Album Review: The xx - xx (4.5/5)

One of the biggest trends in indie rock lately has been the combination of sound layers and lo-fi recording. You can hear it from artists like The Arcade Fire, Fleet Foxes and Animal Collective--layers of scratchy recordings of multiple guitars, drums, bass, violins, pianos, birds chirping, children singing etc. You can just envision old Phil Spector presiding in the studio sessions that have revived his wall of sound while maniacally calling for "more layers!!!" While the results are often lovely they are sometimes overwhelming, even tiring. It's enough to make you long for another album from the White Stripes (first odd numbered year since they started that we didn't get something new from them).

Amid all that clatter, xx, the debut from The xx, is a breath of fresh simplicity. No layering here--only careful deliberation. When a guitar gets plucked, it means something, and the gorgeous one- and two-part guitar melodies really shine through too from the opening "Intro," which sways to a lovely downbeat rhythm to the standout track "Infinity," whose low guitar strums recall the relaxed romanticism of Chris Isaak's "Wicked Game." That kind of vibe is carried out through much of the album, sparking lots of reviewers to conjure images of secondhand-clothing-clad twenty-somethings fumbling toward ecstasy with this playing in the background on their iPod docks. That's fine, but I think the album deserves more than that, as I find it a pleasing listen, even if you're not romantically entwined.

"Crystalised" shines with its infections two-part guitar rhythms and alternating vocals between wispy Romy Madley Croft and raspy Oliver Sims. It's a style that reminds me of the Cheryl Cole and Will.I.Am collaborations on Cheryl's new album (a comparison that might make The xx cringe, but oh well). "Shelter" seems clearly influenced by Goldfrapp's "Deer Stop," employing a similar synth-based aesthetic to open both songs, although building its melody with low tones from plucked guitar rather than piano.

Don't think it's all just droopy atmospherics. "VCR" has a certain buoyancy to it--certainly no one's raving to any of these songs--but there is a certain energy to this work. Bouncy "Islands" has the most upbeat rhythm arrangement. "Heart Skipped a Beat's" hand-clap rhythm hearkens to The Ting Tings' "That's Not My Name," albeit a mellowed, late night version with more stringed instruments. "Basic Space," another standout track, employs a stop-start approach with lyrics half sung, half spoken by Croft and Sims over its uptempo beat. Still, it is the quieter moments that shine, and even these songs have them.

Xx is quite an engaging and enjoyable album. I've listened to it probably 10 times over the last week, and I'm still discovering new pleasures. Best indie of the year.

Best: Infinity, Crystalised, Basic Space, Shelter, Intro, Islands, Heart Skipped a Beat