Review

It’s a sophomore album that I almost hoped would never get made. The xx’s self-titled debut was a wholly original oddity, an intimate and deeply personal experience that still hasn’t aged a day. If the xx are known for any one thing, it would be their minimalism, and it seemed the two options for them going into this album were to dial up their sound or keep things safe and similar.

With “Coexist,” they inch deeper towards their minimal roots, trying to make an even bigger puzzle with fewer pieces. And it mostly works. As a whole, it feels tight, sleek and mysterious. Slowly dripping bass lines and drum machines used to a soft, echoing effect. Keyboards and pensive electric guitar melodies, often used in isolation. Romy Madley Croft and Oliver Sim again share vocals in what plays like an exchange of cautious bedroom whispers amidst a full moon backdrop. Lyrics still focus on singular feelings or moments, the sensation of love or loss or guilt revealed in chopped-up confessionals.

It’s hard to imagine this music any more stripped down, and I can’t help but hope that they begin tapping into other techniques for their next go-around. But “Coexist” stands alongside their debut as something dark, sensual and cool, a confirmation of the identity



About the Author

Paul Kitti
Paul Kitti
Paul is another awesome member of the iSPY team.