London four-piece (three piece as of late 2009) The XX released their debut album XX on the 17th of August 2009 through the label Young Turks, and if I were to describe the critical reception as ‘positive’, I would be guilty of a criminal understatement. In truth, this album has snowballed in popularity, and the band themselves of course with it. Tracks have been heard on TV soundtracks both in the UK and in the States, on such shows as 90210, Misfits, Grey’s Anatomy, and, somewhat strangely, on the BBC’s coverage of the 2010 General Election. XX has reached the point of “Universal acclaim” according to Metacritic, and it seems there is no letting off, as the downloads continue and the positive reviews keep appearing. Well, I can firmly say this: Believe the hype. This album is a fantastic first outing from Wandsworth’s Elliott School friends Romy Croft, Oliver Sim, Jamie Smith, and Baria Qureshi, the latter of which left the band in late 2009. It’s a sleek, hauntingly brilliant debut from a band hotly tipped for great things.
The first track, aptly named Intro leads the way as any good opening track should. This melodic instrumental has elements of each of the tracks that follow it, and it’s brought together beautifully in its finality, with war-esque bass drum hits and reverb soaked guitar work. Crystallised, the third track, is one of the picks of the litter and quite frankly, it is simply breathtaking. It epitomises everything that can be found on this album. It is clean echoed guitars, it is the eerie ambience that serves as the perfect background, and it is the at times almost angelic male and female vocals that fit perfectly over the top of each track. This isn’t just good, it’s hauntingly good.
Heart Skipped a Beat is the fifth track on the album, and is on a par with Crystallised. Heartbreaking vocals “Sometimes, I still need you” are delicately laced on top of a simplistic yet brilliant backing track. The synthed drums used by the band themselves are more noticeable in these four minutes of magic, as the beat for the first part stops and is replaced by something faster and with a little more life in it, only to be relayed under exactly what you had just heard for the first minute of the track. Despite seeming pointless in description, actually reflects what The XX and their first album are about. They’re showing off. They underline the versatility of their song writing and themselves as artists in each brilliantly written track on this brilliantly made album.
XX is as perfect a debut album as you’ll find at the moment. The then four-piece London band have created a record that encapsulates them as a band, and it has been raved about and raved about and then some, with songs that can break your heart and sew it up again. These are songs to keep you warm in winter and keep you cool in summer. There is no smoke without fire, and the fire in this case is an astounding debut from a band that are showing they have what it takes to really make it big, keep an ear out, you will be hearing more from The XX soon.
