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Product Description
Review
The xx, like Burial’s William Bevan and Four Tet’s Kieran Hebden, studied at Elliott School in Putney, a pleasant south-west London suburb. But on the basis of this sleek debut this ice-cool quartet could surpass the achievements of their secondary school alumni.
Naming an album opener Intro prepares listeners for low expectations, so it's a great surprise when the track snakes in with a tightly coiled riff initially reminiscent of Casiokids' ace Fot I Hose. It doesn't turn into an immense house-echoing banger like the Norwegians’ tune, but when beats do arrive they're heavy enough for dubstep.
If Intro is a template for xx's simple, minimalist songs, VCR sets a precedent for winning vocal interplay between Romy Madley Croft and bassist Oliver Sim. With Jamie Smith's simple chiming production suggesting a nod to Brooklyn wonders Chairlift, Croft emotes breathily: “You used to have all the answers and you, you still have them, too.” Sim, meanwhile, sighs like a regretful Lou Reed.
A seemingly unlikely influence it may be, but amid the deep house beats of Island, the melody from Tom Petty's I Won't Back Down makes an appearance. Despite the incongruity, the motif evokes a sense of quiet triumph.
Fans of the midnight guitar in Chris Isaak’s Wicked Game will appreciate Infinity. While reverb-swollen chords drift by, Croft is hell-bent on mimicking Mazzy Star chanteuse Hope Sandoval in front of the microphone. And she succeeds beautifully.
Every song here is an enigmatic and moody blend of smoky crooning, nimble keyboard trickery and slippery treble-heavy riffs. Such self-awareness and focus is commendable given so few experienced bands, let alone newcomers, can manage it.
Yet xx’s consistency is also its sole undoing. The xx have perfected one formula but appear scared to develop any more, wary of branching into different tempos or styles. Fortunately this fault is not fatal – after all, many successful bands, from Oasis to AC/DC, have only ever had one killer idea.
Whether The xx plough on in the same noir direction of this debut or pursue new tangents, it must be hoped the Londoners are able to maintain their affecting hold on the listener whatever the stylistic surface. --Lou Thomas
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
33 of 39 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
This is different!,
This review is from: xx (Digipack) (Audio CD)
Well I'm 51 and still appreciate all genres of modern music, and I really like this album. I first saw and heard The XX on 'Later with Jools Holland' and their atmospheric music just leapt out of the TV at me. Next day, after checking out more of their tracks on You Tube I bought the album. I really like this music for its innovative and fresh feel. Yes okay it's simple and laid back (brilliant music to relax by), but it's a completely new and different sound, and that's the genius of it. I hope their recent tour supporting Florence and The Machine gives them the extra exposure they richly deserve.
104 of 131 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Seriously Good,
By
This review is from: xx (Digipack) (Audio CD)
Scatty and Gritz (the cubs) brought this one home
from school and have been playing nothing else over the past week. They've dumped their hoodies (it was red bandanas before that!) and reverted to basic black. They also seem to be reading Schopenhauer again - their Mother's influence not mine I hasten to add. I seem to have found something to like in this music too. The xx are a somewhat po-faced but very talented little combo from South London. This debut collection of 11 compositions is relentlessly and uncompromisingly single-minded in its sustained intensity. It's hard to imagine them sitting around together drinking cider and watching Father Ted re-runs. This is much more Jacques Brel and absinthe territory ! Seriousness becomes them. The combined vocal contributions of Ms Croft and Mr Sim create a charmingly laconic ambience. There is a total absence of frenzy. In fact nothing much happens throughout in the nicest possible way. 'Infinity' is a splendid composition. The closest thing to a climax in the entire project. The spirit of Hank Marvin might well be smiling in the wings. 'Night Time' is a marvelously morose little ditty and for my money its starkly economical, pared-down, minimalism is the album's gloomy highlight. Jamie Smith's beats and Baria Qureshi's well-judged keyboard interventions are entirely complementary to the centrally positioned Croft/Sim double-act. Concluding track 'Stars' made me remember acutely what it was like to be young and intense and delirious with dark and serious dreams. Recommended.
5.0 out of 5 stars
very good buy.good listening,
By
This review is from: xx (Digipack) (Audio CD)
exellent cd well worth listening to. wanted this cd for a long time now and im glad i finally purchased it. exellent value for money.
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