The xx - xx

The xx aren’t trying too hard, and that might be the most refreshing part of their eponymous debut. A batch of quiet, R&B-inspired songs that deal almost exclusively in heightening, resolving or reconciling sexual tension, xx sounds like the work of a band comfortable in its own shoes. Every detail—the wash of heavily reverbed guitars, the deftly conversational bass lines, the sparse percussion—is carefully employed toward creating sublimely understated pop music.

It’s difficult to say where xx came from. The band is committed to a sound in a way one wouldn’t expect on a debut. Not only that, but it’s an eclectic sound, combining Cure-style guitars with R&B templates. The xx previously recorded a hushed, ethereal version of Aaliyah’s “Hot Like Fire” that fits right in with xx and might be the best reference point for their inspiration. Their achievement is surprising, though, because there wasn’t a clumsier, less cohesive predecessor. Getting this album right the first time, given the disparate influences that characterize it, was no mean feat.

Vocalist Romy Madley Croft is perhaps the biggest revelation, a fantastic talent whose breathy delivery is xx’s most recognizable sound. But the chemistry between Croft and bassist and vocalist Oliver Sim lends a sense of sincere intimacy to lyrics that wouldn’t be nearly as powerful without it. The result is tracks like “Islands,” a pitch-perfect exhibit of vulnerability that never comes across as overwrought or feigned, and “Infinity,” a beautiful and subtle take on failed romance. The xx make some mistakes, including the excessively ambient “Fantasy,” but most of xx is pretty and inventive enough to make you forgive almost all of them.