The English indie pop band The xx has had a large influence on the music scene since their self-titled debut in 2009. Their newest creation, Coexist, hit stores on September 11, 2012 through Young Turks.
Characteristic of the three-person band, they have a lot of simple chords intertwined with a strong beat. The songs flow from one to the next without seeming jarring or all over the spectrum. Their meaning and purpose is consistent in each song and is carried out as a narrative of sorts.
The relationship-themed album is incredible; it is a hypnotizing combination of meaningful lyrics of a relationship’s progression combined with house music-inspired beats. The members, Romy Madley Croft, Oliver Sim, and Jamie Smith, made another fantastic contribution to the music industry, which deserves to be recognized as widely as their first album.
“Angels,” the first single on the album, is one of my favorites. The ballad is a love song to inspire confidence, something that is not lost on the lyrical enthusiast that I am. It speaks to the small things that make a relationship special and the wonder at why people are not as in love with him or her as the singer.
“Sunset” is a sad song about the end of a relationship, when people have drifted apart. The two people are nothing more to each other than friends and everything that happened between them has disappeared. The person feels abandoned and wishes that things went back to the way they were. It is much different than “Angels” in its content, but could easily apply to the same person.
“Unfold” deals with the aftermath of a relationship. The feelings for the person are still there, but one must convince oneself that it was a truly good and meaningful experience. It is about finding a way to cope with the loss of that person in your life.
The songs from this album are consistently stuck in my head and playing on a repeat cycle. I find myself connecting them to experiences I have. It was a good way of slowing down, listening and letting myself relax when I didn’t have much time during the first few full weeks of the school year.