Description
Repress, 12″ LP, Young Turks.
When XX first appeared in 2009, it felt like a (very) quiet revolution. Its meditations on longing and disappointment, played out in the shared vocals of Oliver Sim and Romy Madley Croft, felt like whispered confessions in the dark. The music beneath them was bare, spacious, and fragile and created created a sense of isolation that resonated with many. Minimalism, paired with subtle production and carefully placed beats, made for an album that sounded unlike anything else at the time. It sounded like heartbreak at 3am., or the calm that follows an emotional storm. More than a decade later, its clean guitar lines and open arrangements still feel fresh. Its influence is everywhere, the band’s Mercury Prize win in 2010 confirmed their original approach.The XX’s ability to make so much out of so little remains stunning. Songs such as ‘Crystalised’ and ‘Basic Space’ explore different aspects of relationships, yet both pull you into their soft, shadowy worlds. XX still lands with quiet force.
