Jamie xx - Gosh

‘Gosh’ - the closing track from Jamie xx’s debut album - is built around one solid, simple melody, but that’s only half of the story. Instead of drip-feeding the focal point, dressing it up in fancy shades, or even hinting at its emergence, the producer gives most of the space to jagged electronics, lifted straight from South London’s stained pavements.

Half of ‘Gosh’ feels like an extension from last year’s ‘All Under One Roof Raving’, an ode to hardcore, and the UK’s ability to birth new movements at a constant rate. What differentiates the two songs, however, is the former’s piercing melody, the kind of hook you might otherwise find in The xx’s early work. Nothing fancy, the way it’s built from the ground up transforms it into something remarkable. Pinpointing exactly why Jamie xx stands out in a crowd isn’t always obvious, but there are few producers who mix such directly opposing forces with this kind of ease.