This new album by The Xx is really fucking good. They're like a cross between Zero 7 and the Stars with a little David Lynch kind of atmosphere, whatever that means. The lyrics are seriously excellent.
Yeah, this album is awesome, and creates a really nice atmosphere.
I think the best way to listen to this was like the way I listened to it for the first time - driving at 1 in the morning along the highway (along the pacific coast, to be exact, with the moonlight reflecting off the ocean), in complete solitude. It was a great vibe, and a rewarding experience.
I especially love the interplay between the male-female vocals, not to mention how smooooooooooth both of their voices sound. The guitar/bass interplay is a lot like Interpol and The Cure, so you get a lot of great tension between melodies and counter-melodies there. It's really pleasant stuff.
My favorite tracks so far are "VCR," "Crystalized," "Heart Skipped A Beat," and "Basic Space." You also know it's a good sign when a track with no lyrics (but not without vocals) can be an incredible song - I'm talking about "Intro."
Overall, I have spun this album for the last week, and I thoroughly enjoy this and recommend it to anybody.
I've replied to this thread twice now, but it keeps getting lost in the internets. So, I'll try to make this brief.
One, anyone looking for a cheap legal way to purchase the album online can head over to Amiestreet.com where I bought it a few days ago for $8.50. It's probably maxed out already at 9 something, but it's still cheaper and much more convenient than working through iTunes.
As far as the music is concerned, I do not regret paying money for the album, but I was a little bit underwhelmed. I'm not about to say that it's bad, but it's not something I am extremely excited about.
There isn't a lot of dynamics to the album, to begin with. I like the sound, and the style is interesting, but every song sortof floats on the same level. It's chill, like Crob said, which isn't a bad direction, but I prefer more tension. And it really feels like with the brooding music and the guy/girl vocals they could produce some really good tension. But instead they go for a laidback Morcheeba vibe.
Also, it's not at all shocking that one of the best songs on the album is the instrumental "Intro". I find myself wishing that more of the songs were instrumental. The vocalists are very talented, but the lyrics are throw away and the style is not really my flavor.
Anyway. I will listen to this from time to time still when I want to just relax at my desk with some interesting background music. but I don't think I'll be playing it intensely like some other things I've found this year.
Thanks for promoting it though.
---------------------------- There's an ember in the rafters and it's gonna burn this whole thing down.
Originally posted by Shadrach: And it really feels like with the brooding music and the guy/girl vocals they could produce some really good tension. But instead they go for a laidback Morcheeba vibe.
That's because the album isn't about the tension between a man and woman, rather it's about the chemistry and love between the two. I actually find it quite refreshing because it seems like so many albums are trying to capture the troubles and tension between the two. Kinda played out.
And I disagree, the lyrics are not throw away, they're poignant. And the intrumentals are superb.
I agree with your statement that man/woman tension is played out, but if we say that we have to all agree that "chemistry and love" is played out even more so. But I don't take issue with the subject of the lyrics. It's simply that they are not entirely striking to me.
When I mentioned tension before, however, I wasn't necesarily talking about lyrical tension. I just mean musical tension in general. There is a calmness to the album because everything always seems to be going right. There isn't enough variation in the tone or the volume, there are very few surprises. This makes it a nice album to sortof chill out with, but it is something that a lot of people will find boring, and that I personally wish had come out differently.
I'm not trying to rag on the album too hard though. It's good, and doesn't deserve bad reviews and backlash this early to to diffuse people's excitement about hearing it. I think everyone should give it a chance because it covers a lot of bases in it's overall appeal. It just doesn't come far enough in my direction right now.
I'm eager to see what other people think of this though.
---------------------------- There's an ember in the rafters and it's gonna burn this whole thing down.
Just listened to it for the first time fully through and while I found it was very good it was probably the easiest first listen I've ever had with any album.
Originally posted by Shadrach: I've replied to this thread twice now, but it keeps getting lost in the internets. So, I'll try to make this brief.
One, anyone looking for a cheap legal way to purchase the album online can head over to Amiestreet.com where I bought it a few days ago for $8.50. It's probably maxed out already at 9 something, but it's still cheaper and much more convenient than working through iTunes.
As far as the music is concerned, I do not regret paying money for the album, but I was a little bit underwhelmed. I'm not about to say that it's bad, but it's not something I am extremely excited about.
There isn't a lot of dynamics to the album, to begin with. I like the sound, and the style is interesting, but every song sortof floats on the same level. It's chill, like Crob said, which isn't a bad direction, but I prefer more tension. And it really feels like with the brooding music and the guy/girl vocals they could produce some really good tension. But instead they go for a laidback Morcheeba vibe.
Also, it's not at all shocking that one of the best songs on the album is the instrumental "Intro". I find myself wishing that more of the songs were instrumental. The vocalists are very talented, but the lyrics are throw away and the style is not really my flavor.
Anyway. I will listen to this from time to time still when I want to just relax at my desk with some interesting background music. but I don't think I'll be playing it intensely like some other things I've found this year.
Thanks for promoting it though.
I posted the same thing in the Best of . . . thread last week, but I agree with you, Shad. I was underwhelmed and disappointed when I heard the album. My biggest reservation in the album is that there is no emotional range in the vocals. In most of the songs, the only emotion I can make out is a weary sigh. The one exception to this is "Night Time", in which there is some intensity in the female vocals.
It's a good album, but not likely to make my top 20 unless it does a lot of growing on me.
BTW, it's now available on eMusic for 11 downloads, so that's about $4.40 U.S. So, my impatience by dl it from iTunes cost me $5.59. Thanks, crob.
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Posts: 1112 | Location: Los Angeles | Registered: 18 December 2006
I love everything about this album, especially its laid-back feel. It's a great change-of-pace from some of the more emotionally charged releases to come out this year.
Hasn't wowed me yet, the only song I want to come back to is "Crystalized."
But minimalism usually takes a while with me. I thought Spoon's "Kill The Moonlight," was incredibly boring at first, and now it's one of my favorites of the decade. So I'll give it some more listens.
Posted 26 August 2009 09:05 AM Hide Post Chris Isaacs, that's the guys name I was looking for. Their music has some chris isaacs kind of guitar sound to it.
I hear what you're talking about. Infinity actually reminds me a lot of Wicked Game.
I think the best way to listen to this was like the way I listened to it for the first time - driving at 1 in the morning along the highway (along the pacific coast, to be exact, with the moonlight reflecting off the ocean), in complete solitude. It was a great vibe, and a rewarding experience.
Listening to it while watching the world rush by through the train window this morning was pretty nice, too. If there had been fall color it would have been absolutely perfect.
I love this album. "Heart Skipped a Beat" reminds me of "Family Tree" by TV on the Radio, "Infinity" reminds me of "Wicked Game" by Chris Isaak (and I see from the other postings that I'm not alone on that one). The overall sound, though, and especially the guitars, mostly reminds me of dance musicians/remixers Gabriel & Dresden and their side projects Andain and Motorcycle.
I also heard elements that reminded me of Matthew Dear, Luke Solomon, Burial, Morcheeba's Dive Deep, ATB (the steel guitar, although ATB's is synthesized and sounds unsubtle and cheesy in comparison), Kate Nash (the plingy keyboard notes in "Stars") and Kings of Convenience (the serene and comforting mood).
Almost all new bands remind me of somebody else at first. For right now, I can't get enough of The xx.
Posts: 210 | Location: New York | Registered: 18 September 2007
Originally posted by JeffinNYC: [QUOTE]Originally posted by crob3888:
I"Heart Skipped a Beat" reminds me of "Family Tree" by TV on the Radio, "Infinity" reminds me of "Wicked Game" by Chris Isaak (and I see from the other postings that I'm not alone on that one).
It's funny you should mention these particular songs, because I've had the same thoughts, but from a different take. Particularly "Wicked Game". The last time I listened to "Infinity" I thought that the instrumentation sounded like "Wicked Game", but too bad the singers don't show even a fraction of the range of Chris Isaak.
________________ The record buying public shouldn't be voting.
Posts: 1112 | Location: Los Angeles | Registered: 18 December 2006
