We know there's an ongoing love affair with the United Kingdom in the music scene right now. So who's The ne-xx-t band to make our hearts flutter, our knees knock and our souls rock? The southwest London-based quartet, The xx, is the latest in a growing line of indie-pop-rock bands that use both of the skillsets necessary to become a viably dominant international band: something to say and the musical precision to say it.
For four 20-year-olds from the heart of the U.K., there are no huge, pre-existing expectations from the musical jet set. With their self-produced album, xx, blowing up the charts in their home country and ours, these young musicians introduced us to a new generation of luscious, delicate pop-rock, making us want to do things musically equivalent to xx-rated acts.
The youth of this band is definitely astounding. Following bassist and singer Oliver Sim on Twitter, he mediates that while now an "official jetsetter," he does not "want to leave my room now let alone the country, reclusiveness just isn't an option anymore." But for guys that are still a year off from the American drinking age (does that hinder their U.S. performances?), they effortlessly muse about sexuality and love - and sound so much more experienced than the majority of lovelorn, jaded bands surfing the radio waves today.
The magic begins as soon as the album does; the instrumental "Intro" rockets you into an R&B-inspired jam. No, there are no words to grasp onto immediately - but the self-assured beats and guitar strains are enough to transport you into a romantic, gauzy state of being - and into the next song, "VCR." Here, singer and guitarist Romy Madley Croft's sensual crooning urges you to "watch things on VCRs / With me and talk about big love / I think we are superstars / You say you think we are the best thing." Child-like, yes. Self-assured, yes.
The third track, "Crystalised," is one of the stand-out tracks for its tight and expert instrumentation and the haunting, sharp moans of Madley Croft and Sim. In contrast to the affectionately juvenile imagery of "VCR," "Crystalised" is darkly sexual: "You've got the faith / That I could bring paradise," Sim groans. "Do I have to keep up the pace / To keep you satisfied?" Madley Croft replies.
Sexual intimacy makes the full shift to emotional stability in the following track, "Islands." It's one of my very favorites, if just for the strength and confidence both Sim and Madley Croft exude in proclaiming a trust in love (monogamous love just doesn't seem to be a lyrical subject for contemporary musicians - instead, we seem to see a lot of faith lacking in that department): "I am yours now / So now I don't ever have to leave ... I'm froze by desire / No need to leave."
Heartbreak does occur in the ornate world The xx conjures. The next track, also one of my favorites, "Heart Skipped a Beat," is the album's lament. "Please don't say we're done / When I'm not finished / I could give you so much / Make you feel like never before," Sims opens. It's heartbreaking, but the dreamlike pop that accompanies the deploring lyrics still makes the song an uplifting aural experience.
I have to admit that after the first five tracks, I start to slow down with the album. Not that it goes downhill - "Shelter" is electrifyingly sexual ("Can I make it better, with the lights turned on?" Madley Croft pleads); "Basic Space" manipulates the guitar and bass more (the band has no drummer, so they have to get a bit creative with creating their beats); and "Stars" beautifully draws attention to the keyboard, simultaneously highlighting Sim as the song's primary singer. I just cannot move past the beauty of the first half of the album - a gaff on my part as a listener.
The xx is an irrefutably gorgeous new band. The guys are young; yet their sound and self-assured lyrics are undeniably experienced and knowledgeable. It will be fascinating to follow their future releases as the band grows up.
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