Media darlings The xx have delivered their third album in 8 years to practically universal acclaim. Their second album to top the UK album charts at #1 not to mention debuting in the US at #2 in the Billboard 200, reviews from mainstream publications are giving this album an average score of 85 out of 100. But all that and and a bag of chips don’t mean a thing if it ain’t got that swing. The promise of dance floor friendly opening track Dangerous quickly dissipates into nine remaining tracks which, for the most part, amble along quietly in the most unassuming and uninspired fashion, varying very little in tempo and instrumentation which is sparse and flat at best. Sure the Annie Lennox/Tracey Thorn inspired vocals are pleasant enough and there’s some nice production work on the back up vocals, notably on tracks Say Something Loving & On Hold but that in itself is not enough to sustain any serious interest. Perhaps Public Enemy summed it up best when they declared “Don’t believe the hype”.
Rating: 4/10
