The return of post-punk slowness: debut of the hotly traded London quartet.
The xx's sound is as minimalist as their band name. Somewhere between Mazzy Star, The Cure and My Bloody Valentine, they style a sound that is as gloomy as it is crystal clear, the likes of which have not been heard in a long time. The London-based quartet around singer Romy Madley Croft and guitarist Oliver Sim loves darkness, 80s guitar riffs and American R&B. Sounds a bit crude, but it's one reason for The xx's unique sound, which the "NME" immediately proclaimed the in-sound for London. The breathy vocals, the almost stark guitars and sparse samples are reminiscent of the gloomy dream pop of the eighties and yet sound excitingly new. Clearly, "xx" is already a contender for the title "Debut of the Year 2009".