I See You

Didn't like this one! Not necessarily bad but very generic, I've already forgotten everything about it. Baby's first indie album. Some of the newer albums from this seem like they just needed to throw something in to justify a new best album book revision.

I just think overall the vocals are the weakest part of this album. The indietronica styling is good, the bass is solid, and samples are engaging. Jamie xx solo material is more entertaining for me. Just kinda meh. Favorite song was Say Something Loving.

The only reason this is on the list is so that listeners can appreciate all the other, much less tedious, albums on the list. I can't imagine any other reason it's here. It's entirely unremarkable. It's not even noteworthy enough to be called bad. There's nothing here. No soul, no depth, no feeling, no entertainment, nothing objectionable. I want to poke it with a stick to see if there's any life in there. It's completely beige. I think my ears have fallen into a coma.

80

Jamie xx is such a great producer. While it’s technically indie, it leans heavily on electronic elements, creating a dreamy and ethereal soundscape with an almost ambient vibe. The music manages to be both experimental and accessible, while the keyboards and synths add so much texture and depth to the music, giving it layers of color and atmosphere.

Pleasant surprise or am I lowering bar?

Really nice to work to, definite improvement

Boring. XX & Jamie XX success due to a master-class in marketing. Rich boi probably.

For pop music, this is very good. But I am not the target demographic 3/5

On hold á spretti, en annars finnst mér þetta varla neitt neitt, eiginlega frekar döll.

Music for the Xanax generation.

Unfortunately, the addition of more present electronics does kill a bit the very bare dreamy-moody soundscape the xx were successfully creating. The album is overall repetitive and lack the originality of the 2 precedent ones

Nice clean production

Track 1 Dangerous starts playing and I know I'm in for a terrible 40 minutes. This style of indietronica is easily dated by about 10 years. A brain-numbing session, which interrupted my planned house cleaning and instead resulted in me sitting and staring at the jar of peanut butter on my desk. Only bad things to write, so I'll just end it there.

The XX are definitely the best discovery to which this project has led me. I really like their debut album, and I have enjoyed this one just as much. It's going in my Tidal library and I know i'll listen to it often.

big meh

OHH okay here we go, i loved a couple of songs from their 2009 album! - oh i LOVE her vocals - "Dangerous" and "Say Something Loving" were a different sound than i expected, but then "Lips" played and it was like OH okay this is what i think of when i think of the xx - the vibes of "A Violent Noise" brings me back to my early 20s, really nostalgic - OH that synth line after the chorus on "Replica" my goodness - "Brave For You" is so ethereal, her vocals and guitar on this track is so lovely - "On Hold" ooh like the layering of disjointed vocals - the last track, "Test Me", feels like i am walking through my consciousness all in all, both what i expected and not! and i'm going to be that person, but it was SO nice listen to some non-male vocals after a long stretch of only men. four songs in and i threw this album in my saved list on spotify- will definitely listen to again :)

Boringggg

An electronic pop record with some immaculate production and interesting instrumentation. Crystal-clear recording. The vocals, especially the female vocals, are beautiful. But..is this really one of the albums you really must hear before you die? I'm not so sure. Don't get me wrong, it's a great listen and worth your time, but it's not life-changing. When the album finished I found it to be rather forgettable. I bet this got a lot of radio playtime.

Cover 5 The lyrics sound a bit generic. The musicality is limited. That isn't bad in and of itself, on a per song basis but an entire album of it kinda seems like they actually can't play instruments and makes me wonder why there are three people in the band. Of course, sometimes less is more. Other times less is indeed less. This band had been around awhile and have never impressed me although they've garnered a decent following. The songs, disregarding the above, are ok. You might like chilling to these tracks, but there are others out there for this purpose.

I do like the xx but actually hadn't listened to this album - I tapped out around Coexist (their second album). You know what you get with the xx - blissfully light vocals across minimalist electronic backdrops. It's great to chill to, but equally none of the songs really stand out.

6/10

ummm pretty drab

Atmospheric

Fine album. Definitely a bit surprised that this is on the list. seems like an alright album, with some songs that are highlights for sure. It does have great instrumentals, but overall it was kinda boring with okay singing and pretty good production

2 out of 5. This album really came and went by. It wasn't unpleasant, so there's that.

The mixing is excellent - very sharp. The music, though, is emotionless, boring, and pointless. I didnt mind listening to it, the same way I don't mind looking at a blank canvas.

Poppy

Lite alt rock. Good vocals

Still do not get the hype around The xx. It's fine music but nothing groundbreaking.

I loved the first album, and appreciate their minimalism, generally. This seems like more for the same, with some fun sampling in places. Quite like the artwork.

It's obviously decent, but a little too dreamlike for my tastes. I want some more BALLS in my electronic music. Otherwise it's just digital folk. The Hall and Oates sample just about saved it.

I don’t get this album. Aside from the couple minor hits, it really did nothing for me.

This is a very different album. Unique style.

I should like this, but it's so boring. A few good moments, but overall, it feels slow and pointless.

Didn’t mind this one at all. While it didn’t blow me away, it was an easy listen. My daughter owns at least one of their albums, so there’s a bit of familiarity there. The female vocals stood out—felt familiar somehow, though I couldn’t quite place who they reminded me of. Overall, a decent album, but not one I’d rush back to.

i still don’t like it

who the FUCK put two of their albums on this godforsaken list ????? I feel like I am on AGT the way I would have hit my buzzer BOTH TIMES X X

actually liked it A LOT better than the first xx album, they actually wrote songs and used dynamic shifts here lol Fav song: Lips maybe?

Kind of folky, not really vibing with this style of music.

spell icup

I liked this more than I felt like I should. It was at times cheesy and operating with the sound of the 80s and 90s, but also kind of sweet and well written. The textures really throw me off, but the songs are kind of beautiful, especially “Say Something Loving”.

Alguna canción suelta me ha gustado.

Toppen! Nittiotal! Mjukt så det förslår! Hitten är en d u n d e r h i t

It’s uninteresting. It’s just not something I would ever listen to.

By no means bad, but not great either. I always feel with the XX that once you’ve heard one song, you’ve kind of heard them all. Their debut album is still their best, and that speaks volumes in itself.

75% Best: Dangerous; Say Something Loving; Lips Must-Hear? Nah

Didn’t know this album existed. Fun listen

These guys are so awesome. Great supergroup. And this album is great!

Liked this album more than most

Huh, did not expect to see something this lightweight included on this list but I should not be by this point. I like Jamie xx a great deal, especially his singles/club tracks, as well as a lot of In Colour, so I had some hope for this one when it came out. The xx, however, were always a tough sell for me given the melodrama/so sad vocal affect. I admire the technique - close mic’d, quiet - but as a listener I’m just like stop talking to me. “On Hold,” the track most reminiscent of In Colour and a big, real deal mid-10s pop single probably should work for me, but it just feels forced. I’ll always stick up for these kids, I guess, but it’s just...not my thing.

On a subjective level, there’s very little I enjoy about this. I find this brand of indietronica dream pop to be completely listless. There are elements of lyrical competence, but few of them are thought-provoking and none of them are remarkable. The soundscapes and production are technically proficient, but rarely surprising or imaginative. I find both Jamie and Romy to be extremely boring singers, and they don’t do themselves any favors by a) teaching a masterclass of tedious melodies or b) highlighting their mundanity when they link up on classic mid-2010’s unison octave vocals, presumably because harmonies would be too interesting for them. This is just my opinion, of course, and there are plenty of albums I don’t enjoy that are worthy of inclusion on a list like this. Unfortunately, this album doesn’t fit that bill either. There are so many records that have been released since 2017 that have been of greater musical and/or cultural significance; has anyone honest to God even talked about this record since it was released? I’m not at all a fan of Born to Die, or even Brat from last year, but those are albums that have made, and will continue to make, an impact. This album has not and will not. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to do a sound bath with a friend. I anticipate the singing bowls being a lot more appealing than The xx. 1.5/5

I seriously had no idea the xx were still making music in 2017. Or really even had more than one album. There is nothing risky about this album at all. If you call yourselves The XX, you should have to push at least 3 boundaries

I am already a fan of this album (& by extension so is my family, especially my son), so it's no hardship to listen again. Whilst I admired them with their first album and the second was still acceptable (although more wallpaper music), this really broke free and became more expensive, possible thanks to Jamie XX success and more expensive sound. This added excitement to the XX mix paired with their intense introspection. Romy's album then went even further with club beats and euphoria, so who knows what is to come next (which may be forthcoming in 2026 as they are playing Primavera).

I thought it was a really long first song and then I realized it was the whole album. Boring and British ...

It's crazy how much better Jamie XX solo music is compared to The XX's. This album is fine, but definitely bland and often boring

Another 5 star for me. This one is a whole vibe, I love the sound it’s going for. A beautiful melancholy, it’s a subtle sound that really hits emotional and I’m not a huge fan of electronic. Music. I think it tows the line so well all the way through.

9.5/10

6/10

decent chill vibe slightly boring good for revising to 6/10?

8 tracks in it suddenly occurred to me I'd been listening the same song for quite a while. But no, 8 separate tracks, they just sound identical. Ambient and calm, but overall just meh.

i used to like the xx alot but i think listening to the whole album again, its a bit too indie for me now

Totaal niet mijn genre, maar niet slecht ofzo

Amazing that this much production can result in something so boring

The second xx album here, and I just think that I don't really understand this band, nor their mass appeal. Or maybe I do, I mean, there is something kind of cool about their very subdued, and kind of dark and brooding take on indie-pop. But a majority of the songs, especially in the first half, and even with the dynamic vocals, just felt super one-note. I did really like the songs 'On Hold' and 'I Dare You', but that's about it. Don't think this group's for me in all honesty.

Eu curti demais, muito a minha vibe atual, posso mudar de opinião, mas gostei da melodia e apesar da crítica fala sobre faltar profundidade emocional nas letras, achei que acontece sim e, principalmente, na dosagem certa.

This was fine, but all the sings bled into one another. I couldn't pick out a highlight, but it was bad either

Está bueno como un todo aunque no sé si a primera escucha hubo algo que me llamó la atención 3,5

Another one from this pack whose sole claim to fame is they’re loved by the types who think the Sydney morning herald a valid source of journalism and opinion. . Awful. One album was too many.

There is something very contrived about this. It reeks of performing arts high school students coming together cause, you know, like, they are artists. There is something really off about it, it does not feel right, something smelly. The stench of the worst of the 21st century perhaps? Made me feel a bit sad. Awful listening experience. I've got to stop listening to these things on Spotify as you see how popular it is and how out of step with the zeitgeist you are. Jarringly dreadful.

It's schmick but dull. It's well produced and their voices are nice and it's smooth and sophisticated, but the songs don't really "pop" and the whole thing isn't memorable. I couldn't work out what was really wrong with it until I read Mark Richardson's review in Pitchfork: "As an album, I See You has the eerily seamless wholeness of the self-titled debut, a smooth and polished object with no visible edges. If it came apart, you would almost certainly never be able to put it back together again." That review suggest that this is a good thing, but I think that is _exactly_ what is wrong with this album. Umberto Eco, in his Paris Review Article 'The Cult of the Imperfect' writes: "In order to transform a work into a cult object, you must be able to take it to pieces, disassemble it, and unhinge it in such a way that only parts of it are remembered, regardless of their original relationship with the whole. ... A perfect film [or album] ... remains imprinted in our memory as a whole, in the form of an idea or a principal emotion; but only a ramshackle film survives in a disjointed series of images and visual high points. It should show not one central idea, but many. It should not reveal a coherent 'philosophy of composition,' but it should live on, and by virtue of, its magnificent instability." And there, ladies and gentlemen, is exactly why I See You by The xx is in many ways a perfect and coherent album, but incapable of sustaining my ongoing love and attention as a cult object. Jeez, that is possibly my most pretentious review ever....

great

i've already had one album by The xx and i was not a fan, so when i got this i thought oh noooooo. however! this one is actually a bit more interesting and varied i think. it's still a bit too much in the vein of "random indie music that shows up on a spotify-generated playlist that sounds fine but doesn't blow my mind", but it's pretty good overall and basically the kind of thing i listen to a lot when i just want something vibey. so ok i'm gonna give this a 3. Angels is still their best song and is somehow not on either of the albums that have appeared on this list. where is it?? do they have other, better albums?? are they here???

Beautiful. I remember when their debut was massive. I sort of liked it but I really wanted more drums. The start of this record with big club drums really excited me. That gave me enough that when the drums died out and the emo indie resumed I had a lot more patience for it. A high 4 for me, but I really struggle with the 'can barely be bothered to sing'/'to cool' indie singing style which is sort of happening here

Really love The XX. The beat and her vocals are so good

I think this just confirms this band is not for me. I would almost prefer it to just be instrumentals with zero vocals and maybe some melodic synth lines or even just like two note melodies. I have no interest in the vocals on this album. It's just well produced, boring electronic music with boring vocals.

Good but not my cup of tea

Overall, I liked the electronic production although the tempos didn't vary much and there was a lack of dynamics and any sort of edge. Like most -pop music, a stiff breeze would blow it over, but there is a time and place for that.

Meh

Decent 2010's indie electro-pop. Pretty derivative but generally inoffensive. Saves the best parts for the end, and not much else noteworthy throughout. Top tracks: On Hold, I Dare You

Olipahan mitäänsanomaton

Ja ei. ⭐️⭐️

Pari isoa hittiä näiltä löytyy omiltakin listoilta mutta tämä oli kyllä harmillisen tasaista settiä.

While pretty one note, this was a relaxing listen.

A band that I had not dug deep into and really had only heard in passing. But a focused spin really made me like them more. The duel-vox sharing is a nice balance, and you can also definitely hear influences like Yaz, Cocteau Twins, Siouxsie and even some Everything But The Girl popping through. All filtered through a modern Tycho-like lens. This was a very chill listen and of course situation specific, but something I’ll return to. I dig it.

I like The xx even though I have no idea how to say their name. Not sure if this is my favorite of theirs and I probably listened to their self titled album more. Regardless this is a chill listen and I enjoyed it, especially the vocal style with the two singers playing off each other. Nice. 3.25

I was surprised to see this album over their debut. Then discovered we’re getting that one, too. Ok. Not sure they need to be on here twice. This album is fine. Nothing special IMO. 2.5/5

Outstanding

Great Songs: On Hold Good Songs: Dangerous, Say Something Loving, A Violent Noise, Replica, I Dare You Mid Songs: Lips, Performance, Brave For You, Test Me Bad Songs:

I really like the xx, but I don't think we needed a second album of theirs in this book. Actually, we hardly needed a second album from them at all. The band truly arrived fully-formed with their eponymous debut in 2009 and both their subsquent albums failed to live up to that standard or expand on its sound in a satisfying way. I See You is the better of the two. It has a slight UK Garage sound brought in from Jaime xx's solo work. But even if some songs are quite good, I can't help but feel that I would rather be listening to their debut again instead. Key tracks: Say Something Loving On Hold

I found this music to be to monolithically uninteresting throughout the whole album. Totally unremarkable. Why would England reward this with a Mercury Prize? How bad does the albums to select from got to be 2017 for a committee to land on this one as the most deserving? After listening to I SEE YOU, I did some research, in an effort to try and get some context for their music, and I just found their personalities annoying. They seem like the sort of hipsters who burnt themselves because they ate the vegan pizza before it was cool. How did the Mercury Prize not nominate or even acknowledge Gary Numan's SAVAGE (SONGS FROM A BROKEN WORLD) which came out the same year and eventually went to #2 on the UK Album charts? A much more bold and interesting album, even if it is from an older voice. Come one England, don't be ageist. Do better.

Можех да мина и без това преди да умра

Ей тая музика е един от симптомите за падението на цивилизацията

Gear: Letshuoer S12 PRO Artwork: ✖️👥🚾 Production: 🎧🙂👌 Music: 🆕📉✍️ Rating: ✖️(✖️)/5

Incredibly same-y this album is, and just monotonous like the debut album. I do believe if The xx has to be on this list, then it should've just been their debut, I have no clue what this album brings to the table that the debut doesn't.

this opens strong and then rolls its ankle in a gopher hole during a full sprint. Its fine I guess. Nothing really sets it apart from its peers. I find indie pop to be either really cool or just trash garbage, yet this somehow sits in the middle. They do some cool things that make their sound unique but its the lack of energy that sinks it for me. At least sound like you care, guys!

After hearing those horns on the first track I got pretty excited but this album was mostly forgettable overall. Just kind of breezed by and left very little impression in its wake. I’m guessing this is another “iconic English album” that will be removed from the list in future revisions

Never been a fan of the XX. Solid production, I like Jamie xx work but already know this isn't for me, just don't enjoy their voices, personal opinion.

nice, fresh way to start the week

I wasn't as impressed as other albums in the category but definitely some elite genre blending here. The xx is for those looking experience a myriad of musical influences without going and doing the hard work. And thats okay.

Pure garbage, this is like something AI would make as music.

inte så kul du.

With I See You, The xx expand their intimate, minimalist sound into something bolder and more dynamic. The album blends the group’s signature sparse vocals and moody atmospheres with brighter, more rhythmic production, showcasing Jamie xx’s influence. Standout tracks like “On Hold” highlight this evolution, balancing emotional depth with pop accessibility. While not every song hits as hard, the record feels fresh and confident, marking an exciting progression for the trio.

I was not looking forward to this after hacking heard their other album on the list. However, this was much more varied, has better songs and was all in all a nicer listening experience. Still not my kind of music, but at least parts of it were actualité listenable

This one was funny to me, because I felt their self titled album was stuck on idle. And while this didn't necessarily stray from their sound, or identity, it seemed like it was curated so much better. The flow, the feel, the variety was super catchy. SAY SOMETHING LOVING, LIPS, REPLICA all had enjoyable hooks. ON HOLD especially was particular catchy!

So much worse than their first album. If xx isn’t on the list and this is itd be embarrassing

I liked this album more than i thought that I would. I don't know much from the xx but very vibesy

Proving that music isn't math. "X" = 5 stars. "XX" = 2 stars. 2/5.

What’s with this list having repeat entries of mediocre bands? The 2010s are a great era of music but this does not summarize it well. Why didn’t you include of monsters and men instead? It sounds similar, but was much more prominent during the time and was less boring.

Bland, tedious yawnfest

Spade music good vocals and melodies not very upbeat

Not clear why this makes the list. That said I can listen to it if someone wants to.

Excellent album, I really enjoyed it. I have heard some of their other work and liked it too. Overall chill vibe with great vocals and subtle but good music to go along. It's the kind of album that I would listen to the whole thing in a sitting. I actually listened to this one twice because it really suits me.

I See You was a shockingly great album. This is one of the few examples where there is an ambient sounding album which still manages to have every song stick around in my head unlike so many others that leave my brain the moment they end. Of course, every song here managed to sound incredibly relaxing and dreamlike but still had enough energy to make them never feel like they are just dragging on. And unlike this band's first album, there are absolutely no hiccups at any point as the music always remained great and both Romy and Oliver's voices managed to fit the song while not sounding like they were completely bored. This one is more like "You had it all and you always did". Best Song: Dangerous Worst Song: Test Me

So boring. Honestly. Unlistenable in places.

Im suspicious of any newish album I’m not familiar with (probably incorrectly as I’m not exactly plugged in to new music). This album ever so slightly surpassed those tempered expectations. Competent pop album. Pretty forgettable but I never considered turning it off, even if I frequently forgot it was on. Definition of a 2.5

2.0 Some of the earlier xx stuff is interesting. This wasnt, for me

Vabbè begli gli XX. Bella I dare you e on hold, però st’album un bel po’ sotto the XX.

In the spirit of the 2010s, another terrible album in which every song basic sounds the same with sub-par lyrics. Favorite Track: "Performance"(the only performance I was interested in).

En skiva i mängden. Lyssnade på den igår och jag har redan glömt bort hur det lät.

Honestly just fine

Very good - surprised to see it in the 1001. I don't feel like this is a true 4 or 5 in terms of albums that changed a genre, so I gave it a 3 (maybe unfair) because I feel like if this wasn't my type of music I would have been less likely to give it a high mark. I also feel like the music is fairly repetitive/formulaic to their other albums - it works great for 'trance' experience but I expect would get boring if they released many more albumes

01) Dangerous - 9,0 02) Say Something Loving - 9,0 03) Lips - 9,5 04) A Violent Noise - 9,0 05) Performance - 9,0 06) Replica - 9,5 07) Brave for You - 9,0 08) On Hold - 9,5 09) I Dare You - 9,5 10) Test Me - 9,0 TOTAL: 9,20 (92/100) Current ranking: 35/661

Wow this was surprisingly enjoyable. I've never been into indie music all that much, but this band resonated well with me. I'm gonna be exploring their discography=)

Enjoyed it, but didn’t love It. Frankly some of the songs sounded too slow or they were missing something. Also a bit corny or cliched in lyrics and themes.

Something about this doesn’t hit.. a lot of the songs remind me of other, better songs (On Hold is kind of a shameless rip-off of TI and Justin Timberlake’s Dead and Gone?? No??) and in some cases, other, better The xx songs!

yet another example of this list being random as hell.. the xx' third album? what the hell lol. anyways their first album was really good i listened to it last year and still liked it and this one i didnt listen to since 2017 and its just totally fine and i didnt need to hear it before i died imo

What a jewel.

This was great, I’d listen again

It grew on me and I made it through the whole album with no skips, so that’s clearly a win, though not something I’d ever listen to again.

Very similar ethereal feel that their first album has. Not sure if it’s any sort of an improvement over the first, or that’s just familiarity creeping in.

This was an average country album. Nothing special.

Love 💕

Yes ok

Beautiful. One of my favourite chill out albums. Pleasantly surprised to see two xx albums make this list.

Not bad, couple of bops

I hadn't realized albums were now available in those red quarter vending machines at the grocery store.

This was ok. I was not offended listening to this. The entire album felt a little muted. It just didn’t evoke any feeling from me good or bad.

Fascinating, an album I like a lot, but oddly I like it more when I play the tunes back in my head, than when I listen back to them. Go figure.

"I See You" is the third studio album by English indie pop band the xx. Indie rock, dream pop, alternative dance are the Wiki-listed genres. OK. Relative to their previous two albums, this album was intended to have a more progressive, wide-ranging music concept and, in hindsight, was influenced by bandmember Jamie Smith's (Jamie xx) 2015 club-influenced album "In Colour." The xx are Romy Madley Croft (guitar, vocals, keyboards, production), Oliver Sim (bass, vocals) and Jamie Smith (production, mixing, engineering, programming, synthesizers, drums, keyboards, string arrangements, violin, piano, vocals, guitar). The album had wide-spread critical acclaim and hit #1 in the UK and #2 in the US. An overarching horn (synth) anchors the melody in the opener "Dangerous." An electronic dance beat. Sim and Romy on vocals in a song about desire: "They say you're dangerous but I don't care." A bigger sound from them. A nice vocal sample from Alessi "Do You Fell It" opens "Say Something Living." A fluttering synth in a song that builds. Sim and Romy in a song about growing older. They add a Latin flavor in the beats and melody in "Lips." Another song about desire. The album really comes alive in their two outstanding singles. "On Hold" is dreamy and uses a sped-up Hall & Oates' "I Can't Go For T (No Can Do) sample" A synth melody. Sim sings and Romy answers. He took her for granted and now she's moved on. Sim and Romy's harmonization is just excellent in "I Dare You." A handclap-type beat. A romantic song and one of their best songs. I like the xx's first album, found their second album kind of boring but this is their best album. The sound is bigger, more dance-oriented. Jamie's details in the production, beats and melodies are great. Romy and Sim nail their co-lead vocals and harmonization. It is mostly synth and electronic oriented but the songs are structured not strictly dance. I had kind of forgotten them by 2017 but this is an outstanding album. One definitely worth checking out.

The “anyone can get greenlit for Netflix” joke but make it any British musician can get their bland album added to 1001 albums list

The first 4 songs did make it for me. The rest of the album, not so much.

I didn't really care for this. It's not terrible but pretty poppy and not really my taste.

I mean be pop be pop it’s aight

Great!

Music is good the singing is fine, not intriguing to me for the most part. Good vibe though.

thematisch bei liebe klar orientiert, sehr melodisch und stimmig, teils in richtung melancholisch mit drang zur hoffnung aber auch verzweiflung, dangerous als erster song direkt ein brett (der auch relatable gewesen ist), performance sehr emotionaler song (geht auch in richtung trennung, einsamkeit, selbst am leben bleiben und nicht ertrinken, thema getting to the shore, wirklich unfassbar schön gesungen; fand den vibe insgesamt recht stimmig und auch technisch (vermutlich) top, aber bis auf 1-2 bretter fand ich es insgesamt etwas langweilig und tendenziell uninteressant, daher 6,5/10

Honestly wasnt expecting this Give it a 2.7 star

Still not my thing

Favorite Track: On Hold

Not really deserving of a spot in this list

Another British group that nobody outside of the UK has ever heard of. They need to get the vast majority of these groups off of this list. Their one bigger song (Intro), from a different album mind you, is mostly known for being backing music on bad tiktok videos and commercials. The music isn't bad, it's just not memorable. I would classify it as throw away stuff that nobody will remember next year. Definitely not an album I "need" to listen to.

I enjoyed this

Really smooth enjoyable songs, I'm usually not into electronic music but I was really grooving to this. Every song felt really good in my ears I guess is an odd way to say it.

It's not bad, but as their groundbreaking (and much better) debut album is already on the list, this album has absolutely zero business being here. Zero.

I usually like dream pop/indie but this was rather uninspiring and boring. Good production shadows the lack of good songwriting.

Meh

it's really cool to see how they developed musically from their first album to here! an enjoyable listen but not a perfect 5/5 for me

ultra-chill indie pop for people far cooler than i am. there are some nice songs on here but few rise above the level of pleasant background noise for me. sounds pretty samey within the context of the album and all the other music coming out from this genre in the 2010s. it's fine. favorites: say something loving, replica, on hold, i dare you

Album was fine.

Hmmm... I could hear some UK Garage elements which I didn't expect. Not heard of this band at all. Vocals are not great, lyrics are uninspired and music is repetitive. Not for me, effortlessly boring. Probably doesn't need to be on this list.

Kind of bad. Boring, even. These other reviewers are definitely onto something. The best tracks on here are ones with the female vocalist, though even she gets a little flat and monotone at times. I would pin this up as AI-sounding, except it was made before the era of (convincing) AI audio. On Hold and Lips are two of the most energetic and internally varied tracks, though I still can't really recall much about them except that I was nodding my head a little more than usual. The lack of percussion is slightly destructive to the overall sound. On the back-to-back songs A Violent Noise and Performance, it's obvious the listener needs a pick-me-up after the relatively sluggish opening trio of songs. But then these two end up being even slower, featuring melancholic tempos and textures, and zero percussion to keep any kind of interest. The following track, Replica is *slightly* better, but not by much. I appreciate the interesting bass lines occasionally making up for lack of any other interesting musical elements. But once you realise said bass lines are either electronic or trying really hard to be, most of the soul is sucked out. What's left is an empty shell of an album trying much too hard to sound important. The slow synths and drawn-out vocalising is an attempt to obscure the fairly poor songwriting here. If you actually pay attention to the lyrics, they're a big old nothing burger. "I need a reminder, the feeling's escaped me / I went looking for it / Could have been anyone's kiss / Throwing my arms at no one / When I gave up, I found love / The thought flows through my mind / And it's growing all the time" ...Bored yet? That's actually one of the better set of lines on the record. 2/5 Key tracks: Lips, On Hold

2.5/5 it's fine. Didn't wow me. I don't know how it's considered influential or important.

From the first note, no. This album shouldn't be on here. The first one, xx, was a masterpiece. Captured everyone. Absolutely should be one of the 1001 best albums of all time. Not this. I really think whoever curated this list is just a single person and couldnt possibly explore that many different artists. So, they found the next best records from bands that put out phenomenal records and included that. In some cases it works. This isn't one of those cases. It's fine but not one of the 1001 best

I could see their first or second album on here, but this one I don't agree with. Boring songwriting.

Fun and different for the time.

Don’t think I was in the mood for this atm. Would be fun to go to a concert w this music whilst high.

I really, really, really am not vibing with either vocalist. With no vocals, I bet the rating would be a 3.5 or a 4 for the music.

We got their 2009 album earlier in this project, and I wondered if this one just doesn’t hit as hard because I’ve already heard them. But I do think their style has changed here. Couldn't get into the first part of the album but I like 'Replica' and especially 'Brave For You' from the second half.

I like the vibe of this as I was listening, but ultimately it didn't have enough substance to stick with me.

Strong start, great throwback to old FIFA soundtracks. Dangerous and on hold are tunes. I thought I'd enjoy it more than I did as I like a few XX songs but I got quite bored. Appreciate the quality of the music but the voices annoy a little. 6/10

I See You finds The xx trying to expand their sound beyond the minimalist intimacy that defined their earlier work, bringing in brighter production and more prominent beats, largely thanks to Jamie xx's influence. While the attempt to evolve is clear, the result feels uneven. The album often sits in an awkward middle ground between their sparse, moody origins and a more extroverted, dance-inflected direction that doesn't fully land. Tracks like “On Hold” offer glimpses of something fresh, with its chopped vocal samples and upbeat energy, but much of the album feels distant and emotionally vague. The chemistry between Romy and Oliver is still there in moments, but the songwriting doesn't always support the more polished sound.

2.5

Very boring. I was extremely bored for most of this album. There’s very little interesting stuff going on, and the little bits of interesting musical moments rarely last and are often overshadowed by the mediocrity surrounding it. I felt nothing most of the time, as I spaced out from sheer boredom and didn’t feel any emotions that should have been invoked. It’s hard to call it a bad album, it’s just really bland. 2/5

Typisch späte 2010er Musik. Diese Beats und Sounds Irgendwie alles gleich, bis auf ein paar Songs die aber auch nur stark beginnen und dann stark nachlassen. Würde ich aller höchstens kurz im Hintergrund hören. Call&response als Merkmal, reicht aber nicht

There’s a couple of standout songs. But for the most part this faded into the background and I forgot I was listening to it. 3/5

4.1

so bad so not even funny so bad

Fine, very 2010s electronic

Nice electronic album, but I don’t see what made it deserve a spot on the list.

I did sign up to this project in order to listen to stuff outside my comfort zone to be fair. But turns out my comfort zone is not such a bad place to be after all 😐

Vibes fun but not the best of The xx

I looped the xx's debut endlessly between 2009-2012 like the dutiful wannabe indie teen I was. Some decent tunes but mostly vibey "background music". THIS album - which I wasn't even aware existed! - slaps. They are best for me when then lean more chill than depressing, but I guess I will now be looping this until 2028.

Jamie’s back must hurt from carrying those two goobers. If he didn’t exist, this would be the worst band of all time.

Not for me, but it's fine.

I found a lot of this quite boring, actually.

This album was very disappointing. I gave it several chances listening to it front to back and just NOTHING stood out. The problem with hating this album though is that the instrumentation is excellent and the production is so amazingly clean and crisp. It’s just that the lyrics do nothing for me, the vocals do nothing for me, and too many songs are too slow for the instrumentals to carry the songs. And that’s really the problem at the end of the day. This album is so boring and edgeless. There’s no danger to this album. This is a bit of an exaggeration but this album almost sounds like an attempt to just make songs that will get picked for commercials. Like obviously no one would pick “performance” for a commercial, but the album as a whole is just a boring bland slice of modern indie pop white bread. Snore.

Very atmospheric. Very average produced pop.

Það var eitthvað við þetta sem minnti mig á Of Monsters and Men lög sem er ekki slæmt nema að þetta minnti mig á auðgleymanlegu lögin. Ég ætla samt að gefa þeim þrjár því það var ekki leiðinlegt að hlusta þótt það gleymdist fljótt

Very meh. Found the lyrics to be dull and uninspired. Sounds too much like other indie-pop albums from that era but doesn’t really measure up.

It definitely sounds like it was released in 2017

No chance for me on this I tried it and played the whole album but the music wasn't my taste or even close to it.

Ok

Sensual beats.

Not a bad album. A lot of it sounded the same, but was pretty chill. I could listen to this again. 3.5/5

Moody indie-house. I like it.

Mmmmmmmmm. No thanks. Not a big fan of their dance/electronic vibe. I have no framework with which to decide if it's actually objectively bad, but it's certainly not my speed.

Not my kind of music, but strangely listenable.

not as good as their self titled but never bad work from the xx

Hard pass

I liked it when it came out. An entire album is a bit tiresome.

2.5/5

This is just unpleasant and not enjoyable to me. The only tracks that I found myself enjoying, I took a look and saw they were starred on Apple Music, so they are obviously the good tracks. Not sure if they were singles or big or whatever. But man this isn't it.

niby xx a jednak jest to grupa trzy osobowa tworzaca muzyke taneczno popowa, o ile elektroniczne brzmienie okraszone smyczkami na niektorych utworach nie jest zle jako instrumental, tak polaczenie go z dwoma wokalami, meskim i zenskim na najbardziej generycznych lirykach jakie czlowiek moglby uslyszec daje to typowy album popowy z lat 2k1x, rocznik tego nagrania to 2017, mialem juz wczesniej na plejke lofikowej traka z ich poprzdniej plyty, ale byl to instrumental, a tutaj nawet nie ma jednego instrumentalnego kawalka, wiec nawet nie mam jakiego utworu zgarnac na pamiatke, raczej nie bede go zbyt dlugo trzymal w pamieci

I was NAWT feeling this, but the vocals are lovely

Ganske chill, kumme hørt på dette ellers også

Relaxing

Not a bad listen, but I don’t get why it’s on this list. Sounds like pretty generic indie pop.

2/5

Have heard bits and pieces of The xx over the years (pushed to me by algorithms) but never gave one of their albums a full run. The upbeat songs on this album had me groovin’, but the slower songs were nothing substantial. It started like a lion and out like a lamb.

It's okay - nothing struck me

Such a nostalgia album for me. Big fan of I Dare You and Lips, they've been on many playlists since this came out

I have really liked a few of these songs for a while now, but the album is just too plain and boring

Really liked this. Never heard of them but they're getting added to my playlists.

I love the XX but this my least favorite of their albums

Totally get why people would love this album, the style just isn't for me.

Pretty and sweet. Sounds all the same though. Clear lyrics are always a plus to me.

Absolutely fell in love with this... instantly became a favorite. I love the melody each song has and each song eases my soul a bit. Nothing harsh, not trance, this is mellow and mature. Feels good.

9/10 I love the xx. The dreaminess appeals greatly. 7-15-2025

Very triple j? I enjoyed it, but nothing really grabbed me.

• more expansive, less subdued sound than their debut album • good throughout and ends with the best tracks

an album from 2017? god I wish this was a lot more interesting. the first song was really good and then the rest of it is just, meh. there's some catchy hooks but I kept forgetting there was music playing in the first place. favorite song: "dangerous" overall: 5/10

Yuck.

i did not enjoy it

As someone who hated the xx previously, I believe them to be an acquired taste. Slow, minimalist, but such pure production. The end of this album was the highlight, like finally acclimating to a cool pool.

I really liked this. This is like if 2010s college pop went a little dark and also decided the vocals could be a little imperfect. I know this 1001 list loves imperfect vocals and usually I really dislike those entries in here, but the modern production of this one fully separates it from the muddled 80s new wave garbage I've heard doing this. I really prefer the darkwave vibe I get from this album and while none of it stands alone past the first track, it's consistently enjoyable.

Yeah, alternative stuff. This is the first I've heard of this band. Not bad. Good stuff: beats, voices, production. Just good. Not Awesome.

Nice production, but by god is this album boring. The vocals and songwriting are so sleepy that they're grating. I've never understood why this album is so acclaimed.

Perus albumia

The cover rules, 10/10. Happy to have heard this. I think this high quality atmospheric music is pleasant but doesn't have staying power. Like a Netflix series with a big budget, but ultimately after you watch it you'll forget you ever saw it. I could be wrong. Particularly liked the Hall and Oates (I Can't Go For That) sample. Gonna go listen to that.

A few songs in I saw the groups ratings and figured the guys had this covered.

Overall, the romantic vibe is strong on this one. The dreamy space pop is really unique & the duet vocals have serious chemistry. I dare you is a great tune With that said, it was a difficult album for me to "stay with". Id groove with it for a couple tracks and then I'd want to spin something else... Maybe if I had this on a chill Saturday night, it would've hit a lot harder. I'll cut it some slack because it still managed to satiate my appetites while hacking away my normal work day to day work tasks.

Got a few songs in and wondered why I was listening to this. Never figured it out

This is my 1 year anniversary of the 1001 Generator. Through the working weeks, weekends, vacations, welcoming a new child, parental leave - this music has been a beautiful constant over the last 365 days of life. Some nice totally new discoveries (Can, Talk Talk); some nostalgic revisits that take me back to a very specific moment in life (LCD, Chili Peppers, Pavement); lots of bands that I have known by name or just the hits, but have been wanting to go deeper on (Zeppelin, CSNY, Beach Boys, Steely Dan, Peter Gabriel); and then, the category that shines the most in this process: a bunch of bands that I've known by name but never expected to enjoy for an entire album (Iron Maiden, Go-Gos, Elvis, Dusty, Muddy). Yes, there is a ton of horrible and average junk in this list, but its been so fun to insert some randomness and ritual into the thing that brings me some of the most joy in life - discovering, listening to, learning about, and sharing new music.

This was odd. It's tedious, and synthetic, but at times it starts to groove. Hints of Portishead peak through, then fade. Overall, this almost was a three.

own

Listening to The xx is such a dreamlike experience, it's really hard to describe. Their sound is so lush and sensual, and just manages to transport you to a completely different world while you can just fall asleep to some of the best and softest vocals out there.

yeah it's ok

Das gefällt mir sehr gut. Ruhige Musik, schöne Stimmen.

This overcomes what held back the first two xx albums, namely being too 'chill' or lacking exciting. Not to say that this is stuffed with bangers, but there is certainly more life here. Lots of solid hooks and a bit melancholic at points but still really good. Production from Jamie is basically flawless as well. 9/10

I don't know how to fairly rate this kind of thing and struggle to get into electronic music. I didn't enjoy it on the level of 3, but I'm feeling generous this morning I suppose. 3/5 #114

A pretty good album, I liked Replica the most.

Immediately liking this but it sounds like music that would be playing in the background of a clothing store. This album was fine, but it didn’t really do anything for me.

Ugh..

A year or so after hearing their debut here, my 3/5 is a more sympathetic one: they offer immaculately packaged indecision and vagueness - songs don’t seem to chorus or conclude as pop songs ought to, lyrics are frustratingly imprecise, vibes rather than thought - that I believe is a deliberate sort. Maybe the depressing news that comes every day now has pushed me towards greater empathy for those not wanting to commit.

So bland, grating vocals, tired backing. How did the school open mic night get so far?

Meh.

The xx’s self-titled album was my 14th album to review, and 849 albums later, I finally get to review their other album on the list. I love their aforementioned self-titled album, and I also own their second album, but somehow, I completely missed that this album existed. However, I do love Jamie xx’s In Color, which I sadly have not listened to in a hot minute. Either way, I’m very excited to listen to I See You today, and I’m hoping I’ll love it just as much as The xx’s first album. I didn’t love I See You as much as I love xx, but I still think it’s a very good album. As a whole, I See You is beautiful, hauntingly melodic, and full of excellent vocals. The xx are a band that I could enjoy listening to no matter what mood I’m in, and I See You falls squarely into that category. But from song to song, I See You feels a little uneven in terms of quality of sound. The highs on this album are incredible, but the moments in between those highs quietly fade into the background, too polished and stripped down to make any impact on me. The xx’s sound is still beautiful on this album, but some of it just leaves me wanting more. Would I still feel this way if I had never heard their self-titled album? I have no idea, and unfortunately, there’s no way to know. I thought the best songs on this album were “Say Something,” “A Violent Noise,” “On Hold,” and “I Dare You.” Each one of them really utilized the lighter sound on this album in a way that was absolutely beautiful, and they all showed how great of musicians The xx are. The rest of the album, while good, just wasn’t as noteworthy to me. Still, I See You is a solid album, and a beautiful addition to the post indie sleaze era.

Good, but does sort of fade into the background, for me.

3.5

pure joie de vivre... /s

It was definitely pretty boring. But there was some cool stuff happening in there, I wish it had stood out more.

times to times interesting but not intriguing at all - too pop and too 2017 for me (however good production and attention to details)

Using Spotify, I liked four of the songs especially. It seems at first listen to be an album that I might like over subsequent listens. Their is a lack of dynamic tension between songs--some may view this as a strength; to put it differently, most of the songs sound the same. I appreciate most the vocal harmonies that sound almost like "parallel organum" in Latin chants.

Bland and as interesting as a sack of flour. It won’t be difficult to x this album from my memory.

A bit dramatic again, just like that James Bond like album I heard a while ago. I kinda like it.

Lovely album.

The album was pleasant to listen, although it's not my music genre. A little bit melancholic mood.

This is the definition of meh

Mood specific, wasn't in mood

a 3 so far, i like it, but it's not the greatest; felt kinda Whitney, but I like the music and their voices. Hard to take as a whole album.

Really liked the music on this album, it was poppy, driving, tension building; really good. The vocals being the xx style of kinda monotone, emotionless, brought it down just a bit, but I really enjoyed this album.

I do not like this

i hope no one saw me listening to this.

The dude singer rapes your ears. I’ll take Jamie xx and leave the others.

I'm not sure this is an Album I Must Listen To Before I Die. No hooks. Has the personality of an unseasoned overcooked chicken breast. Pop music inspired by spa instrumentals and white people megachurch vocals. Listen to these track titles. DANGEROUS, SAY SOMETHING LOVING, LIPS, A VIOLENT NOISE, PERFORMANCE, REPLICA, BRAVE FOR YOU, ON HOLD, I DARE YOU, TEST ME. I feel like I'm ready a tweenaged girl's diary. Jamie XX early shit, or XX's early shit atleast had some bangers. Not my bag, but not a bad bag. This bag is awful. 1/5 bad bags.

nice! I didn't realize it was jamie xx... learninggg!!

24/06/2025 I understand there is talent here, it's just a bit slow and boring.

got repetitive after a while, liked it though

really good album. I didn’t have a lot to say about it, other than I liked it.

The first thing I noticed with I See You was the vocals. The two leads have fantastic voices that play well off each other! The genre is indie and dream pop with the slightest touch of electronic/house/dance. The entire album was so dream-y and flow-y that it ended rather fast. Really, even though the album flowed well, too easily did the songs blend into one another. Not enough stood out, but I vibed enough to round up the 2.5.

There is nothing inherently wrong with this album, but it is very easy for it to fade into background noise and essentially become one continuous 40 minute song. I found it easy to listen to, but overall pretty mid.

fine

Mediocre, bland and uninspiring.

Toppenbra och väldigt omlyssningsbart, som vanligt!

Älskar det här soundet!

Boring and completely forgettable.

Beige

Album was okay here, got better towards the end. 5.9/10

This is actually nice :) The bass is very groovey and all Actually this is just a waste of my time flop

The album is neat. The production sounds great, but the songs, themselves, are pretty lackluster.

I wish I was writing a different review but this feels a bit boring. It's like candy; it is well built and easy to enjoy but there isn't any real substance that keeps you going. Well done in that space. Could be me missing something. I didn't dislike it.

A lot of this sounds so close to being something special, but not quite getting there. I don't dislike it, I'll just forget it. I liked A Violent Noise and Brave for You.

Listens: 3 Standout tracks: None A lot of duets on this album. That's pretty uncommon. This is also probably one of the most recent albums (chronologically) I've listened to on the list. It all sort of blends together. It was fine. Not terrible, not great.

The music utilized sampling very well and created a nice quasi club-like atmosphere. The musicianship was all fine but the album sounds like it should have been released about five years prior. The vocals are just dreadful though. The male voice was better on this album, but I just cannot stand the female voice. There's a fake soul-like quality to it that is just grating and thin sounding. The affection in general is just puzzling and there is an occasional awkwardness to syllabic placement.

Quite melancholic, but nice if in the right mood.

Thought it'd improve on a second listen & glad I gave it one. Not quite 5 stars but a very strong 4 stars.

Can’t hang

Good listen. I did the entirety on headphones. I’m not a superfan of the vocals, but the compositions are tight, well structured.

I was admittedly a bit bored by this one. Just didn't hold my attention all that much.

Interesting and enjoyable enough.

music you’d listen to in the background while you’re doing something. sounds like copyright free music, but that being said, doesn’t mean it’s bad.

I think this album is really interesting and has some winners but compared to their older albums i do think this one has fewer songs that I can really really get down with you know what I mean

1 - boring

They found a way to make a really boring yet somehow interesting album. Sounds like one long minimalistic song other than "on hold". Not bad, but their prior albums are much better.

A more grown millennial sound. They don't own a house but it is at least a better apartment.

Another one of my favorites. Burned out my earbuds on this one in its prime. Own the lp. I love synth beats and breathy vocals and to be honest, even if there isn't a single song here with the power of Cherry Flavoured Funk, the energy here stays consistently ahead of Heaven or Las Vegas which is a plus for me.

The vocals are definitely weak but the instrumentals and production are nice.

Nearly unlistenable cliched low effort garbage. Sleepier than a teenage boy at 9 in the morning.

Beeeem chatinho. Riachuelo-Core total. Entediante. Quase dormi ouvindo. Nada acontece, feijoada. Fresco pra caramba. 1.5/5