XX (Bonus Track Version)

iTunes Review

You might as well tack another X onto the title of the XX's buzz-building debut. After all, it's essentially makeout music for cool kids; steely quiet-storm soundscapes that redefine R&B for a generation that loves Aaliyah and the post-everything productions of Timbaland as much as freshly-pressed Hot Chip singles and faded Cure LPs. Since they're all barely 20, the four South Londoners in the XX are those kind of kids, yet their music speaks to all of us via torch-song tales of love and longing, as chased with smoke ring synths, billowing beats, skeletal basslines, and guitar riffs that ripple more than a pond that's been pounded by rocks. It's addictive stuff, to say the least — a simple but satisfying album that rewards repeat listens and makes for brilliant background music. Not too hard; not too soft … just the XX, doing their thing as the entire blogosphere looks on with baited breath and erratic pulse rates.