The XX – XX

The instrumental lead track Intro rumbles moodily on The XX’s debut album, echoing the Cure’s more sombre moments. VCR is almost an extension of the previous track’s melody, mumbly lyrics shuffling about self consciously. And this is the pattern for much of the album, lo fi electro rhythms and half arsed vocals, all of them done with so little care it all sounds exactly the same, like some art students shrugging off a will-this-do album before disappearing off to the arty bar. Shelter has a bit more going for it though, sounding a little like a Sinead O’Connor torch song, lost in the half light and Basic Space, the single, is a cut above as mentioned elsewhere on this site but it’s a fairly poor return after the promise suggested by that single.

XX is released by Young Turks on 17th August
The XX myspace is here