Coexist - The xx

Coexist - The xx

This is the true meaning of real-time my friends. As we speak I am downloading and listening to The xx's latest album "Coexist". Words will fail to describe my excitement and please excuse the poor simile; but waiting for this album has been like REALLY NEEDING A WEE... every second felt like a minute, minutes felt hours, hours felt like days; the tension grew intense as the due date drew closer and closer and then finally, when I hit that Buy Album button, the relief was unreal. 

I have been a fan of The xx since they first came to light in 2010; I remember being in my last year of school, and my tutor had really good taste in music so he'd stick XFM on during registration and then Crystalised or Islands would come on and I 'd get so into it! Their debut self titled album was stuck on replay all throughout the summer and autumn of 2010 and I think the reason it had stuck so closely with  me since is because it was the soundtrack to my transition between School and College. I know looking back it wasn't a massive step in my life, but at the time it was a daunting and quite stressful experience, and it was good to have The xx's soothing and intricate sound to accompany me taking that step. I felt that their debut album was quite unlike anything I'd really heard before; I couldn't compare it to anything else. It was their unique, clean sounding music that drew my attention to them, and I found it fascinating to listen to, but also felt incredibly chilled out at the same time. So when I heard they had a new album coming out, I was so excited. Perfect timing too! This Autumn is my transition from College Student to University Student, which I'm sure we'll all agree is a much larger step!

The xx has a whole different dynamic that dominates the sound waves. It is simple; it is clean; the vocals aren't "Autotune Perfect" but I think their vocals are a great contrasting element to the music. Listening to Coexist, I notice that their intricate use of guitar and drum machine build up the texture of the music and create tracks that possess unique qualities, rather than all sounding like copies of each other. The opening track "Angels" is stripped bare compared to a lot of their other songs and it's the nude quality that let's the emotion take centre stage as the song's main feature. You can hear the desperate sound of love in Romy's vocals, making the song so uniquely perfect. And then "Chained" starts to play, kicking the tempo up a notch and increasing the texture with more base and drums. A rush of happiness takes over me as Oliver Sim's imperfectly smooth and deep vocals come in. The alternation of tempo happens throughout the album but very subtly, keeping the chilled out vibe still intact throughout. 

"Try" has an interesting intro, it's almost a bit clubby? Like I could imagine some big grimy beat dropping to the back of it, but in true xx fashion there is a simple arrangement that follows. The song sounds quite happy too, which (not being rude) is quite unlike The xx! The steel drums used in "Reunion" are an incredible touch, I do love a steel drum! Then after the first section the song turns into this chilled anthem, quite like something you'd hear on a Ministry of Sound Ibiza Chill compilation. The break down in "Sunset" sounds like something that, with the slightest remix, would be playing in Amnesia! This highlights one of the elements that I am loving most about this album; the different influences that have been introduced add a different quality to each and every song. I feel this was definitely important for The xx, because it must have been quite difficult to take a style that was already completely different and transform it into a neo-masterpiece (yes I did just create a word ;)) that's fresher and more exciting than before. 

I also have noticed that The xx are utilising their voices more as instruments, like in "Missing". I particularly like how in some songs (like "Tide") Oliver's vocals contribute to the "Basey" texture of the music.  The emotion of the songs come through so powerfully in both Romy and Oliver's performance's on the album, Particularly in songs like "Angels","Missing", "Unfold" and aptly named "Our Song" and this allows you to make a closer, more intense connection with the song. It's like they are singing your heart out. The connection between the two vocalists feels closer and more in sync than before, and their vocal talents appear to have improved since their debut album. 

Overall, the album is true to the classic xx style that was established in their first album but the inclusion of clubby undertones; the increased emotion; utilisation of vocals in every song and the influences drawn from other genres are all contributors in the showcasing of Jamie x's astounding production talents and Romy and Oliver's super smooth performances. I will say that the album feels quite short, being 37 minutes in length, but I suppose as always, quality beats quality. I seriously recommend Coexist, because it is a gem of an album that is packed with good quality new music, perfect for taking a break from the world.