The xx | xx (LP)

2009 vinyl LP pressing. This British group released this debut album when they were just in their early twenties-a considerable feat, given just how fully-formed and polished this album is. Their influences include everything from post-punk to dream pop to indie to dubstep to R&B pop, but that doesn't mean any of their songs are scattered: in fact, they're so sleek they're almost sculptural. "Intro" is a long, monochromatic symphony, and it sets the cool, evocative feel The xx will come to be known for. "VCR" has clangy guitars reminiscent of the Young Marble Giants, while "Infinity" is a slip into the post-punk. There's a subtle sensuality here, there's romantic intrigue. It's a one-of-a-kind, memorable debut that proves The xx as one of the most important Brit indie groups to surface in recent years, and it'll leave you wanting more. Ais/Young Turks/XL.

When the young South London quartet The XX burst onto the U.K. music scene with the 2009 single "Crystalised," it was already evident that the group's sleek, dystopian vision of modern soul greatly belied their still tender age (all four members were in their teens at the time). And despite the group's confident cobbling together of influences as far a field as contemporary and classic R&B (Aaliyah, Bobby Womack), atmospheric post-punk (Young Marble Giants, The Cure), and U.K. dance music (dubstep, trip-hop), it was hard to consider them as anything more than the latest hype from hype-crazed U.K. journos. That being said, The XX's 2009 full-length debut is about as fully-formed as first records come, much less ones created by four teenagers. Building upon the alluring vocal partnership of co-leads Oliver Sim and Romy Madley Croft, whose wounded call and response vocals sound mature beyond their years, XX manage to craft haunting synth-fueled melancholia that exudes disillusionment, coy sexuality, and, sometimes, even innocence, all at once. All of which makes THE XX a strong, confident debut from a remarkable young group.

Tracklist

A1        Intro    
A2        VCR    
A3        Crystalised
A4        Islands
A5        Heart Skipped A Beat
A6        Hot Like Fire
B1        Fantasy
B2        Shelter    
B3        Basic Space
B4        Infinity
B5        Night Time
B6        Stars

*Audio and/or tracklist may vary slightly from the vinyl version.

Label: BQTX
Catalog: 40450
Rel. Date: 10/20/2009
UPC: 634904045012

• Handling Note: **Please allow an additional 72 hours for this item's shipment.**
• Format Detail: LP standard Jacket
• Internal ID: JITRE
• Genre: Alternative
• Format: Vinyl