Dienstag, 1. Sep 2009, 15:32

Track: Infinity
Artist: The xx
Album: xx (Aug 09)
Tags: minimal, post-punk, new wave, soul, indie, dream pop, my gang rotw
Video: Click the pic…

http://i3.ytimg.com/vi/FJeOxQuPiwg/default.jpg YouTube, audio upload

The xx create pared back, skeletally minimal perfect pop songs aching to be covered by powerpop bands such as Girls Aloud, Sugababes or Scissor Sisters. There's an album in the making. Mind you, if they did, would we enjoy the songs as much as we do now?

My pick this week, Infinity, draws from Chris Isaak's Wicked Game and Jimmy Somerville's Smalltown Boy, for those tearing their hair out trying to remember.

I like 'Infinity' especially for its humour. It's a little bit tongue-in-cheek. He wants her to give in. She's not falling for it. He's coaxing. She's refusing. The whole song is a to-ing and fro-ing between the pair of them which leaves you wondering: did she or didn't she?

http://userserve-ak.last.fm/serve/500/32862809/The+xx.jpg

The track is typical of the rest of the album. Whilst the sound is dark, it wouldn't be right to tag them 'melancholic'. There's no sadness here. It's dark as in nighttime, intimacy, romance. It's dark as in whispers and stolen kisses.

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31jiNZYC%2BhL._SL160_AA115_.jpg

The music is Cocteau Twins ethereal, elegant and sophisticated; the lyrics subtle and clever, all the more seductive for the just-there European accents of lead vocalists Romy Madley Croft and Oliver Sim. The tempo throughout the album is languid and lazy; all torpor and fatigue; think Mazzy Star. There are no offensive bangs or crashes, nothing to jangle one's nerves. It's smooth without going anywhere near high street generic smooth jazz and its done with a sensibility borrowed from The Cure. In short, it's an exceptional debut and another unusual, original album to be released in this bumper year.

You get an idea of how powerful their songs would be in a 'normal' format when you hear their cover versions. Their take on Womack & Womack's Teardrops is a triumph and one I prefer to the original. Hot Like Fire was Aaliyah's favourite song and The xx have done her proud. In interview, Romy said, "With a cover you should take the essence of it and completely change the music side of it."

Like Soap&Skin, who I wrote about a couple of weeks ago, The xx have yet to reach the age of 20 and like Soap&Skin, their music belies their youth.

Babs My Gang

Reco of the Week archives

http://userserve-ak.last.fm/serve/500/34213739/The+xx+xx.jpg

Admin - Stats as of today:

Last.fm listeners of this track - 8,477
No. of plays scrobbled in Last.fm - 29,322
Position in Last 7 Days: 9 / 5,723
Position in Last 6 Months: 17 / 263

Video
Date Added: August 20, 2009
Views: 1,930, Ratings: 7, Comments: 4, Favourited: 16 times

Stats after 7 days:

Last.fm listeners of this track - 15,343
No. of plays scrobbled in Last.fm - 57,710
Position in Last 7 Days: 9 / 8,776
Position in Last 6 Months: 17 / 263

Video
Views: 4,480, Ratings: 15, Comments: 11, Favourited: 43 times

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