production are pretty basic. But they do have something interesting about them that made this a worthwhile listen, even if it is best categorized as a slow burn. When the album first began, l was instantly buying in with Intro. Yeah it’s an instrumental, but it was a great start. Unfortunately, they never seemed to get appreciably better than that, as backed up by this being listed as the only top song from the album on Apple Music. That said, the song constructions are generally good and it has a certain vibe about it that is cool. Not great, not bad. Pretty average, which is way above a lot of the other English acts on this list that no one has ever heard of.

It's good. Some songs I really like, but most are just fine. I really like the woman vocals much more than the man's voice, but together it somehow kinda works? I dunno, I liked the album it's pretty good.

This album is viscerally familiar and yet I didn't especially know any of the songs. After giving it some thought I have a funny feeling this might be one of the albums we played for a bit while I was working at Borders back in the day. It's got the right vibe, and from the right time frame. I do think this works best as background music. It's a chill and kind of sparse. This starts out more towards a 4 and slides down to more towards a 3 by the album's end. I definitely don't dislike it but probably won't go out of my way to listen again.

Very repetetive.

Album 901 of 1089 The xx - xx (2009) Rating : 2.5 / 5 Mellow, low-key indie pop with a quiet charm, even if it didn’t stick long after. A nice, low-key indie pop listen that held its niche well. Can’t say there were a lot of melodies that stuck with me, but the band has their sound and they stay consistent with it. Nothing earth-shattering here, but I also don’t regret the time spent listening. It had a quiet charm to it, even if it isn’t something I’d go reaching for again.

I’ve always loved “Intro” and it’s no surprise they built their fanbase by licensing their music to TV. Very “Moby” of them.

I'm really glad this album held up as it was one of my favorites when it came out. Cool, dreamy, minimal, and lush. The maxed out surfy reverb guitar paints over everything with simple hooks or long chords. The beats are minimal and synthetic to balance it. The lyrics are understated and mumbled like shoegaze, and the male-female interplay keeps interest ever when words get a bit cliche. I don't think it's perfect though. The biggest gripe is how front-loaded it is. The "hits" (e.g. "VCR", "Crystalised", "Islands") are all in a row in the first half. Then the second half is much more mellow, lacking the energy or upbeat of the first half. In fact, I'd say the second half kind of slogs, and doesn't build to much. I do think that kind of split is okay in some albums, but it works better when there is more distinction in the style or theme (for example, Bowie's "Low"). Here it just kind of feels like all the bangers got pushed forward and the filler got left behind, and the track order is unbalanced.

Did not know the album or the band before listening, so was super surprised to know the first track. It went downhill from there though. Pretty boring stuff.

An intimate, minimal blend of indie pop and electronic, built on sparse beats, muted guitars, and hushed, intertwining vocals that create a nocturnal atmosphere.

Very chill, but intro is a classic and all around nice album. Not much to say, but this time in a good way.

Simple music, annoying voices. Everything feels the same

Perfectly pleasant listen. Never really reaches a grand peak.

Islands is my favourite!

Very one note. Its a nice note, but it is just one

I remember this album well. The xx were huge in the tumblr scene but I never got the hype I enjoyed the singles though, they save this from a 2. But overall pretty boring 3 ⭐️

soothing dreamy melancholic pop, stuff that let's my heart frequency drop.

Classic 2000s album, this set the mood for urban outfitters everywhere for the next 5 years

Yes!

Some elite songs in here, iconic.

i love this album

I've already listened

"Intro" on vahva aloitus albumille. Mulla on varmasti ollut siihen joskus nykytanssissa joku koreo, mutta en muista mikä. Aivan hyvää musiikkia muutenkin.

Indie electronic music to study and be sad to. Well produced.

I was still kind of plugged in to the music scene when The xx released their debut album xx. In fact, there was such a buzz about that album that I listened to it. I don’t remember it making a very big impression, but I could have been a narrow-minded music nerd at the time. So, I was kind of excited to be giving it another try. Upon first listen, as I was working at my desk, I really liked it. I thought I’d made a huge mistake back then. While the songs were kind of simple with just a few instruments and some digital sounds, the vibe was very chill and relaxed. And, surprisingly, the songs had a bit of a beat to kind of bop to a bit. After listening to it, sitting in a chair, concentrating and reading the lyrics, I kind of came back to earth. The songs are simple and kind of sound the same, which isn’t bad necessarily, look at AC/DC. The lyrics to me sounded very high school teen, angsty, kind of “I’ll never love again” at age 16. Plus, you can tell this band was a fan of New Order, The Cure, Joy Division, and other 80’s new wave, but what really hit me was The Kills. The Kills are a two-person alt/rock group that is very minimalist and I love that band so much. Check out The Kills’ Midnight Boom. But several songs, I thought, this could have been off of a Kills album. Because I could easily pick out the influences, I thought it was weird that this album got so much love. I remember a band called She Wants Revenge, which I really liked, but the critics killed them for sounding just like their influences. Many of which were shared by The xx. It was confusing. Not that I don’t listen to trashy music, I do, but I really thought She Wants Revenge was going to be around for a while. Nope. Maybe the critics were just being narrow-minded idiots at that time, and 3 years later, they were all in. This album was great when it was just on in the background while you're working. But when I sat down and really got into it, even at 37 minutes, I kept wondering, “When is this going to be done?” Not sure it’s one of the best albums of the 21st century, or of 1,001 you need to hear, but it’s alright.

I like their overall sound, but the songs were forgettable.

Yeah okay honestly was not quite expecting this album to show up! Very funny that it did though. I'm a big fan! never listened all the way through until now, and I really appreciate this albums emotional depth. Favorite track off the album was VCR.

This is #day397 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… how about a throwback to the late-'00s indie electronic? When "Crystalised" kicked in, I realized what this band reminds me of: Young Marble Giants, the early-'80s indie/post-punk Welsh band. There's this similar stripped-down minimalism, though Young Marble Giants carried more depth in their sparseness. The xx are too sugary-indie and lappy for my taste. I like the shimmering guitar sound, though. There's something Chameleons-Cocteau-Twins-esque about it. Highlights are "Intro," "Crystalised," "Islands," and "Infinity." No idea why their other album made this list. Otherwise, this is a 3 out of 5. Looking forward to #day398.

This is surprisingly good, and it turns out that "Intro" is super familiar. The album as a whole it very relaxing but with a lot of depth to it.

Like a minimalist cross between the Cure and Coldplay but less interesting

I’m firmly on the fence of a 5. I struggle with the lyrics, but I like the sound a lot. Just wish there was a more emotional hit with the lyrics. Ultimately just a little too cliche/tired to LOVE it enough for 5 stars. Maybe I'll change my mind later but 4 stars feels fair for now. Strong 4, but lacking lyrical/emotional quality for a 5. The ethereal sound is just such a specific vibe. - Modern music! Probably going to be bad... - Iconic intro! Feel like I've never heard the original but have heard a million samples of it - First song is pleasant! - Feels a little too cliche/dated to be 5 stars, but I enjoy it. Let's see if the rest of the album can be this quality - Doing a second listen to see if I connect with the lyrics... Connect strong with some songs, other songs are a mix. Cryptic lyrics are tough, really waffling on giving this a 5

WE'RE BACK BABY ! Honestly, I love this album, it’s the perfect soundtrack for staring out a bus window and pretending your life is a black&white indie film. It's moody, it's mysterious and it's sexy. Overall, “XX” is minimalism done right. It’s not flashy, it’s not loud, it's like the musical equivalent of someone whispering “psst… I have feelings” directly into your soul. LOVE ! 4/5 - HF xo - Returning minimalism to the mainstream in a way that hadn't been seen since the 80s, we have the record that spawned 1000 acts that thought they just didn't have to put that much into writing music and could get away with it. The xx managed it and were probably the best at it around the late 00s/early 10s. The most positive word I can use about the songs are that they are quite 'nice'. Wholly unoffensive but they inspire absolutely nothing in me. Ther's some nice little guitar parts here and there which sound like someone put Johnny Marr in an ice bath and put a gun to his head and asked him to pump out some arpeggios. But I was probably spoiled growing up in the late 90s/2000s when music had kinda bounced back (I've bounced back, Lynn) after the previous decade, but in the snobbiest way possible I'm either excited by music or transfixed by music or I'm probably not enjoying it. The more known tracks (VCR, Crystalised, Islands) stack up the first part of this record, and it falls off a cliff pretty quickly. The singles take you back to an era when people thought shows like Skins were like how late teen life should be and aspired to be like the characters, realising they actually weren't middle-class kids from Bristol and actually poor kids from the North where the pills weren't as good and you couldn't afford coke on your EMA. They actually try something with tracks like 'Fantasy' and 'Stars', but they don't have enough about them to stand-out as top album tracks and the record peters out with a whimper. A forgettable experience from a forgettable year. 1.9/5 JF - I thought for a second I didn't know the band or this album then 10 seconds in I'm thrown back to underage drinking, smoking down fairy glen and buying cigs from an old Chinese fella (big up Tony Saltburn OG) VCR is a slow paced, lowfi tune, lyrically well put together with some nice harmonies but very little to say other than that. Crystallised bumps up the BPMs slightly with a funky bassline and minimalist type guitar, once again not a bad track but it's not really grabbing me, with the expectations The Intro set, I expected more. Okay this won't be a long review, mainly because I don't really have much to say about it, it's starts off so well but then it's just kind of boring, I don't mind minimalism in music when it's done well, sometimes less is more and there nothing wrong with that. But an entire album of minimalist build up to minimum if no pay off at all? Yeah not my cup of tea. It's like if the DJ made the first track then fell asleep and team of teenagers on a come down picked up what was left, probably won't pick this album up again tbh. 1.8/5 MTW

Cool music to listen to. Nice to just have on in the background.

One of the reviews said this album is for sad middle class girls in the 2010s. I've never felt so seen. Understand the criticisms in hindsight but too nostalgic to score low

I knew the song Islands from a video game I played in like 2012. The vibe is pretty much the same throughout. Calm, electronic and a bit Emo.

I think this kind of album is something I'd listen to more in the winter. It's very easy listening all the way through.

Want to listen to it again. Not completely impressed.

I wish there was a 3.5. Weird but liked it.

One of my favourite albums. Both singers have great voices that work so well with the music. Very mellow and chill with some good beats. Best experienced through speakers or headphones.

The xx are dope!! Yeah I can 🪏them It’s like a cross between Chris Isaack and Phantomgram🥰🥰🥰

Got a star cause of Danny kelly

Quite a few songs I recognized, I was a big fan of the album as a whole, will listen again

Chill pop album. Good background music or something youd here at a trendy clothing store or coffee shop. Not my typical vibe, but not bad.

I don't think I know the xx, but I know the name. Intro is beautiful. There's a lot of New Order in there, with distracted vocals on top. Shelter comes along and I think I'm starting to get hooked. Infinity reminds me of that Chris Isaak song, but doesn't work for me. The last couple of songs not grabbing me. It's ok.

Yep, good album.

If ennui had a soundtrack, this would be it. The minimalist electronica is serviceable, and in fact, even good at times, but the lazy, oft asynchronous mumblings are a real downer. I get it. This is likely the exact vibe they were going for, and I, therefore, commend them for hitting their mark, but talk about sucking the energy out of a room. Unlike the stupefyingly generic 'I See You' (which we had to listen to just three albums ago and had zero business being on this list), I can see the somewhat unique value this album brings to the table. I think its resonance, however, is completely dependent on the listener's biorhythms at the time of consumption. If you're feeling broody, this might hit like a 5; else, it'll probably land much closer to a 1. Guess I'll split the difference.

These guys? Again? Really?

Seemed okay, not sure if my thing.

A couple of notable tunes I knew and dug. Chill and well produced.

Gar nd mini musig ehrlichgseit. Intro infonity sind voll ok aber de rest het mir jetzt gar nd gfalle

calme et appaisant, super ambiance

New-to-me band. Not bad, a chill, vibey sound that pairs well with reading in bed. Crystalised added to Liked Songs.

Can recognise the quality and contribution to the genre here. "Good indie" is an oxymoron, but this is about bearable, if a bit dull.

Unimpressed. Barely anything to commend it. Basic music for basic bitches.

Thought it was an alright listen overall, a few indie bangers in there.

Actually listened to this album a fair few times when it came out. It is an enjoyable listen and there are highlights with Intro, Crystallised and Night Time. There is a bit of filler and not quite 4-star worthy. Solid 3-star.

Just a bit bland Familiarity: [3 – Know some songs] Songs I would actively choose to listen to: [1 - None] What can I remember the next day?: [1 - None}

Meh

Very forgettable

Des accords si simples pour une musique tellement agréable. Un son de guitare/synthé je sais pas trop qu’ils ont réussi à réinventer dans plusieurs morceaux différentes pour un résultat tout aussi magique. Pour moi, « Intro » c’est LA musique chill de papa par excellence. J’ai pas trop l’habitude d’écouter l’album entier mais honnêtement tout va dans chacune des musiques, c’est limpide, c’est fluide, c’est wow. Les 2 voix se complètent totalement tout en laissant des morceaux entiers instrumentaux. C’est un album indispensable pour moi et je ne peux mettre que 5.

Super album ! Un classique, d'autant plus quand on voit ensuite la carrière des membres du groupe : Romy, Jamie xx... Une signature musicale vraiment particulière, très douce, un peu flottante, comme dans un rêve, et qui nous transporte tout au long de l'album. Un plaisir !

ça faisait longtemps que je l'avais pas écouté mais un vrai banger

Difficile de faire plus cliché qu’un enchaînement de chansons nommés Basic Space / Infinity / Night Time / Stars haha Je n’arrive pas trop à déceler les émotions que l’album essaye de transmettre et c’est sûrement sa force mais je pense que c’est aussi son point faible (en plus de la voix de Oliver Sim qui ne me convainc absolument pas). Les mélodies sont au point mais tout est très « vide » et donc j’ai l’impression qu’on s’ennuie vite, à moins d’être dans le mood idéal , mais ça reste un album qui me rappelle des bons souvenirs (j’avais essayé d’apprendre l’arpège de Intro à la guitare)

The intro track of is fantastic and the only one I knew before diving in. I expected more of that vibe, but the rest of the album is just boring and bland. Something I’ve already forgotten.

Pretty enjoyable, just didn't stick with me.

Thxx is prexxy gxxd! Never heard of the album or the band before. It hits nicely as a mellow, subtle groove thing. Obviously not party music or anything. It sounds like it will get better as I listen more. Only twice through this week, but I'll be coming to listen and maybe check out some of their other stuff. While I definitely liked the opener, the moment I wasn't concentrating 100% on listening, I could hardly tell when one track ended and another began. Going to give it a 4 because nothing here stuck out as bad and it is quite listenable. But there's nothng here to warrant a 5 either.

Basically a lofi album with breathy, slightly out of tune vocals over the top. I couldn't get into this one. I don't even get how this counts as pop, there's nothing pop about it, although I find most pop to be annoying so I guess it has that going for it. It's just a bad album. The 2000s had so many good albums come out, why did this make the 1000 that I should listen to before I die? It's a fine album. I don't hate it. I just would never choose to listen to this when there are so many better options that exist.

I hate saying bad things about albums that definitely had a lot of hard work that went into it, but this is just really boring in my opinion. I lost interest halfway through and it never brought me back. "Crystalised" is a really good song though. I'm glad i know it now. Everything else for the most part will be forgotten by tomorrow

Boy I remember discovering this during a highschool breakup. Have it on vinyl, never heard anything like it at that time. It's a 5 for me

This was an interesting listening experience. I thought it was really cohesive sonically, it's got that kind of mellow rock sound that's perfect for a long drive on a summer evening. At the same time it felt unlike anything I've heard before (maybe Of Monsters and Men come the closest from the music I usually listen to), I found it easy to get invested in. I especially liked the rhythm section on most songs. I'm ashamed to admit I'd never heard of The xx before, but I do see myself returning to this album.

One of those that I like better musically and melodically than lyrically.

Very interesting breathy sound, seems ahead of its time in many ways

Very atmospheric. Interesting mix of indie and hip hop elements along with some industrial and synth. That said, none of it was particularly interesting or distinct, just vibes. Not great to exercise to, but would be a decent album for sitting pool side on a summer day.

'You used to have all the answers / And you, you still have them too.' I'm not sure if Romy ever heard of Mitch Hedberg, but that sure does resemble the comedian's classic joke: 'I used to do drug, I still do, but I used to too.' Unlike Mitch tho, the xx doesn't have a single funny bone in their makeup: it's all a whispered and enervating chillness that has no sense of humor or iota of what it means to be alive. It's dream pop to the extent that my bed time accords w/ the hour the record is put on, but the legacy of The Cocteau Twins, My Bloody Valentine, or even the flawed but memorable Mazzy Star is hardly continued on this record. I don't get why the Kool Aid was drunk w/ this group: nothing special and especially sleepy. Not xx: more Zzz.

I was familiar with the first song (not sure why) so I enjoyed having a little connection as I went in. Halfway through I realized they had been on the list before. I really enjoyed the first half. VCR and Crystalised were good, they flowed well together and were a little different and didn't drag. After Fantasy it all started to just mesh and seem really similar and dragging a bit. I enjoyed it overall.

I would describe their musical style as minimalist, whispy, & pretty. Everything has a very light touch. It's creative and has a unique sound. When it works, it works really well VCR, Crystalized, Islands are all good songs. But when it doesn't work it just kinda comes across as listless and boring. The best songs are at the beginning and the album falls off after them. Heart Skipped a Beat isn't bad but it just doesn't have the melodic hooks that the others had. Fantasy, snore. Basic Space could work if they cut out the beginning and kept that beat going the whole time and made it more of a dancy song. Alas, "energetic" is not a word I would use to describe this band. Infinity has a cool Roy Orbison kind of feel to it but the guy is so mumbly with his vocals. I like that there is a male counterpoint to her vocals but I don't especially like the guy's vocals. He's so listless and mumbly (Oliver Sim). I like Romy Madley Croft's singing.

This album is so chill and vibey that it makes me want to fall asleep in a cuddle puddle and miss half the album. I do like it, but it gets samesy after awhile. It’s one I’m familiar with and that I don’t like as much as I used to.

Not exactly terrible but definately part of the dross I complained about in my Jacques Brel review not too long ago. No idea why I have to listen to this really.

Wouldn't moan if it was on in someone else's house, but it's a bit samey. Lacking substance. Not for me.

I really liked this. The album has a cool, relaxed vibe. The feel is minimalist indie pop. I could listen to this late at night. I think it would work

Boring music for boring people

not my fav xx album but this album feels like the late 00s in such an insane way, i need it in my veins, time to let the trap beats go and go back to THIS

i used to like a couple songs from them off this album but i like the fun remixes more lmao :( this is still nice and chill

Vibes, troppo calmo dall'inizio alla fine

melodic, sad, haunting, nice to listen to, nothing groundbreaking though.

Melancholic duets that aren't my peanut butter. Bit of eerie synth and guitar. 2009 hipster music.

The album has a very uniform "I can't be too loud or I'll wake up my parents" sound. It doesn't sound /bad/, but the whispering gets old really quick. I also acknowledge that Spotify's audio balancing is non-existent, but it irks me that I had to double my volume to actually hear this album.

Really love their instrumentals, but the vocals sound kinda... ?cheap?

Idk - charming I guess!

Lovely. First track is a 5. Falls to a mediocre 2 quickly. Still nice and melodic.

Never heard of these guys. When I saw the name, I immediately thought they were some punk rock group I knew I would hate. Definitely not punk rock and can't say that I hate them. To be honest, they are very listenable. But they lack that unknown quality that sparks my interest. Most of the songs are slow and soft, same tempo and kind to run together. If they're going to do that, I need some interesting melodies and lyrics, like Nick Drake.

Is it me? There’s always been a real buzz about this band, and this album in particular, but it completely washes over me - it doesn’t seem to have any defining characteristics at all. Maybe that’s the appeal - you can’t really compare it to anything or work out what their influences are, but those things alone don’t make it good. Unidentifiable and completely forgettable.

Off the cuff remark: while it is a perfectly pleasant listen, I enjoy the male / femal vocals, perhaps I need to listen to it more, as I can't understand why it might be in a list like this ? Standout track: perhaps part of the experience is that nothing particularly stands out, it drifts by in a quite welcome way. Revisit?: I will, as I know I own it too, decent enough but unremarkable.

Maybe a 2

Deathly dull. I can think of neither occasion nor mood befitting the ambient dreariness which comprises the bulk of this album. How this lifeless dreck won awards and acclaim is beyond my ken.

Bore Factor 10!

one thing i've noticed about myself from my time on this website is that i tend to be more generous with my scoring for albums that came out when i was a teenager (regardless of whether i listened to them around that time or not). it's like, even if i didn't listen to these specific songs my ears are somehow still reminded of MY YOUTH or something and then i'm compelled by nostalgia to give at least 3 or 4 stars even when it's..... not really a 3 or 4 star album...... i wonder if other people have this as well or if it's a common thing, like people who grew up in the 70s being more generous with stuff that came out in the 70s etc, and then whether the overall scoring on this website is skewed by that at all, like if you can tell the patterns and demographics of people who use this website based on their assigning high scores to stuff that came out when they were young. idk, i'd be interested to know about this! anyway, that was a long preamble to say that a part of me did want to give this 3 stars without thinking about it too much but come on, this is just not a classic album guys, let's be serious. my experience of this album is that i went into it thinking i didn't know any songs by The xx apart from Angels which i do like and then i felt disappointed that Angels isn't on here, and then as i listened to each song on this album i kept thinking, wait, do i actually know this? have i heard this before?? like they all felt VAGUELY familiar and may have been playing in the background at some point when i was 19 and i just didn't realise. i sort of get that this album represents a certain type of music/vibe/whatever that was big around this time and probably The xx popularised it so like, yes, on one level i do understand why they're here but also i really don't because these songs are SOOOOOOO nothingy. the best thing i can say is that this would work quite well as lying-on-the-floor-staring-up-at-the-ceiling music, which tbf is something that i do sometimes. but yeah i'm gonna give this 2 stars. Angels started auto-playing after i finished the album and i still like that song.

Rating: 3.1 There are a couple of serious bangers at the beginning of this album. Then at the end you’ll be screaming and crying at them to do something instead of playing their instruments really quietly and whispering at each other. I hate everything about the aesthetics of this band. What are you guys even doing?

Molto interessante, suoni intriganti, sicuramente da riascoltare in cuffia. Leggermente troppo simili i pezzi

Brilliant album, great band

Pretty good! Had a song favorite by them before.

Meh electronic

At the time this must have been a nice contrast to the seemingly hundreds of generic messy indie pop bands in the charts. Sophisticated understated sound but a bit on the bland side for me. 3*

Fine, a little plodding. Intro is cool

Beautiful instrumentals, but the lyrics didn't speak to me so much.

i usually like this type of thing but it wasn't my favorite :(

mediocre

Enjoyable moody little fella. Nothing wrong with the album but nothing groundbreaking either. Sounds like a mashup of Cults and the Raveonettes. 3/5

The sound design of this album is stunning, especially the song "Basic Space". I imagine that this album is an excellent experience if listened to while lying down in a quiet, dark room. Unfortunately, in all other circumstances, it is very dull.

One of the first records I can remember understanding completely what they were doing and feeling like I was too old for their deal and their audience. I like a lot of Jamie XX’s solo club records and whatnot but I have rarely vibed to Romy and Oliver’s close mic emoting.

Good I have heard these songs many times before just had no idea where they were from.

so far calming and relaxing. cool sound soothing voice. specifically fantasy felt like good vibes for a late night drive and j enjoyed the bass-y part of that.

All the songs sounded the same. At least it was a little relaxing.

finally something i've heard of and liked in the past! definitely best album in my opinion so far but it's not mindblowing. i only listened through once though.

De relax muy bien

Love this album, unique sound

2nd album Intro holds a special place in my heart, first heard on a TV ad that I Shazzamed, then used it as the backing track of an English presentation and Bobbi said she liked the song which made me feel like I'd made a good choice - I had been doubting whether it was too slow. This album is a bit of a grower, I've heard it in it's entirety before and there were a lot of good songs, but the pace of them was a bit too slow that they were hard to be consumed by and usually got relegated to the background.

There's some really fantastic production on this album. Don't go in expecting to be hit over the head with obvious hits. This album takes some time to sit with and just enjoy, like appreciating a good wine. The music is subdued and influenced by indie rock, electronic music and R&B. The result is some beautiful dream pop. I'm not at all surprised that this album was a "sleeper hit", steadily selling more over time rather than being an overnight sensation. It takes some time and repeated listens but it's well worth some effort.

was fun listening but wouldn’t listen songs from it on a daily basis

15/08/2025 It's just a little too slow.

Pues me ha gustado mucho. Esta banda pertenecía a la lista de "Bandas que sé que me podrían gustar pero que quizás escuche más tarde" asi que le tenia bastantes ganas a este álbum. El disco está muy bien, es relajante y al escucharlo te envuelve en una atmósfera de nostalgia muy guay. Toda esta escena de Indie Pop de finales de los 2000s y principios de los 2010s siempre me ha gustado mucho, asi que poder escuchar algo más de dicha escena ha sido un gustazo. El disco no es perfecto, todo hay que decirlo. La atmósfera relajante y nostálgica está muy bien hasta que 4 canciones se sienten como una. Como si estuvieses escuchando una unica canción, pero en verdad son 3 o 4 canciones clónicas entre si. Mi canción favorita de este disco es "Heart Skipped A Beat" que quizás es la más movidita. Por lo demás, el disco es bueno. Lo dicho, hay varias canciones que se sienten iguales entre si pero poco más. 4/5

Zzz

Classic banger from the indie era

I can sort of understand how the minimalist approach could put some people off, but I think it’s great, and quite refreshing, as it’s very easy to process each part. The male/female singing is also great. The over-reverbed guitars are also really good and add to the atmosphere. Not to much else to say as there’s not much instruments, it still feels quite controlled and planned though. Favourite songs: all but fantasy. Overall around 7/10

why? why? why this is on the list?

Um bom momento pro gerador me dar este álbum. Me encontro atualmente completamente enamorado por uma mulher que têm discos como este em seus favoritos. Não sei se é apropriado escrever algo tão pessoal aqui nessas reviews… Mas que se foda. Não vejo porquê não. Algo que estou vivendo e acho legal registrar aqui. Agora, o que dizer sobre o álbum em si, separado da dinâmica de minhas relações interpessoais? Bem, ele é melhor do que o outro álbum do xx presente na lista. Isso vai sem dizer. Eu detestei aquele álbum. Este aqui não provoca uma reação tão forte assim. Na realidade, ele é bem subjugado, minimalista, airoso, e portanto, minha opinião sobre ele retém as mesmas qualidades. Instrumentalmente esse disco me agrada muito. Mas os vocais às vezes me desagradam. Esse estilo de dueto me passa uma imagem muito específica de um tipo de gente muito específica da década de 2010. Não é uma imagem agradável. Se o álbum inteiro fosse apenas a Olivia encarregada dos vocais eu gostaria dele bem mais. Não gosto da voz desse outro cara, não gosto do jeito que ele canta. Passa uma vibe forte de coque samurai, doodle tattoos e violão no campus da faculdade na área dos cursos de humanas, e ele quer muito te convidar pra conhecer a cervejaria nova que abriu. Não é à toa que minhas faixas favoritas do disco são a Intro, e as canções que a Olivia possui a parte principal. Mas ao todo, eu gostei deste álbum. Não só em comparação ao outro deles da lista, mas no geral. Um disco bem relaxado, descontraído, minimalista. É agradável e fácil de ouvir, muitas melodias memoráveis também. Se você colocasse um vocalista melhor nessas faixas você teria um clássico. 3.5/5

Perfect for working and writing!

Soulful indie, quite enjoyable

core indie-pop. Suprised how much i ENJOYED IT considering I was sick of it from hearing it too much a few years ago.

Atmospheric pop, recognized "Intro"