It's refreshing to find a record like xx in 2009, in an era of popular music that seeks to overwhelm the listener with massive effects and crushing walls of sound - where the focus of the artist is to add as much as possible, covering up for inadequacies of music and lyrics.
The xx do things differently: a four-piece at the time of recording (keyboardist Baria Qureshi has since left), the xx prize a sense of space in their songs. There are moments of silence in the middle of a song, while the heaviest the album gets is with a combination of throbbing bass, quietly interweaving guitars, gently pulsing syncopated beats and breathy vocals (as on 'Intro' - recently ubiquitous as a TV sports event theme - and the fantastic 'Islands'). This sparseness works brilliantly - xx is great for a relaxed listen or as furniture music, but turn up the volume on decent headphones and the subtle touches come out of the woodwork.
Despite their youth, the xx are a perfectly attuned band - they work together with their talents that fit together perfectly. Oliver Sim's bass never dominates, but finds moments to be funky and moments to back off, moments to be in sync with the guitar and moments to syncopate. His vocals aren't strong in the traditional sense, but fit the lyrical atmosphere (primarily the uncertainties of young love) perfectly when paired with those of Romy Madley-Croft, whose light guitar work is excellent ('Night time'). The musical atmosphere and beats are largely the work of young production wunderkind Jamie xx - always supporting and occasionally driving the songs, but never dominating them.
In short, xx is a refreshing listen, and a compelling one too.
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