#xx coexist

The new offering from the XX, entitled Coexist, is the follow up album to their self titled debut which received massive critical acclaim back in 2009. Continuing on in the same downbeat vein Romy Madley-Croft and Olly Sim have again delivered dulcet vocals in front of ethereal guitars and chilled bass heavy beats masterfully produced by the ever talented Jamie Smith.

Track by track the record plays out smoothly with no standouts and no obviously weak elements either. In typical XX fashion one song is almost indistinguishable from the next, which is one of the things most appealing about the band. This said, upon deeper listening the record holds hidden gems - beats missed and synths layered below the obviously audible guitar which can only be found with time. Through a little perseverance the record holds unseen delights, but don't expect to fully appreciate Jamie XX's production skills in a rush through your headphones on the tube.

Overall the record is a delight which will undoubtedly be overused in mid level TV dramas in any point of emotion for the next decade. The melancholy nature of the band is one of their most endearing features, and as was the case with XX back in 2009, this album fully deserves any acclaim which comes it's way. I strongly advise a good set of speakers, comfy chair and a free couple of hours to get to know this album as it should be. Enjoy.