xx (Bonus Track Version)

Romy Madley Croft’s emaciated whisper was a voice that shook the indie rock world in 2009. Her fragile delivery gives the impression that she’s searching out her very last breath, plumbing the depths of her brokenhearted, desire-driven world while bandmate Oliver Sim answers in seemingly emotionless, measured utterances. The dynamic of the two singers is set against a backdrop of lonely, delicate guitar notes, warmly pulsing beats from Jamie Smith, and spare, stifled basslines; it's something one might expect from more seasoned players, not kids barely out of art school. The English group’s debut went on to win that country’s 2009 Mercury Music Prize and topped countless year-end lists both abroad and stateside. The xx exudes a sensual intimacy that almost invokes some level of guilty pleasure in the listening—it’s more like eavesdropping, but one party invited you, so it’s okay. Melding influences as disparate as late-night soul, gothy alt-rock (The Cure), and early British postpunk Cherry Red heroes like Young Marble Giants, the forces at work here are smart, reverent, and clearly devoted to making music that will last longer than the average first love.