LP Review: The xx – I See You
Andrew Roy · May 17 2017
After five years, atmospheric pop trio The xx make a bold comeback.
Romy Madley Croft, Oliver Sim and Jamie Smith formed the introverted indie band, The xx, while still in high school in 2005. They went on to become famous for the intimate vocals of Romy and Oliver. Their debut album stood out in 2009 for its minimalism, bringing the shy group into the limelight. The band went on to release another album in 2012, refining the existing formula.
However, as the band members went separate ways after their tour for Coexist, they discovered the difficulties of staying with childhood friends as their almost two decade long friendships came under some strain. When Oliver came home from the tour he had to face off some difficulties with alcoholism. In an interview for Pitchfork Oliver admitted, “I was going out a lot with the excuse that I was celebrating – ‘celebrating’ – the past few years. Just fighting the idea of becoming an adult. Some friends had started to mellow a bit, and I didn’t want to.” Despite the fear of responsibility, Oliver managed to beat his drinking habits.
At the same time, Jamie pursued a DJ-ing career, releasing a solo album in 2015. Meanwhile, Romy went on a trip to L.A. to work with a few producers to better her song writing. In a interview for Fader, Oliver talked about the difficulty of being away from the band, “At moments I was quite distant and it took its toll. I realized I missed having a purpose, which is to write songs, but also I just missed being around these two. They’re my siblings. It was difficult – not having structure, not having purpose, and not having my friends.”
Recollecting on when the three friends reunited, Romy said, “At one point in time, I was like, ‘Oh, they’ve changed. It’s not the same.’ And I was very sad about that. Then I realized that actually, we haven’t changed. It’s just like it’s a relationship, and we just need to spend time together and warm up. Then the ice goes away, and it’s the same as it was when we were all 16.”
With the development of the band members’ personalities, it is fitting that with their new album their music has also developed. Right from the start, a new found confidence is apparent with a willingness to try mixing different genres. You would be forgiven for thinking you had put on the wrong record when the first track begins; the loud brass fanfare is unlike anything The xx have done before.
The music is filled with an energy that wasn’t present before. However, The xx are still very much recognizable. The album carries a lot of personal themes and the original intimate vocals are still there. “A Violent Noise” follows the themes of self - destructive habits; relating to the hardships that Oliver went through. “Brave For You” explores the themes of coping with the loss of parents, something that Romy had between this album and the last. “Replica” describes the struggle of breaking free from your past. Perhaps my favourite song, “Performance”, is less lively than the others but the beautiful ballad feels closest to the original The xx that this album gets. An acoustic guitar and strings complement Romy’s lyrics very well throughout.
It was said by the band that originally they had a rule everything they recorded had to be playable live, however with this new album they scrapped that and I believe the payoff is definitely worth it. Despite ditching the minimalism for new possibilities and more energetic music, they have still stayed true to their roots. After a long break the three high school friends have released another beautiful album. I believe the main theme of this album is the importance of taking the time to reflect, not just alone, but with friends. As Romy said, “A friend can sometimes see you better than you can see yourself.”
After five years, atmospheric pop trio The xx make a bold comeback.
Romy Madley Croft, Oliver Sim and Jamie Smith formed the introverted indie band, The xx, while still in high school in 2005. They went on to become famous for the intimate vocals of Romy and Oliver. Their debut album stood out in 2009 for its minimalism, bringing the shy group into the limelight. The band went on to release another album in 2012, refining the existing formula.
However, as the band members went separate ways after their tour for Coexist, they discovered the difficulties of staying with childhood friends as their almost two decade long friendships came under some strain. When Oliver came home from the tour he had to face off some difficulties with alcoholism. In an interview for Pitchfork Oliver admitted, “I was going out a lot with the excuse that I was celebrating – ‘celebrating’ – the past few years. Just fighting the idea of becoming an adult. Some friends had started to mellow a bit, and I didn’t want to.” Despite the fear of responsibility, Oliver managed to beat his drinking habits.
At the same time, Jamie pursued a DJ-ing career, releasing a solo album in 2015. Meanwhile, Romy went on a trip to L.A. to work with a few producers to better her song writing. In a interview for Fader, Oliver talked about the difficulty of being away from the band, “At moments I was quite distant and it took its toll. I realized I missed having a purpose, which is to write songs, but also I just missed being around these two. They’re my siblings. It was difficult – not having structure, not having purpose, and not having my friends.”
Recollecting on when the three friends reunited, Romy said, “At one point in time, I was like, ‘Oh, they’ve changed. It’s not the same.’ And I was very sad about that. Then I realized that actually, we haven’t changed. It’s just like it’s a relationship, and we just need to spend time together and warm up. Then the ice goes away, and it’s the same as it was when we were all 16.”
With the development of the band members’ personalities, it is fitting that with their new album their music has also developed. Right from the start, a new found confidence is apparent with a willingness to try mixing different genres. You would be forgiven for thinking you had put on the wrong record when the first track begins; the loud brass fanfare is unlike anything The xx have done before.
The music is filled with an energy that wasn’t present before. However, The xx are still very much recognizable. The album carries a lot of personal themes and the original intimate vocals are still there. “A Violent Noise” follows the themes of self - destructive habits; relating to the hardships that Oliver went through. “Brave For You” explores the themes of coping with the loss of parents, something that Romy had between this album and the last. “Replica” describes the struggle of breaking free from your past. Perhaps my favourite song, “Performance”, is less lively than the others but the beautiful ballad feels closest to the original The xx that this album gets. An acoustic guitar and strings complement Romy’s lyrics very well throughout.
It was said by the band that originally they had a rule everything they recorded had to be playable live, however with this new album they scrapped that and I believe the payoff is definitely worth it. Despite ditching the minimalism for new possibilities and more energetic music, they have still stayed true to their roots. After a long break the three high school friends have released another beautiful album. I believe the main theme of this album is the importance of taking the time to reflect, not just alone, but with friends. As Romy said, “A friend can sometimes see you better than you can see yourself.”
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