xx

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

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

Nipples are covered

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

It's ok

It was pretty decent, not bad.

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

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

Middle of the road.

Cool vibes

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

i honestly dont remember much...i need to do a relisten for lolla though

I remember working really hard to like this at the time.

The sound of the 21st century was emerging in 2009 when this record came out. Minimalist arrangements, occasional joy division like riffs and an absence of song structure conventions - verse, bridge, middle 8 - gave way to urban mood and ‘vibe’. Not my cup of tea but interesting to identify the demos from the actual (still) laptop sounding final tracks!

Eh? Alright I guess

First few songs were great, rest were kinda OK but droned on/blended into each other a bit

I was not previously familiar with the artist or album. This is interesting. I see wikipedia calls this indie pop or dream pop. That's a fair assessment I suppose. It has mostly airy vocals with reverb-drenched instrumentation. I enjoy this sort of music from time to time, so I would listen to this again.

ambiance sonore géniale, nostalgique, romantique, moderne, l'immersion c une réussite apres c'est pas du génie non plus niveau bla bla

calmado, pajín. buenas líneas de guitarra.

🥱🥱😴😴😴💤

y buen álbum, demasiado chill, no fue tanto mi estilo

I mostly remember the XX because of their song in the Sin City trailer. The rest of the album is decent, much of the same, which is not to say a bad thing. Highlights: "Intro" and "Stars"

I just find this album very dull, I love Jamie XX and Romy's solo albums but this is just flat.

Pressing play teleported me to a teenager's room, making me feel nostalgic for a time and life I never experienced.... This album is good as background music; the songs blend into each other, creating a coherent, dreamy soundscape. Personally, I’ve never really got on with that sort of music, nie włączyłabym sobie tego sama z siebie, wrzuciłabym taką muze do wora "co-worker music" a wór do jeziora

Some good vibes here

Dreamy, minimalist, not terrible indie from a weird time in music. Some truly lovely songs but hard to digest over the course of 40 mins or so. I quite like The xx if I’m being honest. Only on occasion. This album is good in its oeuvre. Didn’t skip any tracks either.

Enjoyable and great background noise for when I need to lock in for work

Had the same problem as my first listen, in theory i should love this because its so dreamy and groovy but for me there are a few too many minimalistic, almost purely vocal songs, not a total bad thing but just not for me in this instance. The standouts were great though, being Crystallised and Islands.

That was okay, really enjoyable at times, but nothing unforgettable.

I've already forgotten it.

Un poco monótono, aunque tiene sus momentos

ambient, spacey, moody, new-wayey. I dig it as much now as I did when it came out.

I’d never heard of this band before today. I rather enjoyed it. Kind of dark and brooding.

Like pretty much everything else from this time period, this was fine but thoroughly forgettable. 3/5 Highlights: Intro VCR Shelter

Blended really well, but at times that was its weaknesses; The songs were too in tune with one another it could be hard to tell when one began and one ended

At first their voices were so monotone, that it grated on me. But as the album progressed, I warmed to their harmonising. One to revisit.

Intro was the highlight, but the rest was ok. I'm not 100% sold on the vocals, but this would be decent background music

*2009. Indie English. *I wasn't familiar with these guys until On Hold came out in 2017. I thought they were fine, not great. *I enjoyed this more than I though I would, but toward the end, I was getting a little fatigued (even though it's only a 39 minute album). *It's a little bit of a moody downer, but most of the songs were short (4 under 3 mins) and pretty listenable. *I wouldn't revisit, but would be totally fine it someone had this on. RATING - 6.5/10

I liked it.

Meh. Did nothing for me. It’s fine. Can’t imagine going back to it.

I was very bored with this one. Intro track mislead me.

Difficult to rate, I think on revisiting I will enjoy it more, it still sounds a bit too poppy (idk why) to me. I do not get why some of the songs are so popular in comparison to others, interesting album. 1. Infinity 2. Stars 3. Crystalized

A lot to like here. Smooth, minimal lyrics and a solid flow. Can feel the influence from bands like The Cure, here. Atmospheric, but also rather plain. I don't think this one will stick with me, but I might give it a revisit in the future.

Shelter stood out. Very mellow, easy listening pop. 3/5

This was an easy listen. Pleasant enough. One song had the exact guitar tone of Chris Isaac’s wicked game. This wasn’t bad at alll.

This is ok

not really my genre but i actually kind of enjoyed it as background music

I loved the travel vibes of the album, but it can get quite repetitive.

good background music

Good, but basic

nostalgia factor, but not enough to stick for me

Tätä oon kuunnellu joskus ennenkin, muistin ehkä paremmaksi. Ihan kivaa, rentoa, tasaista. Ei suuresti herätä mitään tunteita suuntaan tai toiseen - tykkään kyllä mutta ei mikään ihmeellinen. Aika tällaista tasapaksua ja maalailevaa.

Loved 'crystalised'.

It's wild to me that this is rated so much higher than their third album. This album feels like a prototype. I really like this style of indie dreampop whatever but this whole album is a little too bland, a little too sparse, and a little too samey. Not every electronic band has to be maximalist or fun, but give me a little more to work with. I'm probably going with a 3? I'm tempted to rate it lower just because I think I See You is a much better album and the differences between the two really highlight what I find frustrating about this album. And I like The XX but honestly I don't know if they rate inclusion on this list, especially not twice.

interesting

I like this band, and this album, just fine. I just find both of them very unremarkable.

Strong debut album, the guitar has The Cure vibes and is very good.

Really tempted to go higher considering how much this shaped 2010s pop to come - Lana del Rey, Lorde, The Neighbourhood etc - I do think it's a damn solid 3* considering some of the stuff on here, I listened to this a bunch at uni

Very very good to work to but her voice bothers me a bit lol

I like it but in a lukewarm way. Better than the shitty album this 1001 thing forced on me last time. Its like the cucumbery burp of a good indie album

Sexxy

I really love some XX songs but I realize now there's a lot of filler here. VCR to me for some reason is a classic. I was thinking it would be 5 stars based on what I've liked of them in the past but turns its not.

Starting off the album with a 2016 instagram edit song… gotta love that. overall though, i’d say just a mid album. the kind of singing they do bothers me a bit though. nothing is too crazy or unique for the vocals or sound, but it’s calming to listen to while doing some work. don’t love it or dislike it!

Xcellent

Soft and minimalistic but not very remarkable. I forgot I was listening to something and started working without thinking about it. Favorite songs: Intro & Crystalized

Chill, cool, but not ice cold. I like the blend of the singers voices a lot, easy and not overdone. Production feels minimal, but not sparse. Every tracks sounds vaguely familiar, like something I’ve heard in a show or movie. Kinda boring, but overall a fun lil vibe.

138/1001 First listen. I did give this a try one time and nothing caught my ear. This is my first full play through. Same result except now it’s that song from TikTok. Reminds me of the band Of monsters and men but more boring. This sounds like what depressed people might listen to. Music doesn’t have to be complicated or hard to play, so I can get into this but there’s probably something better out there to do the job. I’ll keep this in mind for the next blasé rainy day glum mood I’m in. 5/10

Didn’t like it much on first listen. But then put in on my nice stereo at home. Much better. Definitely an album that benefits from high quality speakers—good production hiding under the surface.

There’s nothing really wrong with this record. The production is clean, the minimalism is intentional, and the mood is consistent. It’s clearly well crafted. But it all starts to sound the same. The restraint, while impressive at first, eventually flattens the dynamic range. The songs blur together, and the emotional arc never really builds or shifts. It’s pleasant, but rarely compelling. I respect the aesthetic, but I found it mostly kind of boring. A solid but unexciting three.

Album 120. xx (https://open.spotify.com/album/2nXJkqkS1tIKIyhBcFMmwz?si=Qko6cnxxRyKRMQ8oPPnEBg) — The xx (2009) Oh no, I turned on the album, but somehow it started with some wilsacom bullshit Apple product video review. It's nice, cute, minimalistic album, but forgettable. 3/5 Liked songs: — Shelter — Infinity — Night Time

easy listen - pretty minimal! I liked some songs outside the main singles I feel like. Birdy's "Shelter" cover CLEARS and I feel like that song in general showcases what's not clicking with me --- the song structures either work or don't work! I feel like (and genuinely just structuring the verses and all that stuff together), sometimes it sounds a bit choppy to me! I definitely would listen to some singles again, but it wasn't as interesting a listen as I wanted it to be. In fact, it was a bit boring to me, which I was disappointed in! But I understand wholeheartedly why it's a classic!

it's an album that doesn't really go beyond minimalism. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but it's not musically impressive, nor are the lyrics. It was perfectly ok cooking and work music

Atmospheric in Mount Nicole, low toned and relaxed, the definition of chill music

I liked this one, pretty chill music.

It sounds like two people took a few downers and decided to make some music "or whatever". They sound bored. Its not bad, but it doesn't really strike me.

Will go back to this. Nice find

3/5 Some bangers, some really decent tracks, and some that do not make a strong impression on the listener.

Acho que é um álbum que ouviria em contextos muito específicos, mas o ambiente é muito interessante. Muito homogéneo e ajuda a refletir

Boring

maybe hasn’t aged incredibly but Intro still bangs. Good not great!

Great group, great songs, great album.

Average overall. Some songs are ok.

Decent album, not my favorite, but better than some stuff I’ve had so far.

Generic pop music

Nostálgico mas todas as músicas parecem intro de canal de Minecraft de 2012. 3,5 pq passa de ano com folga e nada mais

A lot more low-key and pop driven than I See You. I like it a touch more even if it didn't have any particular songs that stood out to me.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

music for infographics

i liked it overall, definitely something i would listen to in high school

I’ve been wanting to check out the xx so this was perfect timing. Definitely an album I think I’d like with repeated listening.

Stand-out tracks: Crystalised, Islands, Basic Space, Infinity, Night Time Honestly a very unoffensive album, the music is quite chill paired with those soft vocals. Most of the tracks are pretty ok to listen to, some stand-out more than others, but in general nothing really impresses me that much. Nothing outright disappoints me either, but I feel like maybe there could have been more experimenting with the music to bring something new to the indie rock/electronic scene. As it stands now, safe to say this is a pretty average album.

Highlights: Intro, VCR, Crystalised, Islands, Shelter, Night Time I don't understand why the intro track has the most streams. I mean yeah, the instrumentals are kinda the best part of the record (at least in the first half), but it's not that much better than any of the tracks with vocals. All in all a very strong opening, but then it got more atmospherical which I found dull (not bad doe). The second half really leans on the lyrical content and due to it being emotionally "specific" you have to be in the mood to appreciate it, which I wasn't, but I recognize its value. I don't see myself revisiting the record as a whole, but the highlights are great.

Always loved the first 4 tracks (Intro being generation-defining in a way, impressive work for an instrumental track), but then kind of falls off a cliff into a forgettable (but not unpleasant!) chasm for me. One of those album covers which looks like the music sounds, if you relate the black void of the cover to the sparseness of the tracks

Need to give this another listen I think, could grow on me 3

I remember checking the xx out around when this album blew up, and now I know why I haven't revisited them. I do appreciate the minimalism, but in small doses. Throughout an album it starts to feel kinda one-note. Kinda shocked what a big deal this was, considering it's pathologically understated. If I saw them live, I'd be afraid to put my beer bottle in the garbage for fear of making too much noise.

The great arrangements, barebones instrumentation, and sincere lyrics combine to give more than the sum of its parts. It never forces itself on you… coy. 3.25/5

Unoffensive, laidback indie music. No complaints, but no compliments. Fave track: Crystalised

A pleasant inclusion. 3/5

A double feature with Moby's Play for Albums That Didn't Garner Immediate Commercial Success But Won the Licensing Game. Leans more towards "sleeper" in the "sleeper hit" category for me. This is the sort of music I'd hear underneath the noise of a Starbucks between classes. Which does not mean I dislike it. The hand claps, intimate vocals, and simple backing tracks are comfortable like a pair of plain white sneakers.

It was ok, didn’t make my ears bleed

I like the atmosphere of the mood- the whisper hipster vocals I could go without.

The first track has become ubiquitous but I’ve never heard any of the rest of the album until now. I like what they can do with the minimalist take but at times this album was sleepy

That intro is definitely an iconic piece of instrumental indie and instantly sticks in your head. As for the rest of the record, it’s not too bad. It has a DIY quality that gives it a bit of charm. The overall experience can be described as dreamy, understated, and gentle. The guitar playing was the highlight for me. While the album is slightly tedious at times, it has its moments.

ehhhh

Surprisingly decent

Mix of post-punk/indie pop makes for an interesting debut album. Definite Cure and Durutti Column influences even if some of the tracks verge on the bit dour. Remember this being a popular album with the kids so worth a listen.

Music for if your in a situationship with a girl. you're still together but it's not gonna work out.

I think I'm rating this so highly because I've finally encountered an album made after 1972. haha Her vocal style sounds very dated, but i know a lot of the songs and this album hits the nostalgia button

Meh.

I definitely enjoyed this more 10 years ago. It’s so much more minimalist than I remember, still enjoyable but there are other airy new wave pop albums that I enjoy much more.

Recht gut.

I am irrationally annoyed by the band being called The XX and the album being called XX yet the album cover being singular X. There better be a second X on the reverse of the physical copies, I swear... I saw the name and assumed I didn't know them (this was released during my wilderness years - it's amazing how having a tiny human who refused to let me sleep impacted my desire to listen to anything new). Then I pressed play and instantly recognised the opening track. I wasn't sure how to feel about this album. I listened to it twice to try and work it out. I kept starting tracks, instantly disliking the vocal, then during the song it would start to win me over, and by the end I'd think it was alright. And then cycle would start again. My first run through was on my walk to work and the second was lying in bed in the dark - it definitely worked better at night. I liked Intro, Crystallised and Basic Space quite a lot but overall I think this is a 3 for me. 3/5

Interesting enough, will revisit again.

First song has no lyrics it’s just straight instrumental which wouldn’t be bad if it didn’t remind me of Smurf Cat. The only songs I like is Basic Space, Night Time, and maybe Stars. Vocals aren’t very appealing to me; they’re okay.

Very peaceful, soothing album. Came off natural and not too much autotuned. I never heard of the band too. The intro had a very recognizable rhythm too.

The intro is one of those songs that I’m pretty sure most people have heard, but couldn’t name. This is definitely a headphones album. Subdued vocals and the chill instrumentals really work especially with repeated listens. Favorite songs were Intro, Crystallised, Fantasy, and Basic Space.

This album is perfect for the day I listened to it on: a cold, cloudy February day. I've never heard of the band or any of the songs before so it was cool finding something fresh. It's a very good ambiance and a good album for background music. Some of my favorites were intro and VCR. The intro is really nice, honestly would've been fine if the entire album was like this. In VCR their voices sound very good together (in different verses as a part of the whole song and also when they're singing directly together). Overall I like the little guitar parts and their voices sound good together, but I don't know if this album could be anymore than background music or something to put on just to fill space. Not hate though, it's beautiful sounding! It kind of reminds me of "Of Monsters and Men" and feels very quintessentially 2010s.

Very nostalgic! Reminds me of high school. Very vibey and chill, but kinda suffers from singing in cursive.

Nice ambience but a bit plain for my liking. Good album

Pretty chi

Is it good, yes. Would I buy it, no. 3

It’s fine, but I’d never choose to listen to it.

One of the most influential short film songs is on this album

It’s interesting, the sparse production and ambient soundscapes are both this albums greatest strength and weakness- depending on the song you’re listening to. Their voices are unique and the performances are intimate. High 3 probably 3.7 if I was forced to answer.

Tough one to rate for me. Lots of (good) memories attached to this album. Me and my partner probably over listened to it on various car journeys in 2009/2010. It takes me back to the early days of our relationship - which is sweet. But I never want to actually listen to it anymore. The album is probably not as good as it was once.

oh this album was released in 2009 alright. nice vibes but not much more than that. parts of fantasy and shelter gave me kinda the neighborhood vibes

Another new one to me, a minimalist approach to their music with echoes of 80s electronica and, I can hear at least, a Brian Eno influence, from his early solo songs. not bad.

Liked it, didn't love it. Started strong but dipped

a classic. perfect for aimless listenings

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

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

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

Pretty good indie songs here, nothing insane though.

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

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

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

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

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

Intro

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

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

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

This one was okay. Just so slow

So solid!

🥇intro 🥈crystalised 🥉islands HM: shelter, infinity

not terrible.

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

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

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

Good ambient music kinda of a chill background album

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

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

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

melancholic

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

After shelter it was great but wholly forgettable before it

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

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

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

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

Timeless goated opener

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

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

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

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

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

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

Very low energy but nice

short and sweet, intensely indie

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

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

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

Indiest album that ever indied.

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

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

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

Great indie sound.

Minimal...atmospheric

Calm, not very dynamic

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

Some songs were pretty good

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

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

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

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

3,5 stars

Classic

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

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

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

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

Loved

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

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

Pretty good

Better than first listen

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

It was fine.

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

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

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

Favorite track(s): Crystalised, Fantasy, Infinity

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

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

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

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

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

Cool!

This is the music that plays when the mc is sad

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

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

This is an easy 3.5

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

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

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

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

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

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

cool

第一第二首歌好熟悉

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

I knew they would be English just by the name.

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

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

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

It was nice, not really much else to say

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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.

Ex-moderninho, 3 estrelas

strong first four tracks, then kinda goes away. 3

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

3.5

Surprisingly not bad

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

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

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

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.

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

meeehh, bom mas não faz meu tipo

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.

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.

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

Interesting but not one of the toppers, even from 2009

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.

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

Grei bakgrunnsstøy

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.

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.

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.

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

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

Not bad nice voice

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

OHHHHH yippee 3

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...

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.

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.

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 ⭐️

Some elite songs in here, iconic.

I've already listened

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.

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.

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.

Want to listen to it again. Not completely impressed.

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.