Headphone Highlights

The xx

Young Turks, XL Recordings, UK

The xx are four precocious youngsters from South West London (Baria, Jamie, Oliver and Romy), who provide the hushed minimal strokes of Young Marble Giants and early The Cure but through the minds of a young band obsessed with the R&B turns of Ciara and Aaliyah. In fact they have gone so far as to cover the latter's 'Hot Like Fire' as the b-side for their first single 'Crystalised', and were picked up after recording a sensational version of Womack and Womack's 'Teardrops'. Having signed to XL sub-label Young Turks earlier in the year, the band began to record with a host of the finest producers going, including Diplo and up-and-coming hotshot Kwes. The four eventually settled with the option of recording at XL's in-house studio, with 'xx' eventually produced by the band themselves and as far as we are concerned, they made a good call and a great album. Conversationalists they are not, but the eclectic selection that comprises their Headphone Highlights does all the talking, swinging as it does from pop to library music and all the way round to punk...