Reviews (page 6 of 7)
I was NAWT feeling this, but the vocals are lovely
2/5
Yuck.
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
A few songs in I saw the groups ratings and figured the guys had this covered.
Got a few songs in and wondered why I was listening to this. Never figured it out
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.
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.
Meh.
Bland and as interesting as a sack of flour. It won’t be difficult to x this album from my memory.
This is the definition of meh
Mediocre, bland and uninspiring.
Boring and completely forgettable.
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 was admittedly a bit bored by this one. Just didn't hold my attention all that much.
The vocals are definitely weak but the instrumentals and production are nice.
Nah, this ain’t it. The first one of these I had to listen to from this band was at least decent generic post-punk. This is just generic meh pop music. No idea why they’re on here at all, let alone twice.
Guess what? If you sing every song like you’re in a coma then it sends me to sleep Avoids a 1 because the soundscapes are interesting
Not the best bangers
Honestly it's not bad. Peaceful background music while I dusted my bedsheets. Would I revisit this though: nah. To be honest this isn't really a gripe with this specific band or album, but with this list in general. I don't mind a 1001 albums list being mostly anglocentric. Thing is, if you're gonna make it anglocentric, you might as well pick the best of the bests. It's pretty sad how so much good music from all over the world is probably being overlooked in favour of some mediocre record like this. This album could have easily been swapped with something from the Japanese music scene.
Ned meins
I like a lot of Jamie XX's other stuff, but this is pretty flat and sounds quite generic.
I…don’t enjoy this
I don't think the album itself is a 2, but I don't understand why I had to listen to it in the first place. While I can make sense of their titular album in the list, it wasn't even fantastic. Someone else said it best: not unpleasant, but boring and uninspiring.
That hushed, breathy singing style — half-whisper, half-pant — was fresh on the debut, but by the third album it feels corny and restrained. And while Jamie xx’s fingerprints are more visible, most tracks feel more like exercises in clever production than songs with real bite or urgency.
I like some of the music and they do done interesting things, but the vocals all sound like they want to be either the trashiest 90's techno you can imagine our the whiniest 2000's indie garbage, so the positives are pretty much wiped out.
1. Dangerous - 6.8/10 2. Say Something Loving - 4.5/10 3. Lips - 4/10 4. A Violent Noise - 4/10 5. Performance - 3/10 6. Replica - 5/10 7. Brave for You - 5.8/10 8. On Hold - 6/10 9. I Dare You - 6/10 10. Test Me - 5/10 4.8/10
The best thing about this album is that it's only 39 minutes.
I feel like this is the wrong XX album. The first one was actually a bit novel at the time. This is just a worse version of that album that more people have done similar versions of. As far as the music goes, good in small doses. A whole album was rough
Really enjoyed the first track, the bright horn samples and inclusion of sounds inspired by garage and house really invokes memories of British summers. The vocal trade offs are great and the bass work is a standout. Unfortunately outside of this track not a lot stood out to me as particularly memorable or groundbreaking. It’s clearly competently made and the sound design and production is often stellar, but the actual writing and stylistic choices leave it feeling bland. Very inoffensive though and I wouldn’t necessarily feel the need to skip the album if played in the background. Overall 2.5/5
Not for me.
1001 ALBUMS- # 26 I can only see why this record shouldn't be on the list! Yet another egregious inclusion from a UK band further cementing Mr. Dimrey’s blatant bias for these artists, regardless of musical quality. The XX are not a bad act, but please make the case for how this mediocre offering deserves to be here, let alone their much better self-titled debut? The introduction of more catchy dubstep sounds mixed with their defined romantic bedroom dream pop is palatable, however nothing that moves the needle in any dramatically interesting way forward. 🎧 Classic Track: On Hold 🎧 Deep Cut Gem: Brave For You 🚫 Skip Track: Performance 🖼️ Album Artwork: To sum all things up here very simply, MEH. Hit the Thumbs Up icon below if you enjoyed my take on the album :)
It's richer, it's fuller, it's more expressive, but it's not The xx I'm looking for. While a big change of pace for the group I feel it ultimately takes away from their uniqueness and leaves something to be desired. A well-done indie pop album, but lacks depth to be what it is
2.5
2.5
Ok so yes from a technical standpoint, it's good. It's actually a really well-produced album. But man is it boring. Every single song has the same vocal arrangements over and over. And like, it sounds good. But you hear it once, you hear it again, and then you hear it again and it gets old real quick. Some of the tracks really veer into more of a pop sound, which I really wasn't expecting. I didn't really care for it. It seemed like there was a lot going on from an emotional standpoint in this album, and I just didn't care. Like I really didn't connect with it at all. Feels like another act that got two albums on the list because they're British. Sorry, but not really. I didn't need to hear this before I died. Two stars. Standout Track: Dangerous
Not for me. At the very end I thought I found a song that I liked but the album had already ended and started a shuffle.
Boring
I saw this pop up this morning and my first thought was "why the hell are there two albums from The xx on here?" I don't get why the first one was on this list, it was totally unremarkable. Surely, there wasn't a need for this one too? There can't be a third? We'll see.... This album shows basically no growth at all from their first album 8 years prior. It's still just as mundane and uncreative and sounds like one 45 minute long song. This is enough of The xx for me. 1.5/5 generously rounding up to a 2.
there was some cool stuff here and there but overall this album has aged terribly. sounds so dated for something that came out only 8 years ago. not a good inclusion for this list
Music for shoe stores
Man. I was waiting for each song to break out and make a statement only to sit through the whole thing without anything. I am sure there are plenty of people might find this intriguing. I am not not that person.
This leaves me cold tbh. If we’re going for something similar it really ought to be London Granmar who knock this lot out of the park
These pretzels are making me thirsty.
melhor do que eu lembrava, acho que simplesmente eu era muito radical qnd adolescente. Contudo, ainda é uma indietronica muito palatável e radio-friendly que abre portas pra coisas que acho bem piores, tipo Alt-J. Prefiro ficar com Broadcast mesmo.
Rating reflects likelihood of listening to album. It just doesn't do anything for me.
Omg genre arrêtez j'vais pleurer ça me décourage
There is definitely a line where modern music just become unenjoyable, and while I try to remain enlightened and open minded, these kinds of mid millennial bats over mumbly lyrics just does not resonate with me (also looking at you LCD Soundsystem)
More like The zz. Sorry, cheap shot, and also I made that joke in 2012 (!) in what is Coexist's top review on Rateyourmusic.com, so maybe it's time to get some new material. How about..... the band formerly known as TwitterTwitter. I've only seen 15 albums on this list, but I've got to think this is about as inessential as anything gets here. I am kind of bewildered that it could be considered by anyone an album that you must hear before you die. The two listens I've given this add up to 79 minutes in which I could have been listening to, I don't know, Blue Rev? Pet Sounds? Songs in the Key of Life? I increasingly think it's a bigger sin for an album to be boring than to be bad, and that's what's going on here. Completely inoffensive. I like I Dare You, and I can't in good faith call this is a one-star album. I have a sneaking suspicion that The xx's self-titled debut will be on this list, if their middling third album is as well, so I'll save most of my thoughts, except to say that that record produced several songs I listen to to this day, and that actually make me feel something. VCR is a perfect aughts pop song. The band's sound probably shouldn't have left the 2000s.
Mediocre 2010s commercial music
A couple of decent tracks but fairly dull on the whole. Another one where it'd be a 3 on a 6 star system
It's honestly how different his album is compared to this bands self titled debut. It's frankly really boring and melted into more mainstream pop.
Interesting Never heard their stuff or of the, Am I better off? no. totally forgettable once I hit enter and send this review. - poppy, moody, mellow, with a hint of r&b..
Some very boring songs. Not all bad but there’s not even one song I’d care to listen to again.
Ah yes, I See You — the perfect album if you enjoy whisper-singing over moody elevator music. Once again, The xx delivers their signature blend of emotional detachment and background noise. If you've heard one xx song, you've pretty much heard them all. Still don’t like anything by this band, but hey — at least they’re consistent.
Listened to this without any context while cooking with my spouse and by the end we were both making fun of it.
Tried to be chilled but just came across as bland. Needed a bit more oomph.
Bland pop music! The production is good and some of the vocals work, but it needs more layers and a lot more going on.
Back in the game.... I like some xx but this just goes over the edge into dodgy Euro Dance... Dangerous is a good tune, good start.
the xx did so much for the white british ppl pretending to be r&b singers combined with ableton stock beats-core
extremely mid
Better than the other one, still wack
I remember being really surprised that the self-titled album was so popular because it was so bland and boring. I looked up the band on Wikipedia and looks like songs from the album were used a lot as background music in tv and movies which could explain why it is on this list. But this album doesn't seem like it got the same buzz, and the songs are all pretty mediocre and boring. Maybe good background music.
There is actually no reason these guys should have two albums on the list. Crazy how much great stuff from the last 20 years this list overlooks so the fucking xx can have 2
It’s an ok album but nothing special
This fell a little flat more me.
Completely forgettable
I liked their first album, wasn’t wild about this one.
This was a complete waste of time and had no business being on this list.
Este álbum ni está en el libro ni merece estarlo de todas formas. Otro LP más de indie pop con toques electrónicos, solo que este álbum (¡de 2017!) no tiene nada nuevo que ofrecer. De verdad que no tengo ni idea de qué hace aquí. Por si fuera poco, este grupo ya tiene otro álbum en la lista, lo que hace este aún más redundante. En cuanto al álbum en sí, pues nada especial. Bastante aburrido, aunque como música de fondo no está mal. Composiciones poco inspiradas, que no transmiten nada, llenas de coros que solo dicen ooooooh con la reverberación a tope. Mediocre y poco original. 1.5, que lo voy a dejar en 2 por no ser cruel.
A second record from the xx on this list, which I think is a bit generous. While the group has been pivotal in pioneering the alt-pop genre that would define many radio hits for the past decade or so, the xx never quite found a follow-up that wasn't in the shadow of their debut. It's hard not to recognize Jamie xx's production as he embraces the UK bass style of beats that he primarily explored on his solo record from just two years prior In Colour. Indeed, the production and the beats are the most interesting parts of this record, but everything else tends to come across as middling and samey.
a few notches above car commercial music
There is a BIG difference between their debut and this album, I See You. Even though it seems The xx was trying to hit the same tones as on their self-titled record, it didn't really resonate with me at all. Every song sounded like part of a random radio station "sad playlist" on a Thursday night, but that sadness has no depth, at least none that I can feel. Basically, it sounded like a bad imitation of The xx. Which is a shame, because I really liked their debut album.
Twee nonsense.
The first xx album deserves its place on the list, but this one feels like a lazy selection to me. The first two tracks are good upbeat departures from the group's signature sound but I never understood the praise heaped on the rest of the album - it's decidedly average. 2.5
I don't understand why there is another album by this artist on the list. There's plenty of other artists who deserve a spot and it was taken by this... I'd like this way more if there were no vocals - it's just mediocre singing over okay-ish beats. I don't get it. 2/5
Wow. This wasn't very good. Was another album from this band really necessary on this list?
Average indietronica album. Not bad, but nothing stands out either. And I can't believe The XX are there 2 times on this list while Broadcast and Slowdive have been completely ignored.
Pretty bland Tbh
Like The XX and Jamie XX, but this album was underwhelming.
not for me but there was one song I kind of liked
Bit boring
Wow. So many reviews point out how empty and boring this album is, and yet it is here. It is here as an album to hear during this too short time on earth. I don't know. It is an album. I listened. I couldn't tell you anything about it.
I think this is the second XX album we've had on 1001 albums. I can't say I was pleased to see them again. I have a vague memory of their first album being extremely boring and over-produced and featuring people singing with that annoying "posh cockney" voice that young people manage to affect these days. I found this one marginally less annoying, maybe because I knew what I was getting into, maybe because it is their third album and they had figured out how to be 1% more interesting in the intervening time. Having said that, I was feeling a bit sleepy and checking to see how long it was after two songs (It's 39 minutes and 17 seconds.) and after three songs I was starting to resent the waste of my time. By the end, I thought it was a bit "meh," sort of okay, but I won't be rushing to listen to it again.
I remember seeing The XX a while ago supporting Foo Fighters on a tour and thought they were quite boring then. I still think that. Vocally and lyrically, it's an interesting but the music itself is so monotonous. There's barely a change in tempo/energy for the whole record. Opening track 'Dangerous', like many of the tracks, just feels like it needs to go somewhere but doesn't. It's an overall pleasant enough album but just melds into one, long mid-tempo indie pop track.
Pop dreck.
Boring
2-
None of the songs have good melodies so nothing really stands out. Pretty monotonous. Sparse instrumentation is uninteresting. It's drama without passion. Aside from being boring, this also sucks.
I like xx’s earlier album (xx) much better than this one. This one feels like one big relationship drama broken out into individual songs. The songs are pretty and well composed, but just kinda feels over the top and sappy and like a lot of the same thing over and over.
This is like a fart in the wind. I’m not even sure I listened to it. It slips by so inconsequentially that it’s actually impressive. It also undoes a lot of the stuff that I liked about their first album, the low key vibes, the intimacy. All that’s gone and now it’s just loud, overproduced and a bit boring. They’re not a dance band, as much as it seems like they want to be. There are also some really poorly chosen samples like in On Hold, which is otherwise a decent enough tune, but has this completely incongruous sample. Didn’t love it, but it’s so dull that I can’t say I particularly disliked it either. It just exists. Highlights: On Hold Lowlights: Not a single other song stood out to me.
I love alt-pop, I love future garage, I love generally smooth indie pop (at times). The problem with this xx record is it all feels combined in a very safe way...like the producer is allergic to any kind of risks that would make this project more pleasing to listen to. Don't get me wrong, nothing here is bad, but it does feel a bit terminally un-engaging and often drowns into the background. On Hold's Hall & Oates flip is my highlight on here and even that feels half-baked in its execution. Hopefully the xx and Jamie have better under their belt because I didn't get the appeal of this one at all. 5/10
Começa com um clima interessante, especialmente pela qualidade da vocalista. Só que se esvai para falta de consistência típica do indie repetitivo.
Not for me. This album felt like it took itself too seriously, but was fairly bland and directionless. End of the last track was alright
Another more recent album that just makes me feel like an old fart. It sounds incredibly dull to me and has one of the current variants of singing style I find really unappealing. It also sounds to me like a lot of acts are more or less singing the same unmemorable melodies. You wouldn't be able to tell from my scores but I do like plenty recent music.
I just don’t like the vibes this is giving off. It has those kind of fake-feeling modern vocals, which is a turn-off for me in most cases, and the instrumentals aren’t really notable. Also, since they had another album on the list, it seems pointless to take it out and replace it with a worse one (I think that’s what happened).
Eh.
Not familiar with these guys. Sounded a little sleepy for me. Struggled to find anything memorable.
I've only listened to the first album by The XX before and remember liking it a lot, but I found this one to be pretty sleepy and generic. None of the songs stood out or really drew me into the album. There wasn't anything especially noteworthy musically or vocally.
This is okay background music but really quite dull. 2 stars or D+ for me.
Okay. That was boring.
... as I was saying, just three days ago: "[...] is this really a Best of All Music? An essential listen? Or another instance of the editors merely completing their assignment of counting up to 1001 by, say, shoveling copious amounts of - all British/Irish - Mercury Prize winners/nominees in here? Yes, it's the latter." Literally: again. Okay. Uh, this album doesn't seem to be in the book at all(?), but here we go: while this wouldn't be out of place on a mixtape with Bonobo or Chet Faker, thankfully, mixtapes aren't a thing anymore so I wouldn't have to fast forward through these songs with their saccharine Pop Idol vocals.
uninteresting.
I See You is the third studio album by the xx, originally released in 2017. I remember enjoying their first album when I got it on this list. This one, not so much. They try to do their similar style of elecropop which wore out its welcome by 2017 in my opinion. It gets a little boring because every song is the same vibe, tempo, key, etc. Some of the tracks almost seem made for stores like H&M and Urban Outfitters. The production is a bit weird too. It almost sounds... tinny? It's pretty compressed and is just not very easy to listen to in that regard.
Ensimmäisen biisin jälkeen on liian helppoa kääntää huomio toisaalle, eikä sovitusten utuisuus houkuta minua takaisin. Mutta vaikuttava avaus.
This album goes down easy. It's not unpleasant to listen to at all, and some moments are nice. The overall effect of it, though, feels like a party where I don't belong. This music feels too hip / too cool for me to connect with it. Too glossy for real connection.
Why in the ever living fuck is this murmurcore elevator music here? MULTIPLE ALBUMS?
Somewhat boring
Can't say I was that impressed. I got bored. Or may I just wasn't really listening.
This album sounds nice. But maybe that's all I can say about it. Definitely wallpaper music for me (but very good wallpaper music) - I expected more based on my vague memories from hearing The XX on the radio. Some songs are very reminiscent of Ozark Henry, which I find better.
This album fell way down in my backlog. I started it probably half-a-dozen times, but could never get past song 4 or 5. It was just so uninteresting. Almost unpleasant even. So I started the album from track 6 today and forced myself to get through it. Usually I’m able to see why an album was included on this list, but I don’t get this one.
this was really dull. i dont really have any other notes for this one.
- das Album xx ist so gut, aber das hier ist es leider nicht - wenig guter Kram dabei, trotzdem okay zu hören
Bit shit
It’s not bad but it is boring. I guess you have to be in the right mood for it
Day227 - generic indie sounds from a forgettable band
This album starts out strong, with a really engaging and toe-tapping bassline that piqued my curiosity almost immediately. However - it continued into tepidity. "Performance", for example, is pedestrian to the point of distraction. It's the auditory equivalent of a group of slow-walking tourists taking up the entire pavement. You just want to skip past it, but then when you do you're immediately caught behind a mother's group (Replica) dawdling along with prams and toddlers on reins. Before you know it, you've pulled up alongside "Brave For You" and you realise that you're probably going to have to spend the next 10 minutes or so doing that awkward leaning-forward, shuffling kind of walk until you can get to the open space of "the end of the album". Production values are out-of-sync with the mood of the album. It sounds like it wants to be faster-paced, more energetic and generally less like a pensioner. Shame, a bit more energy and I could see myself really liking it.
This is not for me. Somehow this album has several tracks on it and not one of them moves me at all. I kept expecting there to be that 'single' track that jumped out, like 'okay, this is the song people went for on the radio'. But I couldn't figure it out. Great cover, though.
Unfortunately went into this already knowing I don’t like this band. Not much going on. Only song I remotely enjoyed was "On Hold." This inclusion is baffling to me.
Album 471 of 1001 The xx - I See You Rating : 2 / 5 I went in thinking I would enjoy something classified as "Indi Pop". That wasn't necessarily so. Sounds like pop club music, if there is such a thing. Not for me.
Three years ago I was positive about seeing their debut album, which I had bought at the time of its release, in the list. I gave it 4* and said its place in the list made sense. Now, 900 albums later or so, I am not so sure anymore if I still stand behind that claim. Their first two albums are still ok, but their latest album is definitely not for me: really dislike the lyrics, and the vocals seem to have become more annoying. Most of the songs are not so special either, but having said this the two singles are pretty great.
I’m not a huge proponent of lo-fi songs with lyrics. If I’m listening to lo-fi music, it’s when I’m focusing on work and it has to be strictly instrumental. Lo-fi songs with lyrics on them by and large just lack the overall punch to be memorable, and this album and artist suffers that in my opinion. There were a couple tracks I enjoyed, but not enough to revisit The xx in sincerity. Notable Tracks; - Dangerous - Performance 4/10
kind of a cool vibe but i don’t dig the 21st century r&b vocal style it just ain’t my bag
I listened to this album on a leg day at the gym. Wasn't my best workout. I like the girls voice and thought this album would be something my wife would enjoy, but even after re-listening this morning, just not my thing. I didn't dislike, I just didn't find anything that made me want to go back and revisit. I do like her voice, but other than that, this is a pass for me. 2.5
2.5 As someone who quite enjoyed this group’s debut, I was kind of disappointed with this one. I don’t know exactly why that is - it doesn’t sound drastically different - but it does seem to lack the same sense of subtle, moody charm. I don’t know if “poppy” is the right word I’d use to describe it, but it definitely feels showier in a sense that I don’t think does the band’s style of music any favors. You can tell they’re still going for the same kind of ambience, but something about the production really prevented me from being able to grab onto anything here. Or maybe the songwriting is just worse? Idk. It also felt incredibly pretentious - which, looking back, was probably always the case with this group, and this is probably my Keyser Soze moment, but it definitely spoke louder to me here. Really hoping that this doesn’t taint my view of the band as a whole because there are still a few songs of theirs that I enjoy and have saved on Spotify. Ultimately, this isn’t a bad album, but I don’t feel like I’m walking away with anything gained. Probably the musical equivalent of a glass of water. Better than being dehydrated, but a beer sounds a lot better.
Put this on then almost immediately forgot the was music playing. I only noticed the tunes again when it started auto playing related tracks at the end. No way these guys need two albums on this list.
1.5 - Bleh! I don't remember if this is a better or worse score that what I gave their other album, but it's so freaking boring. The vocals are nothing. Why in the world is this an album I should listen to before I die? I kind of get their other one, even if it wasn't anything special imo, but two? Why?
Not sure about this one. Still moody and muted, but it teeters into overly emotional pop a few too many times.
How on Earth did this make it to the top 1001? Totally forgettable.
Boring
This is just boring amd derivative. This isn't even one of the 1001 albums you need to hear from the 2010's
I don't understand how this album is relevant to the list. Pretty generic stuff. Also, would have liked if only the girl sang; the guy is really bad at singing.
I love Jamie XX and the xx’s first album but this one sucks. On Hold is the only redeeming track.
This band is so boring sorry
Indie pop??!? No.. just boring electronica-RnB
I hope the title of this album is literal because they deserve to see how many times I yawned while listening to this.
Royalty-free, boring, stinker of an album that leaves zero impression. It’s only value is being short.
Yawn!!!!!!!
The entire car commercial industry hinges on this one album. By erasing it from the timeline, you are essentially erasing 83.7% of Ford SUV market share, so please put the pulsating purple crystals away. Kinda shit, and I actually really liked their debut.
At first, it feels like a genuine serious album but fails to delivery me the emotions that this album seems to promise at the beginning.With its lame neutral production, unoriginal melodies and uninteresting lyrics it felt like falling asleep. and i'm supposed to go to work. Good enough for background though. Recommendation is on the cover 2
Meh, le 1er album était plus intéressant.
The music that plays in the lobby of a crowded hip Sushi restaurant or late nights in an empty hotel ballroom after all of the chaotic events of the day have lapsed - in other words, bland. How is an album that is only five years old by a band that I've never heard of designated to a must listen when it sounds like the rest of the pablum oatmeal that the rest of the genre is known for? Nothing groundbreaking, exciting or original here. 2/5.
Very, very subdued. "Ambiance" might be a nice way to put it, but the ambiance is very dark beige, no fun lights or really anything to attach to this. In one ear and almost immediately out the other. Favorite tracks: "Dangerous", "I Dare You"
Their first EP better be on the list if this one is
uiuui dangerous na cool mite bläser aber de rest findi recht langwilig, und all die breathless, reckless etc. reim nervet mich unnötig hahaha aber recht en andere sound als s andere album say something loving psssiert eifach, idk s erste album het wenigstens cuti, verträumti moment gha, dass jz isch für mich chli langsame pop iwie a violent noise hani vode atmosphäre no cool gfunde performance wieder meh typisch the xx? hetmer uf jede fall chli besser gfalle jz im mittlere teil findi d lieder allgemein chli besser aber ich schweif so schnell ab? ok brave for you findi sehr langwilig on hold hani de schneller bwat no cool gfunde aber das sample isch ja schrecklich "singing woah-woaah" NEI I dare you herte feel-good-werbemusig
wants to be portishead and everything but the girl so bad.. it’s a decent radio-friendly take but i’ll stick to the source material thank you very much
Lots of fans here but I See You isn't for me. Another one of those more indie pop albums that leaves me wanting something more substantial, and isn't really the sort of thing I'd choose to listen to. The girl's voice is good, the music is skilled but maybe not especially creative, and I can see why it appeals in certain situations or environments but it's not me. I much preferred CHVRCHES to this when we had them a while ago.
I had high hopes for this album, as I have The XX's first two albums in my library. Unfortunately I found this album pretty un-memorable - nothing stood out as good (or as bad) over three listens. I think that's more than enough. I would rank this average, and I thought the previous albums were better.
Not the worst thing I’ve ever heard. But I don’t ever want to hear it again. I guess I just really don’t click with UK pop.
I didn’t hate the ambercrombie music. I could smell the cologne while listening to it
Not feeling this kind. Another forgettable indie pop record
Don’t understand this selection. Their debut album was much more influential.
Maybe a 3
Not much of an improvement on the last album from this band I had. More mehcore crap.
Mid. I don't understand why it's on this list
Dookie
I’ve never really got the xx, though I can at least appreciate the impact and influence of their debut. This album just felt like a legacy choice based off of that - it’s so bland and lifeless and there are so many better albums from the last few years that deserve its spot
This is the second XX album to come up. I wasnt a fan of the first. I listened to this album on Spotify. When it finished, Teardrop off Mezzanine by Massive Attack started playing. Now there a great album.
I think this may be the most recent album I have listened to in this challenge to date. I’m surprised in its inclusion in this challenge. It’s a good album but I’m not sure it’s a ‘must listen to’ album? Sounded a bit vanilla to me?
These dudes are from midielphia
very into the instrumentals but the vocals and lyrics keep throwing me off on account of cheesiness
iCUP
Don't get the hype, sounds bland to me.
Interesting musical combo, they have some soul. Probably wouldn’t go back to it much but worth the listen. At their best they channel The Cure.
Not so great. Overall very tedious melodically
Felt nothing, sounded like soulless, plastic and boring music. Not my thing. [0121/1001]
This was fine but not great. I can tell the artists care very much about what they're doing here, but as one in my listening group put It, the whole record just sounds the same. Is it literally all in the same key? Had to check the music player app to see if I'd left it on single track repeat by mistake.... To me this was like She & Him (which I love!) but too serious. This is like She & Him except with Evanescence and that one guy from MGMT.
Ei huono mutta jäi vähän valjuksi. Ehkä pitää kuunnella uudemman kerran. 2/5
Very modern. Not my style but well done.
beep boop bop boring.
Jamie xx's "I Know There's Gonna Be (Good Times)" is one of my favorite songs so I always think I am going to like The xx, and they are always . . . fine. I will find one of their songs completely tolerable, but I'll think, "dang, is this like a ten minute long song?" and then see that it's been two and a half minutes. Nothing is wrong with The xx's music, but it’s just kind of there. It's like the quinoa of music.
2.4
Track 1: Not a good start to the album I think. Track 2: kinda sounds like it would be at the end of catfish. Track 3: again just not doing it for me Track 4: a lot of synth midi sounds. Track 5: the bass line is nice in this. Track 6: I like the groove in this one. Track 7: very reverb Hall effect ish Track 8: decent song. Track 9: very echoey kinda like that it’s a conversation. Track 10: like the chorus on some lyrics. The piano adds a different layer which is nice. Overall: 3.9/10. I didn’t really like this that much. Nothing really stood out to me and it felt like a generic album during the 2010’s. I think the later half is better than the front for sure.
Didn’t hold my attention.
Listened Before? N Hm. This one seems to be a disconnect between me and the mainstream music media. It's okay.... but "Widespread critical acclaim'? no. Nothing original or particularly inspiring is here. Seems like maybe the acclaim speaks more to the state of modern "indie" music than the quality of this recording. I found it repetitive and boring. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: On Hold
Booooooooring
Sometime in the last 15 years, Pop took a wrong turn. Gone is the fun, gone are hooks, gone are the songs. They have been replaced with something like this (and other - worse - acts, but you get the idea). This kiond of music doesn't speak to me at all; it's just overproduced boredom. 1.5/5
music for YouTube ads. release date of 2017 surprising for something that'd be generic indie pop long before then. music: hated. (⌐■_■)
After the first song I thought, “Huh that was pretty cool!” and then it got increasingly dull from there. I was disappointed because I remembered liking another album from this band, but then I remembered that one also started strong and then petered out. That’s all. This one was fine.
Loppua kohti parani, mutta kovin turhake
Iha jees, rauhottava, ei kuitenkaan erikoinen
I listened to lost of it without even realising. Like a poor copy of Everything But The Girl.
Oliver Sim has a nice enough voice. Romy’s is good too. But somehow the duet approach doesn’t work for me. If they split up the duties (like Buckingham and Nicks) or harmonized more, it would have been more to my tastes. There are some catchy songs, like “Test Me”, Dangerous” and the hit, but I find the production on the quiet side with lots of empty spaces, too commercial, and none of the tracks really pop.
I read that the XX write their songs at night so there’s a very soft quality about their music with mimimal percussion so not surprisingly this music is quite sleepy. I think their first two albums were better and “Intro” from their debut was their best song ever. However after three album this sound is getting a bit old. It’s fine for background music as it’s very low impact, but as others have said, it borders on being quite boring.
Impressive for 1997...oh wait, no, this came out in 2017. Nevermind, far less impressive then. In fact, this doesn't leave much of an impression on me at all. I'm bored, but the weird thing is, they sound like they were bored themselves in the process of making this. The most exciting thing on the record, by far, is a pitch bent sample of Hall and Oates. Listening to this album is like eating an entire loaf of refined white bread as a meal. Soft, low fat, and easy to digest, but lacking flavor.
They sing like they’re out of breath. Sometimes it felt like they were singing to a different song. The women’s voice was nice at times but the mans wasn't great most of the times. This sounded more pop than indie. I was hoping this album would’ve been better based on our list of recent 2000’s albums but this was honestly disappointing. 4/10
Meh
The music is cinematic with smooth ambient dreamscapes, which is ok. The lyrics are sensual but incomprehensible and a bit jarring as a result. Basically, to me it's lazy songwriting.
Zzz zzzz what sorry did something happen?
I don't understand why they bothered to make this album. A bland band. Bad.
2 Stars. Not interesting.
Pas vraiment mon style. Ej connais des bands qui font ce genre d emusique et C'est 5x mieux pour être franc. j'étais peut-etre pas dans le mood mais c'est just fade pour moi. 2.5
This was pretty freaking boring. Yet, some strange force makes me want to give it another go sometime. Maybe. Maybe I just need to make sure my meds are working the way they should.
It was fine, but not something I'd listen to again.
I heard it on my commute to work and the songs just didn't deliver anything, they weren't bad but also not good, they felt like background music and after giving it some considerate thought, this album is great to play if you just want something in the background The XX has one other song that is quite famous and is in my liked songs "The intro" but it's just instrumental and electronic The lyrics of this album were quite sub par and the rhymes also are pretty bad, It's good to hear if you don't want to get distracted in traffic and etc, but not an everyday listen,
Se fosse pra resumir esse álbum em uma palavra, pra mim seria "morno". As músicas não são ruins, mas também não são boas, justamente por não tentarem fazer nada que pudesse ser bom ou ruim. Parecem ser músicas feitas pra deixar no fundinho de algum momento ou ambiente, tipo um evento empresarial, enquanto a galera chega e se cumprimenta, só pra ficar aquele sonzinho no background mesmo, chamando o mínimo possível de atenção. E talvez, dado o nome do estilo de acordo com o Spotify (Atmospheric Indie) capaz desse ser exatamente o objetivo das músicas kkkk. Mas como a proposta aqui é ouvir o álbum do início ao fim prestando atenção nele, achei extremamente boring.
My first time hearing of or hearing this band. It's okay. Not bad at all, just not my thing.
xx seems to be one of those cases of bands whose music I like when it's released, but within just a couple of years I look back and wonder what it was that I found interesting about it. I'll also add that, if pressed to name an xx album I'd curate, this definitely wouldn't be the one.
Soft rêveur. On dirait que chaque chanson est la fin d'un album. Musique à écouter quand il pleut ou quand on feel pas trop.
Not for me
The xx did a couple of decent tunes back at the start but they leave me largely cold.
Yawn...
Decent enough. Nothing that grabs the attention though. The Cocteau Twins less interesting cousins.
Pleasant enough to listen too but with nothing standing out. Easily forgotten.
I liked it, the vocal is so distinctive and nostalgic!! Not their best album though, nothing really stands out.
Fairly forgettable, like the music in a nightclub in some third rate soap. Almost entirely devoid of emotion, even the vocalists seem bored and uninvolved. I'm really not sure why this is on the list - someone trying to seem "hip" & "modern"?
Not my genre. Like a relaxed version of club music? Again, feels like car music, background sound for that environment.
'I Dare You' and 'Say Something Loving' caught my ear, but the rest felt hit or miss. A (high!) 2/5 for me.
I don't get why the music of the 2010s is being represented by a random lounge pop album.
It wasn’t my thing. It just sounded like pretty generic pop music
Imagine Dragons but without drums
No mereix estar a la llista. Un treball correcte, però la banda ja mostrava signes de cansament i la fórmula s'esgotava. És el seu primer disc el que té posició d'honor com a disc 'mus' a escoltar. Un clàssic absolut, original i diferent
It feels like a blander version of their first album. Some of the beats are nice, but everything that was pop about the original feels like it's gone.
Meh
The xx. This is bound to be good with such a well-thought-out name as "the xx". Not! ha ha! It'll be indie of course, probably UK. Yep nailed it now fuck off pls. Bog indie I couldn't bring myself to care about. Two singers but they both have the same vocal range, durrrr. 2/5.
Minimal use of drums makes this sound like amorphous blobs of tones with vocals. This album did nothing for me except make me mad that I didn't just listen to Hall and Oates instead.
That's creepy!
Nothing on this list should be less than ten years old. Especially when it’s this boring and lame. The “best” songs remind me of bad modern Broadway musicals. The worst songs are uninspired generic techno beats with a vocalist on Quaaludes. It’s telling the only 5 star rating I saw was from someone who knows the band personally.
Insufferable drivel. I hated every second of listening to this. Jamie xx has done far more interesting work separate from these two vapid nothings.
I hate the XX
"I See You" has many many lyrics, but absolutely nothing to say - a descent into generic indie pop shit. While the xx's first record was not earth shattering, it at least played with the electronics a bit more and didn't sound entirely like lovesick duets. As mentioned, this album (outside of Performance and the sampled bits of On Hold) reeks of copy/paste late 00s, early 10s indie pop - look no further than the horrible track I Dare You which sounds like kings of leon (the most talentless shitstain of a band on gods green earth). Really grating on the ears and pandering. 1/5
Some albums that came out within a year of "I See You" by The xx that were not included on this list, and are much more deserving: 22, A Million - Bon Iver Lemonade - Beyonce Blonde - Frank Ocean Damn - Kendrick Lamar Flower Boy - Tyler, the Creator Obviously, it's hard to get a sense of what music is important or worthwhile in the moment, but this album sounds dated now, and it hasn't even been 10 years since its release. I believe music like "I See You" will be the "Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" of the 2010s—doomed to be remembered as an apt representative of the tackiest of its era.
Sunku vertinti. Viena man patiko, bet visos kitos išvis nepalieka jokio įspūdžio, onet blogo.
Not for me
Yes, the second "The xx" album. Surely when you think of the totality of all music ever written, you would have to include TWO ALBUMS FROM THE XX. SURELY THEIR TWO THOUSAND SEVENTEEN RELEASE IS ONE OF THE THOUSAND MOST IMPORTANT PIECES OF ARTISTIC EXPRESSION EVER RELEASED IN THE HISTORY OF HUMANKIND. YES THIS IS A VIABLE INCLUSION AND WE ARE RICHER FOR HAVING HEARD THIS MASTERWORK OF PURE DIVINE INSPIRATION. I am in a Kia dealership. I am about to sign a 9.8% APR financing deal on a brand new Kia Soul. The engine will wheeze it's final breath in 11 months, but I will be paying 620 dollars a month until 2024. "Dangerous" plays through a static-y speaker as I sign the papers. Signatures of resignation. As the boxy, poor decision lurches off the lot, I can't remember a fucking thing about that song because it occurred to me as dealership background noise. Much in the same vein as clicking pens, dry coughs, and muffled torque wrenches. What I won't forget; however, is the poor gas kilometrage I get in this bad boy and the embarrassed looks I get from cringing passerbys. I miss my PT Cruiser. 0 HIGHLIGHTS: Brain Damage-amage-amage
I’m 16 albums in to this now and yet another album I have to ask the question, why do I need to listen to this before I die? Can think of some artists poorer albums that are better than most on here I’ve reviewed so far. Not a dig at the site, I know it’s created from the book. It’s just filler music, it has no substance or weight, the lyrics are garbage and make little sense It’s instantly forgettable
Wow c'était archi nul.
This is #day634 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… we're still talking about albums you must hear before you die, right? I kind of understand the band's debut being on the list, as it was in the spotlight in the late '00s indie/electronic scene. Still, I find its inclusion questionable. But having to hear another one? I mean… The formula isn't holding up here. It all just blends into one characterless nothing. This is a 1 out of 5. Looking forward to #day635.
Opaco, da sueño
Shallow lyrics, whiny voices. Would like this much more if it were instrumental.
Not for me, I'll pass on this one.
I don’t remember much of this album, but I don’t remember liking it much either.
I wish these people had not sung over the nice music.
Bored me to tears
no xx
Une chance… seulement 39 minutes… j’ai perdu mon temps ici. Boring shopping music or better good elevator music…
kaszana, wiem jaki efekt chcialo osiagnac, ale sie nie udalo nudne jak flaki z olejem dla mnie
Favorite Song: none
i did not like how experimental it sounds, while also trying to be 'mainstream'. it did not really have a clear identity so
I didn’t think I’d listened to this before but I actually had it’s just painfully forgettable. When I saw ‘On hold’ in the track listing that rang a bell and I was looking forward to getting to it but it was a dud. I thought maybe it was the Jamie XX remix of it I like but nope, that was dull too. I remembered enjoying ‘I dare you’ also but I guess I just had worse taste in 2017! Their debut is without a doubt a must listen, this one can certainly be skipped.
I have lost all faith in the list by this point. I’m starting to think the it’s a punishment and we’re misunderstanding the title. Only after listening to these 1001 albums may we be allowed the sweet kiss of death.
Much different from other tracks I’ve heard by them. Did not enjoy one bit.
Not for me
Is it just me, or do many of these albums sound completely generic? I don’t know if double X or the initiators of the sound of this album, but it sounds like thousands of other bands. All of which I find boring.
Genuinely awful.
This, unfortunately for me, sounds like something that came out of an algorithim. I get the bands need to expand / grow with their sound but there was something very pure about the debut. This just sounds like some indie chill wave spotify whatever. No bad playing, no bad production, but very bland / uninspired sounding.
Very bland and very corporate music
Pop was truly running on empty in 2017. Worst possible combination of whiny indie, soulless electronic production, and vapid RnB pop vocalizing. Retail music for a run down shopping mall barely clinging on.
Sounds like a hogh school project. Horrible for me
yawn
Another terrible addition to the list. Not horrible music but certainly not super engaging or groundbreaking or interesting in any way. Boring.
Joo ei tällanen konemusa/alternative oikein kiinnosta
What? Why? I don't mind a challenging listen, but this album is so lacking in anything to hang your hat on. Meh and meh. There were hit singles off this? Oh yeah, I kind of recognise On Hold. I don't like it. I'm very tempted not to finish this album, which means it has to be a 1. Number of tracks: 10 Fave track: Errr... Least unfavourite track =
Mind-numbingly boring
Not sure why this album is on the list. Below mid, especially compared to the other XX albums.
chato, entediante e previsível
I did not need to hear this album before I die
The album sucked. End of story. This bowl of shit has no direction, no melody. Boring ass hell. Nobody needs to hear this trash before they die. The only thing that saved this from the fucking Gong was the gal singing has a beautiful voice. She needs to find a songwriter that actually has talent before she throws any smoother off a career away.
Well, you can't believe Wikipedia. They describe this lot as a "Rock Band" they aren't. Not sure what they are but I never want to hear them again.
A rather underwhelming album. There’s nothing outright bad about it, in fact, I quite enjoyed Romy Madley Croft’s vocals. Unfortunately, the songs themselves just lack spark and fail to hold my interest.
Va chier.
Coworker music final boss
Not for me
Very cold and reverb-heavy, minimalist indie pop. Each song sounds like it might build up to something but it never does. Very flat and boring. Marginally better than their first album but still not for me.
I believe this is the most recent album/band I’ve gotten by far. Sure, I got one from 2016, but that was Leonard Cohen, and he’d had a decades-long career beforehand. This band had their debut 2009, and this album came out 2017. I’ve honestly never heard of them before. I don’t follow much modern alternative because, honestly, I’ve found that the majority of it is really bland. The opening is pretty good. Odd production at the opening but my dislike could be a stylistic preference. When the beat starts, it’s quite good—reminds me of Portishead, but with less depth. Say Something Loving is pretty boring. The dual vocals are somewhat interesting, but, like…they get pretty old. The production is beginning to become grating. Same with Lips. It’s not that bad, but there’s just no soul. The production is way too much. It’s a minimalist style but somehow still manages to incorporate unnecessary elements. It feels like it’s trying to be transcendent, but it just falls flat. A Violent Noise is particularly flat, with an awful use of dual vocals. Dual vocals—especially with using both male and female vocals—can be done well, but this isn’t it. Something like Mary Christ or Death Valley ‘69 by Sonic Youth would be an example of a good use of this—or really anything by Sonic Youth. Or even looking towards features, with something like Don’t Hurt Yourself by Beyoncé, which features Jack White. They’re extremely different artists, but Jack White is brought on because his raw energy matches the raw energy of the track. Beyoncé sings in a way that matches his vocals as well, so it feels natural. Jack White’s vocals act as a break in the song to add some dynamics. With this album, however, it just feels as if they’re throwing it in just for the sake of it instead of using it to create more dynamic songs. Then there’s Performance, which has so many ambitions but falls on its face. The vocals are gorgeous, but sadly the production ruins it. This would be a good acoustic track, or a good track to really strip back on until the final build. But instead it feels like they just threw stuff in because why not? Replica is the first song that’s actually pretty good. The production is mature and the lyrics aren’t bad. It’s still very much elevator music, though. Brave For You is nothing music. It’s something that plays in the background of those inspirational videos they show at school assemblies and corporate meetings. There is a cool bass part, but that’s the only interesting thing. On Hold somehow manages to be worse. Then the final two tracks, I Dare You and Test Me, just kinda are the same as the rest. Going into this, my rating system meant that anything that wasn’t entirely unlistenable was at least two stars. But this has really convinced me to apply my “boring/soulless is worse than bad” ideology to my rating system. And that’s difficult. Who’s to say there’s no emotion here? I don’t know what these guys are thinking. I don’t know their emotions or motivations. But what art really does is convey emotions. It is meant as an outlet for expression. At least an awful poem by a middle schooler filled with cliche angst is genuinely from the heart and truly conveys what they are going through, allowing you to empathize. I have gained no empathy from this album. It does not let me connect with another living soul. It just sort of exists. So, even though I’m sure there’s emotion behind it, very little is expressed through the actual art. I’m sure some people will connect to what is there, but I’m not one of them. Similarly, there’s nothing new here. Most bad art at least have quirks that make it unique, but I hear ten songs exactly like the ones on this album on Alt Nation every time I go to the grocery store. There’s talent here. I try not to hate art (I mean, I haven’t given anything under a three) as long as it’s not a money grab or something that came from a place of bigotry/an embrace of clear immorality, so me giving this one star isn’t me hating anything—it’s me wishing those inclined towards creating art would stop being so safe with their creations. It really didn’t convince me that modern alternative isn’t boring. And I don’t mean that to say ALL bands/artists, of course—but a good majority. Honestly, I blame algorithms. Recap: Favorite song: Replica Least favorite songs: Lips, Performance, Brave For You, On Hold Comparisons: Dummy, Currents Rating: 1/5
Never heard of them or this album or a single song on it but other people have, it's got giant listener counts with none of the 10 songs under 20M listens. "On Hold" (stole Hall & Oates hook) and "I Dare You" have 175M and 112M, respectively, that's. This must be for the club people, I was cringing trying to get through the opener, "Dangerous" (54M). The slower jams like "Say Something Loving" (74M), "Lips"(43M) and "A Violent Noise" (35M) & "Brave For You" (20M) are god awful. It's just a BORING album, that's how I'd sum it up. I'd rather listen to nothing. I was unable to make it through a full song, it's just so not my thing. His voice blows, no way around it, and she's all breathy, it's like a bad soundtrack. It's amateurish. Even the production sucks. This is another British whiff, guess you gotta live on the island to appreciate some of this stuff. WTF, this list has some real turdburgers on it, I feel like I should get a monetary reward for finishing all 1001. 1 star, it's that freakin' bad. There are so many bands out there if you want good moody music that doesn't suck, try Still Corners, The Cure or Phantogram or anything other than xx.
porra muito ruim filho caralho
I would never willingly listen to this
this might be the blandest album ive ever heard my mom would love it
Utterly baffling how these guys got on the list once, yet here they are again, duller and more sterile sounding than the last time around.
Very basic super-compressed over-emotional late 10s pop. Also, the contemporary Christian music melody choices are so aggravating. 1.0/5.0: Embarrassing
if you asked me for an example of my least favorite genre id give you whatever this is
Ok band.
First 6 tracks may as well be the same dull, uninteresting song, seemingly lacking most semblance of melody or musical direction. “Brave for You,” “On Hold,” and “I Dare You” are the only songs I’d want to hear again. “Test Me” acts profound but is realistically 1 minute of an actual song and 3 minutes of nothingness.
Not sure what sets this album apart, particularly compared to their previous works.
i dont like ts
They both have terrible voices - dull
it was dull from beginning to end, vocal was suitable only for John Lewis christmas ad is was that bad
Horrendous. How is this even on this list? Do better.
For me, the first album by the xx is a masterpiece but I don't know what's going on here.
This sucks ….
Way too safe and boring. The first track and On Hold are decent. Little to no variety in the songwriting. Can’t decide if it wants to just be a mellow, chill album or try to say something interesting. The songs feel like they’re trying to be compelling but are flat as day old soda left at room temperature. Even with a couple of songs being OK this was a very long 39 minute record to get through. That plus the blandness of it all makes this closer to a 1 for me.
Biden would have won in 2024 if BBB stood for “Bring Back Baria” This is music for people who mistake their arrogance for autism.
This was not for me.
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.
Music for the Xanax generation.
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.
Boringggg
i still don’t like it
It’s uninteresting. It’s just not something I would ever listen to.
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
Totaal niet mijn genre, maar niet slecht ofzo
Amazing that this much production can result in something so boring
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.
Olipahan mitäänsanomaton
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.
Ей тая музика е един от симптомите за падението на цивилизацията