The XX - Crystalised

Soft soothing chords open and lull. Send one drifting… almost to sleep, and this is when the voices start. Incredibly soulful voices, considering The XX hail from south west London. The Elliot School, to be precise. Ring any bells? Well that’s cos among it’s alumni are equally talented artists Burial, Four Tet and Hot Chip. Secret performing arts school maybe?

‘Crystalised’ is a very apt debut single for the group. Coined as being an outfit as inspired by Rhianna as by the Pixies, The XX startle and please. Vocalists Romy Madley Croft and Oliver Sim to and fro in perfect dialogue. There voices complement one another in their sweetness. As well as singing, they respectively play lead guitar and base. Instruments which mark their sound so poignantly, to a backdrop of light keyboards and repetitive, slow beats.

This slowness contradicts; gives off an effect of weightlessness with a heavy tone. The depth the echoes reach, and the softness of the voices, breathless, make ‘Crystalised’ a true gem, which leaves us hanging, gasping for air and pining for more.