The xx broke boundaries with their self-titled first album when they paired indie-acoustic style vocals with synthesized instrumentals to create an ambient noise that was as moody as it was touching.
Though their melodies were catchy and reminisced of other bands like Oh Wonder and London Grammar, the xx’s fairy tale vocals and viral popularity quickly set them apart from other indie bands.
And even though their music was largely connected with the underground indie culture — a genre that focuses on bands that are often unheard of and don’t prescribe to mainstream music labels — the xx aren’t considered so because of the popularity and instant success they faced with their first album. Their second album, Coexist, was also well-received and was seen as an extension of the first. The mood and concepts were similar and it pleased fans that were anxious the band would change their sound to fit the popularity of the moment. I See You, their third album that was announced in 2014, was anxiously awaited for three years, with critics and fans wondering if they were going to change up their sound this time or not. When it was released on Friday, Jan. 13, it proved to be both a critical success and an album worth the wait.
Though the band is known for their mellow tones and ambient noise, their new album has a number of songs with more upbeat melodies. Right off the bat, the first song, “Dangerous,” features loud trumpets, heavy bass beats and intense vocals — confidently confirming an artistic split from their previous two albums. The theme of the album is much more positive than their last two which was a main focus for the lead singer Jamie Smith. His solo album from 2015 presented songs with a happier countenance and entirely different concept than his previous music. Jamie expressed his intention to use the same kind of sound with the xx’s new album, and declared that the concept would be more similar to that of his own album rather than the band’s last two.
This concept Jamie was looking towards is supposedly “more outward looking, open, and expansive,” a theme which the I See You definitely embodies. Many of this album’s lyrics are pointing towards the excitement and positivity of a new path rather than melancholy and eerie reminiscence heard so clearly in their first and second albums.
The first single released for the album, “On Hold,” especially embodies this new positive and “open” noise that uses more treble and background singers than the xx is used to, and catchy lyrics that aren’t quite as introspective and dark as their usual ones.
Although I See You is a significant separation from the band’s previous music, it retains the ambient sound and cohesive theme they are known and loved for. Although the xx used to be seen as a dark indie band because of their romantic and melancholy lyrics paired with eerie fairy-tale beats, they have proved with I See You that they don’t fit into any single genre because of the album’s conceptual complexity and plethora of new sounds and moods.
The xx’s albums are also known for their “easy listening” style — a style in which songs begin to meld together because of the background ambiance. I See You is no exception, but it isn’t like the other albums. It starts off strong and loud, with a chaotic blend of instruments and powerful vocals, then mellows out to their signature white noise closer to the middle, and picks up the tempo again for the end, but in a different and happier way.
Even though the album’s tempo and energy increases throughout, the background music is still a distinct blend of soft vocals and synth beats. The concept, however, doesn’t come together until around the end because of the three different parts to it that characterize this album in particular. Once the end comes, it’s more obvious that the conceptual backdrop for the album revolves around moving on and up instead of looking back. Although the concept is different than usual, the album still retains the xx’s melting pot of sounds that piece the concept together throughout the album and meaningful lyrics that drive introspection and an otherworldly sense, which might just be enough for them to keep their fans and gain more with this conceptual and musical change.
Just as the xx is continuing to develop their sound and add new elements to their music, I See You isn’t a memory of things that have passed, but rather the forward sight into the unknown and what is to come.
