Post Description

Artist:   The XX
Title:    XX
Label:    Young Turks
Genre:    Indie
Bitrate:  169kbit av.
Time:     00:38:35
Size:     49.15 mb
Rip Date: 2009-08-17
Str Date: 2009-08-17

01. Intro                                                         2:07
02. VCR                                                           2:57
03. Crystalised                                                   3:22
04. Islands                                                       2:40
05. Heart Skipped A Beat                                          4:02
06. Fantasy                                                       2:38
07. Shelter                                                       4:30
08. Basic Space                                                   3:08
09. Infinity                                                      5:13
10. Night Time                                                    3:36
11. Stars                                                         4:22

Release Notes:

Striving for mood is futile. If your intentions are in any way
transparent, youÆre going to fail. Contrive downbeat miserablism in
your music and itÆll come off as studied, inauthentic, indulgent. Aim
for the stars with the word æepicÆ in the back of your mind and youÆve
made the last Maccabees album. Lots of artists that shoot for
æatmosphericÆ end up with overwrought pretension, style over substance.
What The XX have feels chanced upon, and precious.

ThereÆs a singular bleakness to their debut album, which sounds like
itÆs been made by moonlight by a grim team of introverts, half-drunk
and lonely. Listening to it with the level of attention it demands
gives you a sickly jealous feeling at the intimacy, like reading other
peopleÆs love letters. ItÆs a waste of time looking for big hooks or
moments of release, but absorbed properly this becomes quietly
transcendent. Somehow, its songs are welcoming despite their
insularity.

There are four people in the band but this is a coupleÆs album. The
twin vocals of Romy Madley Croft and Oliver Sim trade understated rich
vowels, their dialogue the rope that binds 11 malnourished songs
together. Romy carries all the drama with her tiny tics and unavoidably
Great Voice. OliverÆs gentle croon is dangerously close to the vegan
sex therapist vibe of Fujiya & Miyagi, but mostly agreeable. They are
insanely well-matched, complimenting and answering one another as they
saunter around the bare minimum backing of their band.

The obvious reference point for this quiet, understated style is Young
Marble Giants, but The XX have a couple of other tricks up their
sleeve. The ace is the dreamy, ultra-reverbed guitars of Romy and Baria
Quershi, nailed for perfect pathos every time we hear them. Jamie
SmithÆs sampler and drum work adds tiny lines of detail and makes
tantalising occasional use of arse-tickling sub-bass rumbles. Every
instrument is played with a glorious unselfishness, an element of
healthy disinterest.

Misleadingly bold instrumental opener 'Intro' introduces The XXÆs
somnabulant groove with an ominous, Knife-like organ thrum and
cloudsurfing guitars. There are background hints of broken electric
squall on æNight TimeÆ where suddenly fluent guitars probe an ascending
staircase of notes. These guitars are universally lovely, with riffs
and licks just thoughtful enough to show the beautiful tone isn't being
milked or overly relied upon. The much touted R&B influence only really
materialises on æBasic SpaceÆÆs busy drum programming. Instead, The XX
sound closer to (dirty word alert) trip hop, especially on the
elegiacally tasteful of æShelterÆ. This album will be soundtracking a
lot of bad, earnest sex.