In at 29 we have - The xx. I wasn't very excited for this record to drop if I'm honest. I was really really underwhelmed by their last album Coexist. I only truly liked two or three tracks on it and although it was never going to be easy to follow up on their incredible debut - The xx - I just wasn't impressed at all. So after that, I figured that the next would be better but I still wasn't too hopeful.
Pretty much every single one of those doubts flew out of my head when I heard "Dangerous" for the first time. Such a funky bassline, I was nodding my head so much I had to give it reload before even listening to the rest of the album. Still my favourite track on the record. I have to admit, when "Lips" started playing, my nerves started to come back. They sampled "Just (After Song of Songs)" and I'd heard this song on an advert earlier this year. I thought that it might be enjoyable so tracked it down on YouTube. It turned out to be an almost painful listen waiting for it to develop, and so I must admit when I heard those ominous harmonies I was a little worried. Silly, silly me. They really flipped this song on it's head and made it memorable for me rather than traumatic.
My current favourites on the album (aside from "Dangerous") are "Say Something Loving", "On Hold", and "I Dare You". There are a lot of understated, softer moments throughout that stuck out to me for example Romy's voice on "Brave For You", but they're not songs that I've found myself returning to as often as these four as the year's gone on. Having this album to listen to since January, I've had a lot of time to try and form a consistent feeling for it, and listening to it in the last few months I was content knowing that this would end up in my top albums of the year list. Seeing them nominated for a Mercury Prize this year only reinforced that.
It's clear on I See You that Jamie has taken more of the creative control on this record allowing himself to work in a mix of more influences and soundscapes to the band's latest material. This album just felt comfortable for each member to shine best in their respective talents. After seeing them play at Primavera Sound this year it only opened up my eyes more to just how big their tracks sound live and how much room they've left themselves to expand each track. I'm hoping that it's onwards and upwards from here.
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