25 for 2009: Four
Album #4: XX by The XX
I’m prone to ignoring bands if they hype surrounding them becomes too much to take (this does mean I never wasted my time with some truly awful bands). Thankfully, I didn’t do this with The XX and their self-titled debut record. While I certainly approached XX with some skepticism, the first notes of the opening song won me over. This London (now) trio had me at hello. XX is an incredibly accomplished and confident record as the band says a lot with very little. The use of reverb and space is particularly effective. My favourite new band of 2009?
Download:
The XX – Basic Space
The XX – Do You Mind?
Song #4: Sea Within A Sea by The Horrors
While all eight minutes of Sea Within A Sea are pretty special, the final couple minutes when that synth line kicks in are absolutely spectacular. The perfect ending to an amazing record. Remember when this band was a total joke?
—> See the rest of the 25 for 2009 list here.
