xx

I love this album. Their sparse arrangements, her voice, their songs… all great and new sounding.

Surprised to really like this album!

Each track is well put together. Minimalist indie rock that focuses on perfecting each sound in each track. Melodic and whispery vocals appeal to all audiences. Each track has its hooks, necessary to get people's attentions whenever a new song comes along, ending with a satisfying closer that ties together the theme. The codas to "Crystalised" and "Islands" are so short but leave you with a positive note. The star of the album is definitely Jamie Smith. The guitar, bass, and vocals are really nice, but honestly it's Jamie's work on the sequencer and production that really makes each track pleasing to the ear. "Intro" and "Fantasy" do amazing jobs at organizing the tracks and giving the audience room to breath before taking in the next one. Starting with "Fantasy," the following pieces become much more atmospheric and dark. "Shelter" just gives off Joy Division vibes. We re-enter some of the heavy dance beats in the latter halves of "Infinity" and "Night Time." Over a decade after its release, I can agree that this album had a huge influence of 2010s music. I hardly listen to the music of the past decade, but this very much doesn't sound like much from before 2009, but yet this is the kind of music (but worse) I hear all over advertisements and the chill-kind of music I hear in friends' indie music. I can finally hear the transition how we got to this point, which I feel I can now appreciate. Favorites: Crystalised, Islands, Infinity

Catchy, unique sound. Might have heard so many of these songs on the radio so many times I was ready to write them off. But as a first album from some kids fresh out of high school this is really creative and impressive.

Relajante, melódica. Para escuchar tranquilamente sin hacer nada mas

Frábær plata sem kom mér í opna skjöldu. Gott vibe þarna

Good hipster indy pop Weird how YT pushed the intro song like 10 years ago so hard despite the album having much better songs

Energetic, insatiable, enjoyable electro-pop from some of the most enigmatic musicians around today. As a debut, they couldn't do worse and they bring about plenty of emotions and feelings to the tracks. All around pretty great album. Favorites: VCR, Crystallized, Islands, Heart Skipped a Beat, Basic Space, Infinity.

Very nice album, used to listen to this quite a lot back in the day

Sex and sadness

desde 2009 provando q gente feia tb transa. 'intro' é uma das melhores intros.

Buen álbum. No los conocía y me sorprendieron. Me gustó que las canciones tuvieran una onda muy relajada, muy chill.

Downtempo indie melancholy

Love it.

Exceptional start, fades off towards the end. Some anthems on here I had pretty much forgotten about

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.

This was really good, and sounded pretty original for 2011.

8/10

love this - works really well as a full album. 4 (and close to a 5).

I’m not crazy about Indie, but this was actually quite enjoyable! The production was good, I loved the guitar work and the shared male and female vocals were awesome. With a big song or two, with a few more defined choruses in the songs, it would be a perfect album for the genre.

Xx's subdued sound was the equivalent of trip-hop with dubstep rhythms or other fashionable styles replacing hip-hop rhythms. Really relaxing. (7/10) FT: Intro, Crystalised

Moody and atmospheric indie rock. Would have sounded almost standard at the time, but can be appreciated now divorced from the rest of the scene

A gusto. Sonidos muy reconfortantes. Por otra parte, nada puede superar esa gran gran intro. Para mooods muy específicos. Not the best workout music.

Álbum muy preciado cuando iba en la prepa, a veces lo escucho aún y aunque ha perdido un poco del buen efecto que tenía bien, le tengo cariño. Tiene buenas letras, sí crea una atmósfera presente en todas las canciones y pues se oye bien. 9/10

yeah it was fine

Intro!

8/10

very unique project

My first album with this site. New to me, but a real good one to start with. Mellow dream-pop and real easy to listen to.

Did not think I would enjoy, but big thumbs up from Johnny boy

Apart from house and techno music (and those records are not in the 1001 list unfortunately) there is just very little novelty in populair music in the 21st century. This is also illustrated by this album: it sounds like the xx took a single song of Young Marble Giants as the blueprint for their music. It does not mean it is bad though: the album is excellent and in contrast to all those recent 1001 albums it has certainly built up some status. So in the list? yes. 5-star: no.

From the first moments of its iconic intro track, xx seems to command your attention. This is remarkable in part due to just how little there actually is to pay attention to. These songs are soft, sparse, and quiet, but their intimacy pulls you in like a whisper until you tune out everything around you just focus on what you're hearing. On the surface, this album shouldn't work. The melodic lines and lyrics sometimes sound underdeveloped, the guitar riffs are repetitive and minimal, and the band doesn't even have a drummer. And yet, it does work, to marvelous effect. These songs are captivating. "Islands" sends chills down my spine, "Fantasy" makes me want to levitate out of my chair, and "Shelter" is undeniably sexy. "Infinity" might be the album's shining centerpiece, featuring a slow build to a gorgeous climax in the song's final minute. The influence this album had is undeniable. Does LANY know that the xx did their thing a decade ago? Does Lana know that Romy Croft invented the indie girl voice years before Born to Die? Do the untold legions of bedroom pop stars getting famous on TikTok know how in debt they are to this album? Overall, I definitely enjoyed this album. While I'm not the biggest fan of indie pop in general, I can appreciate the granddaddy of modern indie when I see it. This album is undeniably one of the most underrated records of the 2000s, and one that I think everyone should listen to.

Definitely dig this but not quite 5

The epitome of 'chill indie beats'. A terrific modern example of a brilliant debut album. As with so many albums, the first track is the standout - the aptly named 'Intro'. However, the entire album is worth a listen, with 'VCR', 'Crystalised', and 'Stars' being some other notable standouts in my opinion.

Questo disco a me all'epoca era piaciuto e anche se non é invecchiato benissimo risveglia in me quell'anima hipster croccantella. 3.5 sul 4

Estoy consciente de que este álbum no fue del gusto del grupo, pero a mí sí me gustó. Me agrada el tono "melancólico" de la música, sin llegar al extremo de "Cigarrettes after Sex". De hecho algunas canciones le dan un aire a lo que hace Magic Numbers. Creo que quitaría un par de canciones que de verdad me parecieron muy tediosas, pero definitivamente lo volvería a escuchar.

The debut album of The XX combines indie pop, dream pop and electronica. The whole package sounds great. Islands is a highlight.

Pretty good dream pop album.

Too slow and mopey for me

Classic

I had no idea Shakira's "Islands" was actually a cover! So glad I discovered this album to find out :)

Atmospheric, intense and minimalistic indie. I like the duet songs the most, but I also wish there was a bit more intensity on display.

This is groovy and has gotta have one of the best intro songs of all time (more than twice the number of plays on Spotify than any of their other songs!). Some other jams and generally good vibes but do feel like some of the later songs are only ok.

Production is great, mellow vibes with some catchy sounds. Compact and consistent throughout, really easy listen. Best songs - Intro, Crystallized

love the darker atmospheric vibes of this, want more pop like it. great driving music

I've been dimly aware of The xx for a while, but they never really made an impact on me. Giving it a decent listen as part of this project has definitely opened my eyes (ears?) to them, though - yeah, like it! Dream pop-adjacent, knackered, end of the night vibes. Will definitely be coming back to this album a lot more in the future. Fave track - "Shelter" at the moment, but I'm sure more listens will turn up more faves...

I liked this, but I wish it was a bit more directive. The music was pretty chill and I wanted a stronger beat or melody to punch the songs up a bit. Generally this is in my wheelhouse, it's somewhere between a 3 and 4 for me. Liked the vocals of these two!

chill

Liked it!

VCR, Crystalized, Islands, Night Time, Stars

Indie que agrada de verdade

It’s a vibe

Electronisch, gitarrenlastiger pop

I liked it

It’s apparently been more than a decade that I’ve been trying to figure out what I want from “Intro.” I love the sound. But I’ve never been able to figure out whether I want it to keep looping for at least twice as long, or do I want it to build and evolve into a more complete song. The songs on “xx” often build a bit only to retreat, consistently teasing the listener. I think edging is the technical music terminology for that, right? The tease works though. It’s a terrific chill out album, creating a laid back atmosphere with understated, crystal-clear guitar and just the right amount of electronica. “Crystalized” and “Stars” stand out, but the whole thing benefits from its consistency.

Wow, what a great find! This is a group/album that I didn't know I needed in my life but am glad to add. It's lyrical without being predictive, deep without being pretentious, playful without being cutesy, chill without being boring. I like the voices, unconventional on their own, yet well suited to each other. I like the sparseness of the arrangements, which makes each instrument and the vocals all that much more important. Intro had me very interested from the start, but I warily awaited how their vocals might skew things. When the female voice dropped in on VCR (after that catchy toy piano riff & thumping drum/bass combo kicked in), my wariness waned. The male vocal, somewhat sloppy & slurred) was interesting in itself, but when she joined him, the mixture was just perfect. This feeling continued for me throughout, with particular highlights for me being Heart Skipped A Beat (great, fun percussion tricks), and Infinity (again, great percussion, with reverb-dreamy guitar). Stars is a great lead-out, leaving me wanting more. It's clear to me by this point (almost 50 albums in) that this list skews British, esp. in alt-rock/pop genres. While that's bothered me a bit with the more "name" groups, I love that it's brought my attention to things like Nick Drake and this.

One of the best examples of how incredibly effective negative space can be in music. Their brand of modern R&B blended with pop is consistently arresting and engaging because it does so much with so little. Hushed vocals about sex and relationships over airy compositions consistently impress. It's simplicity breeds an endlessly enjoyable experience because you often find just as much in the nothing between notes as you do their actual notes.

Pretty chill, voices were nothing special but background instrumentals were somewhat interesting, songs kinda all sounded the same but were pleasant. Would throw this on again while studying or something to give it a more thorough listen

Happy to see this one on here. Smooth beats and raw subdued vocals make for a unique sound and a great listen. The duo play off each other perfectly adding a dynamic of conflict and then cooperation to the lyrics.

If there were a couple of really standout songs I'd go 5 stars. But even if it sounds mostly the same throughout, I don't really mind at all. I love the vibe of this record!

I used to be 16 and in love while being chronically depressed

Descent could be better

Grata sorpresa

Super chilled, great for 6am on a Sunday morning or 2pm on a Tuesday in the office.

I was surprised how much I liked this album. Not a band I normally go out of my way to listen to, but this is a great well rounded album.

A pleasant surprise

Love the XX and this album

How has this not been on my radar before? Not entire sure how to define it, other than worthy of further exploration??

Like this album, very chilled out. Still reminds me of being on holiday in Crete 2010

Enjoyable.

Islands is the best

great album, I forgot how much i liked it!

Enjoyed it a lot. It may just have been a case of capturing my mood perfectly as a lay in bed feeling under the weather.

FAB

Im ersten Moment war mir damals der Hype zu groß und ihre Omnipräsenz zu American Apparel tauglich, aber nachdem ich im Abenddämmern aufm Primavera 2010 (?) unbeteiligt an ihrer Performance vorbei flanieren wollte, haben sie mich gepackt, mich mit dem ersten Ton verliebt gezaubert, unglücklich verliebt. Danke ihr müde-depressiven Emos. Ich umarmte dieses Gemüt, in dem sich - wie es aussah - also schon alle frisch gekürten hipster einig waren. Meine innere Dana Bönisch vergibt passend zum Festival „leicht“ überteuerte 3.5

I enjoyed listening to this while I worked--very cathartic and great background/chill music. Was a good album.

I had no idea what this was but Indy rock is definitely something I’m intrigued by and like listening to you. I thought the album was really good and I love the combination of his voice and hers. I would definitely listen to it again and I would listen to their music in general

Dream pop, megarrelajante. Muy bueno.

Imported from London, the simplicity in this album is so methodical and delicate it really goes to show less is more. Even in songs like Intro with no lyrics the melodies weaved are truly masterful. Band leader Jamie xx really punches a strong layered sound with minimal instruments.

Listened to this last night. Pretty solid album - I enjoyed the beats and the vocals.

Super chill album, and I *LOVE* the opening track.

Para mi gusto de lo mejorcito de estos años 2000. El arranque de este disco desde Intro pasando por VCR, Crystalised y Island es impresionante. Recuerdos de New Order, Everything but the girl. Un disco que merece la pena.

I liked this one the most of all the albums so far. It's still not really what I listen to, but a lot of the beats had a great atmospheric vibe that I could get into.

This record is very much of a specific time and place for me. Really brings out some emotions and memories. (I do like this record.)

Less is more

Chill Indie Vibes. Good for relaxing

Liked it more than I expected. Pretty fun alt rock album

Great.

I really really enjoyed this.

Had an existential crisis listening to this

Great album-mellow, soft, trancy

8.2

Really liked Night Time, Islands, Infinity (Chris Isaak vibes)

If this made it in the boys who wrote the book would've had their heads explode listening to the third.

Sounds great on headphones. Really grew on my by second listen. maybe a 4.5 even.

2nd best album from them

Pretty chill album. Really chill. Too chill? ...

Good stuff for teenagers to stargaze to. Used to be my evening wind down.

Tracks from this album always come up with Tanya and I listen to the Chill station on $MUSIC_STREAMING_SERVICE. I like it! Probably not strongly enough to give it 5 stars, but it's an easy 4.

Islands is on one of my top played playlists.

Funny that their big song is The Intro

Holds up pleasantly well. With the opening of Intro, I realized to which degree certain bits of this album have remained earworms for years. However, I had never heard the whole project. It didn't blow my mind or ears in any significant way, but the minimalism on display here is of a more interesting variety than most. xx's influence on the rest of the music world can also not be overstated.

Very radio ready indie pop, kind of foreshadowing the minimalist sound of the early to mid 10s, while maintaining the sentimentality and respectable rock instrumentation of its indie ancestors. You have to respect the craftsmanship and the fact that they did this first. But I really like the stuff that came before and I really like the stuff that came after. I've got a go big or go home mentality. I'd rather have my Lana Del Rey/Lorde or my Broken Social Scene/The Killers than this in between. It's like listening to The Beatles play Please Please Me. Nonetheless enjoyable. I like the way the two vocalists weave together in a way where you can oddly feel the distance between them. It's probably the most distinctive aspect of this release other than that these very 2013 type beats have post-punk riffs accompanying them.

this is pleasant. it's a little too lowkey. the soundtrack to the morning after a momentous night in an indie drama. the last two tracks are highlights, but even they are restrained. i could see songs on here going off live with a bit more behind them.

I like the chillness of this album. The Intro, obviously, is more well known than other tracks, but I appreciate the vibe. It's a good album to have on the background if you're wanting just a chill afternoon.

Pretty standard indie pop electronica, in one ear and out the other for me. I don't get the hype, but I'm sure that somebody else out there will.

Un álbum intimo y minimalista pero con texturas muy ricas. Sufre de tener algunas canciones muy buenas que hace al conjunto palidecer un poco.

Sleepy time.

Actually not bad

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

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

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

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

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

3.5. great vibes

xxx/xxxx

pretty good

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

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

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

Nice, a bit flimsy, but nice.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Not much to say, alright

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

Cozy, minimalistic indie Life is Strange Vibe

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

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

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

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

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

Not for me but cool album.

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

Despite the dumb band name, I liked their music.

Will probably like it more with additional listens

Good enough.

This was certainly one of the albums of all time

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

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

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

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

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

3.5

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

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

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

Bit bland but it doesn’t overstay its welcome

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

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

I guess I enjoy the vibes it gave

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

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

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

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

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

Chill album.

ok

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

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

Okay

3.5 like intro of course but kind of samey overall

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

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

Stars was peak

What the fuck is ts

Intro Crystalised Islands

This is the epitome of an okay album

This was fine. Pretty mellow. 3/5

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

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

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

Contemplative without being obnoxiously moody.

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

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

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

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

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

Bra artister men gillar inte killens irriterande indieröst

130726 15:25 3

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

5/10

Es sind schöne Melodien dabei

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

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

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

XX

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

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

It’s okay.

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

Bandinha preguiçosa mas o som é confortável, ouvirei mais.

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

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

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

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

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

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

chill

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

Great

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Drifted by without leaving much of an impression

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

This ok. Got old toward the end. 3

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

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

To my ear is so similar to Daughter

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

Very front loaded. Found myself losing interest come the end

cursi cursi cursi ay que cursi

Ok

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

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

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

Little too electronic but otherwise pretty fye

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

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

tumblr era throwback

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

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

I like their sound, but overall a bit boring.

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

As weird as it is accessible…

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

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

Plutôt sympa!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Пресная музыка, хотя пара хитов есть

Made me fall asleep

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

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

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

Fifa pack opening music

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

Meh, not a big fan of indie pop

Pretty great, really listenable, light electro-synth harmonies

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

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

Lo recordaba genial y me pareció muy repetitivo

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

better than i expected

Understated but cool.

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

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

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

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

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

É ok, me lembrou um pouco blonde redhead

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Okayy

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

i’m sorry but it was mid

Olipa tunnelmallista mies ja naissolistin hempeilyä

3/5

It was aiite man