Monday, March 1, 2010

Album Review: the xx – xx


This album got a lot of good reviews in 2009 when it was released. I really didn’t want to like it, the vaguely R&B vocals put me off slightly. But ever one to come late to the party, I have succumbed.

Intro sets the tone for the album, which is sparse, featuring Durutti Column style guitar, snappy percussion and smooth male/female vocals. The album continues in this vein, with poppier tracks (VCR, Islands) telling only part of the story. There are echoes of other bands all over this album: Durutti Column (Basic Space) as mentioned already, Interpol (Crystalised) and even Chris Isaak (Infinity).

Fantasy is a slightly spacier track, featuring very little guitar, mostly the gentle humming of the bass. Penultimate track, Night Time is a little more propulsive than the others, though the album is one of those rare albums which evokes a mood and maintains it, that is a late night driving mood, with a great soundtrack.

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