In this day and age, the music industry is all about “flashy.” Everything from the way artists dress to the music they make can’t just be simple. Everything has to stand out, everything has to be eye-catching and everything has to be head-turning (the good, the bad and the ugly). However, The xx (say it like “the ex-ex”) would beg to differ.
Indie pop band The xx has mastered the art of minimalism. When it hit the scene with its debut album _xx_ in 2009, The xx became known for the simplicity it captured both musically and lyrically. _xx_ was the perfect formula of bare-minimum guitar lines and haunting vocals to set the mood on a mellow, rainy Sunday afternoon. The album received huge critical acclaim and became a popular name in the indie pop genre. “Intro,” a track off of _xx_, was even sampled on one of the ever-so-popular Rihanna’s songs on her latest CD. Oh, and the album may or may not have gone platinum in the United Kingdom (hint hint, it did … it’s that good).
After releasing _xx_ and then taking a little more than two years off for touring, The xx went back into the studio and started the writing and recording process for its sophomore album, _Coexist_. In an interview with Rolling Stone, singer Romy Madley Croft talked about how the sound of the new album is “developed” but “doesn’t seem like completely a world away.”
And developed, it has. _Coexist_ is a beautiful continuation of where The xx left off with _xx_. _Coexist_ captures many of the same simplistic elements that _xx_ did, but on a whole new level. The xx greatly improved the production quality on _Coexist_, and overall, the album seems much deeper and more atmospheric. It’s clear that The xx explored and experimented more with _Coexist_ because of the larger range of instruments used: steel drums, timpanis and other live percussion instruments are found on the album as well as the use of different styles of drum machines. _Coexist_ branches out more than _xx_ and creates dynamics that are quite unexpected for such a minimalist album.
The xx is pretty well known for its emotionally-charged ballads with lyrics that drip with heartbreak and sentiment. Many of the songs on its debut album fit that description, and _Coexist_ does share many of those same themes. “Angels” and “Try” are two of the album’s strongest ballads; both songs evoke a deep emotional feeling from both the lyrics and the smooth, simple rhythms behind them. The minimalist style is truly showcased in those two songs and gives a pretty accurate representation of The xx’s overall sound.
“Reunion” is one of the more experimental songs on the album. This track incorporates the steel drums, an instrument many would not expect to find in The xx’s music. However, it’s different in a good way. The instrument provides an interesting break from what listeners would expect, and it compliments the song well. “Chained” and “Sunset” are two of the album’s more upbeat tracks with faster riffs and rhythms. These songs aren’t necessarily more dynamic than The xx’s slower songs but simply provide variety to the album. That’s the beauty of _Coexist_: The xx included the slow ballads its fans were used to, some faster tracks and the implementation of new instruments, whereas _xx_ was, for the most part, musically homogeneous.
To say The xx has gotten better over time would be an understatement. It’s awesome to watch an artist take something that it knows works and expound upon it, creating a new level of depth from what it started with. After releasing _xx_, it was obvious that sound worked for The xx. It would’ve been easy to simply recreate the same sound for its sophomore album, but thank goodness the band didn’t play it safe. The xx took what it did on _xx_ and made it better by adding new elements. And thus, _Coexist_ was created. The xx showed that simple music can still be dynamic … and when it comes to music, sometimes less is, in fact, more.