The XX: I See You ALBUM REVIEW

The XX are a U.K. rock trio that have been putting out music since 2009. While I haven't been the biggest fan of theirs in the past, especially on their debut LP, which I found to be simply too sparse and empty sounding, I always look forward to hearing what the group will do next, because maybe they'll impress me. Unfortunately, while I can't say that their latest LP I See You has won me over in any major way, I will still concede to this being the trio's most enjoyable effort to date. In fact, aside from a sort of humdrum middle section and in my opinion, completely flat closing track, I See You is a very enjoyable release with nice grooves and the occasional bright hook.

The album starts promising with the track "Dangerous" which has a good beat and bassline, and even the vocals, usually whisper quite and strained, feel a lot more confident on this track. And this track is a perfect example of this album at its very best, when the music is lively and the vocal performances venture outside of the usual moody theatrics. This happens again on tracks like "On Hold" and "I Dare You" two other tracks that I feel are really solid, especially "On Hold" with its prominent Hall & Oates sample. I also really loved the track "Replica" which may be my favorite track on the entire LP. Not only does this track have a great melody and hook, but it is strengthened by the fact it comes after a stream of tracks that I can only describe as drab.

Now keep in mind, the track-list from "Say Something Loving" to "Performance" are actually closer to what The XX usually sound like, which means that my opinion on these tracks is pretty biased, considering I've never liked this sound from the band, but it is unfortunate that the group still managed to cram a bunch of these kinds of songs on to an album that is otherwise a nice change of pace. This is especially true on "Say Something Loving" which almost made me stop listening to the record altogether on my first listen, just because I couldn't find anything to attach my interest to.

However, the crown jewel of songs I didn't enjoy is the closer "Test Me" which I can only describe as a minute and a half of the same old same old, followed by wispy forgettable instrumental filler, before ultimately fading out into nothing... three of my musical pet peeves crammed into one song.

Still, despite my complaints, I still found some enjoyment out of this album, and I feel like XX fans will really love this album. New listeners, start here.

6.5/10