What’s been playing on my stereo all week? That would be the smooth as introspective silk sounds of UK four piece The xx. It’s all punchy and plucky guitar flecks on the bottom, floated by the moody dual male and female vocal stylings of Oliver Sim and Romy Madley Croft.
Sim’s voice in particular is so wistful and wisened, it’s hard to believe these guys are just kids. The album was recorded when the four band members were barely out of their teens. In fact, the dripping like melted butter ease in which Sim effortlessly articulates his words is getting me all too hot under the collar, making me feel a tad cougar like. And I’m not even that old!
Titled xx, this debut is simple and sparse but accomplished and well formed, in this really lovely, pulsating, non-precocious way. It’s not whiney or wasteful and every note is so confident and infused with an overwhelming sense of sophistication that I’m finding myself really quite, ahem, bedazzled.
I mini-mixed a track from these guys last week in my Laneway 2010 tribute and after many, many spins of their mysteriously romantic album in full between then and now, I am more than ready to be even more awestruck when I catch them in the flesh next year.
With lines like “Maybe I had said something that was wrong. Can I make it better with the lights turned on?”, Shelter is proving to be my fave track of the 11 on offer. As a girl who uses ten words when she could use just one, I’m more than a bit jealous of their melodic succinctness.
So these guys are called The xx, as in ‘ex ex’, but since I like to sign off with an x for a kiss, this week’s mini-mix features three of my favourite songs about lip-smacking. Mwah x
Your Kisses Are Wasted On Me – The Pipettes
Listen to this song if some poor love interest is starting to break your heart. It’s The Pipettes! They wear polka dots! They can’t help but illicit a smile, even if only a small one.
[youtube YUgigy4rlzc]
The Best Treasure Stays Buried – Zoey Van Goey
With that we got it. We’re undefeated. Give me a long kiss. Like you mean it. Best song I’ve heard all year, hands down. Lips ready.
[youtube P253XDmPLWE]
Kissing The Lipless – The Shins
If you think about it literally, this is actually a wee bit gross. No lips? Ew. But I get it, all too well sometimes. Hope you’ve all got someone to kiss this week!
[youtube vgzxheGWmOs]
