The XX

I wound up loving "On Hold" when these people had merely grabbed my mild interest. Would I like it?

it's really soppy and obvious and sounds a bit, in places, like they might want to be years & years

― lex pretend, Thursday, January 12, 2017 7:04 AM (two hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

http://i.imgur.com/cRV2qwE.gif

OK let's take has me v v curious about this now

Argh *lex's

lex's take combined with the songs I've heard so far has made me about 85% certain I will hate this ;_;

it's really soppy and obvious and sounds a bit, in places, like they might want to be years & years

― lex pretend

ha, yes! there's bits of it which are like them trying to make their equiv of a basement jaxx album ("dangerous" is such a great opener), while there's some of their starkest ballad-y things - "performance" is almost a tin pan alley conceit. for a band w/two queer singers (singing duets!), all the stage/performance/masks/etc lyrics have an extra resonance.

Just listened to it. Agree with the comment that it's both the best and worst they've done. Replica is the best song on first listen.

There's so much dour watery comedown synthpop out there at the moment that this would need to be fucking amazing for me not to feel a bit gross at even listening to it.

on first listen, this is basically Life For Rent for 00's clapham people

ISY >>> Coexist

oh thank god "Dangerous" is good

not sure about this album as a whole, some of the songs are ok, but I'm not sold on their cod-R&B touches, they just seem not terribly interesting and it winds up sounding like a not very memorable Everything But The Girl album.

I am relieved that this isn't terrible

(of course right now my standout song is "Performance" because it sounds like it was recorded during the Coexist sessions and then overdubbed with violin)

ha I was just going to say that I don't think this album is for me, but I love "Performance"

i love this album

man this is a snooze

Matt DC once again putting my own thoughts into better words

i liked this the more i listen to it

dangerous, say something loving, a violent noise, i dare you are all great -- still need to sort out the middle section

Lots of initial reviews of this were "it's uneven and has missteps" but I'm not hearing any. This all sounds fantastic.

I love this corny shit

I would not recommend "Say Something Loving" after a couple of cocktails.

Suspect the degree of enjoyment you get from this album is proportional to the extent you're prepared to surrender to it.

I will say this is the first time I've heard Jamie XX do his Jamie XX thing and not been incredibly irritated

I summon Turrican

why

The tension between the arena-sized dynamics, which get yanked at key moments, and the reticent vocals is thrilling.

why

― who is extremely unqualified to review this pop album (BradNelson), Friday, January 13, 2017 11:14 PM (seventeen minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

tension between arena-sized discontentment, which gets zinged at key moments, and chill approval is thrilling iirc

I've generally found this band dull and unengaging, so I won't be listening to this. A very easy band to ignore, IMO.

see

As you were...

This is already on Spotify, very excited to hear this.

this is fantastic, i already like this better than Coexist. the songs are more immediate on first listen.

Seasons Run from the deluxe edition really should have been on the album proper, it's great

revisiting Coexist it's better than i remember, though having less energy than the debut means the weaker tracks really drag it down, the new one is definitely much better

"Lips" is like a really good Jessie Ware track. Loving this album

there is a cheesiness in their duets which i find difficult to appreciate. This sounds nice but it lacks in space, the arrangements aren't as spare as on the excellent first album. I don't think i will revisit this very often on my own but i fear the public sphere will make me listen to this more often than i'd prefer to. After one listen I am not convinced.

actually, take away their precious space and they're nothing

lips so great

maybe inflected by reading profiles but it's v touching to hear the guy kinda going through a thing lyrically

I have not heard this album but I am emotionally ready to share a crush with Lex. This better not let me down.

― Tim F, Thursday, January 12, 2017 9:02 AM (three days ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

it's really soppy and obvious and sounds a bit, in places, like they might want to be years & years

― lex pretend, Thursday, January 12, 2017 9:04 AM (three days ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

I wound up loving "On Hold" when these people had merely grabbed my mild interest. Would I like it?

― The burrito of ennui (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, January 12, 2017 9:57 AM (three days ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

it's really soppy and obvious and sounds a bit, in places, like they might want to be years & years

― lex pretend, Thursday, January 12, 2017 7:04 AM (two hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

http://i.imgur.com/cRV2qwE.gif

― who is extremely unqualified to review this pop album (BradNelson), Thursday, January 12, 2017 12:08 PM (three days ago)

squad

"say something loving" .......

"on hold" almost sounds like it could be a stars song at points

god this is so good

really like this album. at first i thought it sagged a little after "performance" (an instant classic, gorgeously affecting vocal) up until "on hold", but a few listens in and pretty much all the tracks have revealed much to appreciate now. not sure it's sequenced as well as it could have been but that's really my only gripe.

cool album
keep getting benoit + sergio tracks in my head for one reason or another

Yeah, this album is so good. I really did not see it coming after how bland Coexist and Jameie's solo albums were.

quite an improvement. the tracks have more energy and they learned how to sing.

Not sure about the sequencing - I like the last half of the album better. Really love the keyboards on "Replica" chorus which remind me of 'American Dream' by CSNY.

I still need to listen to this more (it's basically been on replay since Sunday...) but so far it's so good !
Agreed that "Performance" is an instant classic. It had that great and rare thing : when I first heard it, it already seemed familiar, as if it was an old forgotten favourite...
"Say Something Loving" is fantastic. greatest pop song in a while.
I already liked "On Hold" when it was released and it's still fun and catchy.
Actually, at this point I don't think there's a dud.
I almost think the album is too short, which is rare for me !

Highlights for me: On Hold, Replica, Dangerous, Lips.

I liked Say Something Loving the first times but the more I listen to it the less I like it. It's sort of awkward.

Performance bores me not sure what you guys are hearing in it. The violin work is nice but it's not enough for me... I'd be great if it were only 1 minute long.