try listening to it in a car at night. i think you might recant your opinion if you give it a more careful listen. 'sounds fashionable'? dude, i do not agree.
I get you I understand you view on it but damn its crazy how better of a reviewer you are these days haha well i guess thats why you've gotten more views
I guess it is also a geographic/cultural thing which some don't identify with much like the variants of humour over geographic boundaries or how someone could read a book and not get a single trace of the nuances that "make" the book.
I completely understand where you're coming from, but I hear it differently. I don't listen to their music to become excited, I listen to it for the overall sound and it's rich, realistic, dim feeling.
yes if your buzzing on ecstacy this might not be 'fun' and 'exiting' enough but it is a fantastic piece of music and the album as a whole is just so well put together
listening to the record now since my girlfriend loves it after discarding it a couple years back for the reasons you state, and i couldn't agree more. it lacks any kind of emotion for the most part and as a result comes off as sterile. sorry sarah, this one's not for me
I respect the fact that you dislike the song, however I think you've made your views on this a bit too objective. Going into this, you already had a preconceived notion that for music to be good, it must have a drop or crescendo or something that's more "enthusiastic". I listen to a wide variety of music and I love The XX for their musicality, and the melancholy they bring to their music. To have this erupt or "scream" like you said would ruin their music.
@DJIGGZ92 I listen to them when I want some down time, and when I don't want cheerful, over the top music. I can relate to their music and really enjoy it when I'm in the mood for it. I just think your ideals on music were never going to give them a chance anyway, and to say that this is "fashionable" is really quite naive of you. Music is subjective, and the fact you don't enjoy this music is completely cool, but calling the music some pseudo-artistic fad says more about you than their sound.
Lets face it. The xx is an overrated indie band. I mean I like their work but its just good-tier. If The xx puts out a god-tier album I'll buy it on vinyl. I respect Anthony's views but I'd give this track a 6/10 and 6,5/10 for the album.
Passion is nowhere near. I do not need screaming or loud guitars to ahve passion, no, this is just gerenic. Fashionable? Yes. As much as I like indie, is it not fashionable to have quiet vocals set to deep smart lyrics, which here sound like a bad attempt at Radiohead?
But my biggest gripe with the album is that it NEVER leaves its comfort zone. Every track is JUST LIKE the last one, except a little bit of shoegaze in the middle.
Main problem with Crystalised is that it isn't catchy enough. But if your wondering why they may sound apathetic to you, it's because of their minimalist style.
Although I believe the band are overrated following their Mercury Prize, I thought this track was a stand-out on the album and a very very emotive song with gorgeous instrumentation.
This is the first video I've seen where I've completely disagreed with Anthony. I sort of understand his opinion, but I'm surprised that he didn't hear what I heard in the track.
maybe it's an american thing but i'm sure you've missed something in the xx's music. If you haven't listened to their album you should, because i've never heard anything as intimate in my whole life, up there with my favourite albums of the decade, and until watching this i've never heard a bad word about them. Their sound is unique, instantly accessible yet also grows stronger with every listen, and now in 2011, their influence is dominant in British pop music
theres nothing particularly bad about this group, but theres nothing special about them either. although they arent particularly innovative they do produce an accessible post punk sound that many newcomers to the genre can appreciate. but a 3? that song got 10 million views, something many post punk and shoegazing groups wish they could achieve. so clearly they did something right. as for the album, take another listen to "intro" and "infinity". they seem to give some life to the album. but a 3?
I cannot find anything I like about The XX personally either, just a lot of boring singing that it sounds like they cannot actually be bothered themselves. I like ambient music but this is just too uneventful, I seriously cannot understand how these have got so much praise, I love the way that the main fanbase for this band are just people who always watch music channels haha.
I disagree with you on this one. I thought it had a very nice gloomy atmosphere more than just an apathetic feel. But I can understand how you could feel the way you do about it. It took me a while to really "get" it. But once you do it's really excellent.
I understand exactly what you're saying, Anthony, but I do like this track and most of this album. However, I strongly believe Foals with Total Life Forever should have won the Mercury Prize.
never really got into the album. I mean, when I first heard it I thought I liked it because I heard so much praise about it, but when I tried to play it over again I couldn't really get into it. Is Islands good? ehhh Is Crystalized good? ehhh. Is VCR good? maybe. I can say that it is just as clean as that perfectly square X on the cover (production wise and use of space sonically)
Think about them in context of something along the lines of "Joy Division"...or maybe as the embodiment T.S. Eliot's idea of "modern society" (wow, that reference is a bit pretentious)...empty, hollow, without substance, bleak.
i totally agree. its as if liking the xx immediately makes you unique and lo-fi and appreciative of bands that dont have alot of songwriting talent or musicality. call it genius but it just sounds empty and dull and dry to me. its just so blatantly uninteresting
i don´t like the xx, i love them. In a way he´s right. Everybody has an opinion in this world. The first time that i heared the xx, with crystalised, i didn´t really like them, but then i heared the song island, and i was fashionate. Some things needs time, people think that the ocean is boring? the xx is the same as the ocean
Yeah you called it, you made enemies. I'm going to be honest your an ignorant American. I mean what pretentious, bogan tattoo sleeve sporting ass hole can't get past the beauty of the XX. You're reviews on bands such as Arcade Fire and Vampire Weekend are ignorant, THEY are far far more "fashionable" than the XX and make the same sound as every other Indie band. The worlds music scene is conforming to this ideal of "indie bands" just as you are. The XX (in my opinion) have broken that.
@Clithero So, if I don't like The xx and yet enjoy Arcade Fire and Vampire Weekend, does that make me an ignorant American? Should I pretend to like them, just to feel important? Or, should I go with my honest opinion, and respect others whose opinions differ from mine?
@Movielover87 Are you American? Or ignorant? If the answers no to both then obviously not. I like Arcade Fire and Vampire Weekend probably just as much as you and this douche bag, but for this guy to slander off the XX as "fashionable" is a huge contradiction. And no, obviously fuck peoples opinions who differ from yours. But as of yet I don't know YOUR opinion
@Clithero i wouldnt even compare this band to arcade fire. Win Butler's voice is the epitome of passion, whereas the xx singer sounds like he isnt even enjoying singing his own songs. And xx sucked really bad live at lollapalooza this year while arcade fire was incredible. very telling of the difference in talent of the two bands.
i just wanna say that i think the point of the song was to create simplicity and a tantalizing tune that encompasses the listener, or at least thats what happened to me, thought they are great and i loved the song, my only gripe is the drum machine
I totally agree with you, anthony, the XX suffer from some form of musical narcolepsy, where all there music seems yawned out, which stands in contrast with a band like Grizzly Bear, a band that is at the same tempo or in some case slower, but has enough musical ideas to warrant moving at that pace. this song just gives off the feeling of shopping at the Gap, its fits into that niche of sounds to hear while wasting your money
I love how everybody seems to love attacking you when you dislike an album they like. It's as if having an opinion is a terrible thing, and that everybody should just think the same way (imagine how boring that would be). But, I completely agree with you on The xx. One of the most overrated bands to come out in the past couple years.
Reviews are supposed to save time by telling you what to bother with and what not to. I could have listened to the song 3 times and decided for myself in the time its taken you to ramble on about it.
the cover? its black and white much like, it seems, your worldview. passion, drive? i like those-as well as subtlety and understatement.
there is a time for everything-the xx, even animal collective, even the most inane tripe to which one may take a fleeting shine(i will always love weird al's recordings). making and listening to music isnt about winning or raising the bar with every album. thats what the "industry" does and its committing a cultural holocaust while you tag along for the ride.
Don't defend it as art. It's not. Its visual analogue would be a safety notice on a toilet door - "Now wash your hands". It's bland shite for people who don't want to be challenged or excited by music - who treat music as an audio commodity - where they can buy the poster, impress their trendy friends and pretend they've discovered something edgy and new. Coldplay for hipsters.
I'm glad someone else just doesn't get what everyone loves about this band. I spend the entire song waiting for the song to get going and then it's over.
Dreadfully dreary band. Music made by and for people with no imagination. Music for people who don't so much like music as like the idea of it. Backward looking and insincere. Happily for The XX most folks fit this category.
Completely disagree with this review. Usually, I find your reviews to be pretty on-point but I think you're completely off with this one. This is an excellent track off of their incredible album. Give the entire album a couple listens and do a review of it.
I agree fully with this review. Some of my friends are fans of this album, and I just don't get it at all. Their sound reminds me of a room temperature vanilla milkshake.
It's funny cos when I first heard the XX I kind of found them boring and I kept coming back to it and now I can't stop listening to it ... I find it really beautiful and melancholic
Couldn't disagree more. The passion is there. To me, it feels like it could explode at any moment. But it doesn't. The passion is bridled. It's pent up. You want them to just start screaming, but it never happens - not because (as you think) the passion is lacking, but because they refuse to gratify the audience's needs.
It is cool, but while you see them as trying to be cool, I see them as something smouldering hot, but with the lid kept on at all times.
@holyfrog Just because a band doesn't gratify the audience's needs, doesn't mean that their cool or even making interesting music for that matter. I could record myself taking a shit because it's not what the audience wants, but that doesn't necessarily mean it will sound cool or appealing in anyway. Not trying to compare shit to this track but just using it to justify my point.
@IWantSky I'm afraid you've missed the point. I do not say that the lack of gratification makes the song cool or interesting. You have taken a very small part of my comment and treated it as though that is the basis of my opinion.To me, what makes the song cool and interesting is the (bridled) passion, voices and rawness. Your shit analogy is just that: a shit analogy.
@holyfrog Why is my analogy shit? Sure, maybe you're right, I did exploit a very small part of your comment, but you don't seem to have much a of defense for why my opinion being wrong.
And why the hell is the lack of passion interesting? That's exactly what makes music interesting! Listening to a bunch of hipsters play boring music with no soul is no fun. People should want to hear musicians with excitement and emotion. This is one of the reasons why the music industry is turning to shit.
I guess it's just not your kind of song. Not every song is supposed to be "dangerous" or "exciting". I think it's the way you see it. I think it's full of emotion. Sorry, you're missin out 'cause this song is brilliant!
also, I wasn't aware of this whole 'trendy' portion of the xx that their fans seem to epitomize before I started listening to the xx. One of my friends, a huge music nerd like me, said that the reason she was so turned off by the xx at first was because the person who referred the band to her was a "trendy douche bag".
The album means so much more to me because I didn't have any of that messy 'scene' stuff to deal with in my mind as I went through my first few listens.
Being a pretty big fan of the xx since I first started listening, I should note that a part of what i think makes them so great is that their music has this sort of 'apathetic', 'middle-class suburbanite' feel.
If I was asked to describe the album visually, it would be something along the lines of 'lying on the couch staring at television snow at 3 in the morning', sort of this intimate, contemplative stuff with a slight hint of apathy.
If I remember correctly, I didn't find The xx interesting at first listen.
This was the first song I heard. A few of there songs sat in my iTunes for a couple months. I decided to take the "hang it in the bathroom, I'll learn to like it" approach
About four weeks ago I decided to give them another listen before deleting them.
Something was different about them the second time. I fell in love with them. Give them another chance, listen to more than one song. And listen with a neutral mind.
not all music has to have an "energic drive" behind it, along with the minimalist instrumentation, the "bleak" atmosphere that it creates they made their vocal intonation to match that, sadness, hopelessness, this is pop drone my man :D, that's how i call it anyways
I see where your coming from, personally, I don't like this particular single. Their album, however, is amazing. I think you may be missing the point with this band, their music is dreamy, sleepy pop. There's not much energy in it as that would ruin the relaxing feel of it. Listen to 'Heart Skipped a Beat', 'Night Time' and 'Shelter' to really get what their on about. I think you should review their album!
they're not boring, they're just playing slower songs than others. i don't think that this makes their music boring. i think their whole album is awesome. they grabbed me and i love them.
Anthony your wastin your time man. Its nice to hear your opinion with all 248 videos but really? If you wanna talk about extremely bleak entertainment, watch yourself. And learn somethin about music.
After reading this comment page i can only conclude that most fans of The XX suck. Why can't you let a band you like take criticism? Why are you guys taking this so personally? It's an opinion which is backed up with valid arguments. Most you people have done nothing but beef Anthony. Why not tell us why the xx don't suck?
God... How can you say it is boring and they have no passion? It is just that apathy, that sober kind of music, if you know what I mean.THAT is just what we love about the XX!!!! I think you didn't get that.
"BackPorchPoet4" is completely right. Fuck you and your narrow minded opinion. The XX put on an incredible live show and there album was amazing. If you dont like the song, thats fine, but dont go on about how you think they're "fashionable" go eat a dick. Some people can connect with it, and just because you don't, doesn't give you the right to say they arent a good band. Go do something useful with your time and stop trying to get famous off of youtube prick.
And that's why The XX are so inspiring for me. This music does not apply any kind of preasure on you. This is the space. For me this space in is something incredibly beautiful and truly fascinating. It makes me analyse this simple black line again and again.
You may actually say it's boring. In fact I like your metaphor of white papar and one simple line drawn on it. I do believe it's true. Actually nowadays so many artists is willing to shock you or impress you: I mean for instance L.Gaga forcing people to watch her pussy. I have an impression that being so very weird and colourful is a must.
I do understand the point of view of people who claim that The XX's staff is boring. Indeed, it's just not that kind of "catchy music" which makes you dance, sing, jump and so on.
I'd say that this music is SPACIOUS. For me it's the word which describes this staff perfectly.
The simplicity of music, lyrics and their image leaves you space for your own thoughts and feelings, your own interpretations. It just brings calm.
the xx music is not the taste of anyone, but i think that it's really fucked up to talk so much stupid shit about them. just because you hear one track and the see pic of their lp. i think you should buy yourself a brain and get a life, dickhead.
Hah. Glad we can agree. Although, every time I get a hater comment about this review, it makes me wanna go back and find out if I'm missing something. :-p
Our species needs and uses music in myriad ways. it inspires and stimulates, comforts and commiserates, etc.
Ever dig something you didn't like before or "outgrow" something you once liked? It happens-over weeks, months, even years. You might find that je ne sais quoi you overlooked or it may elude you to death.
I kinda feel like you didn't listen. Yes they're a pretty new band, but if you 'really' listen and watch they radiate the type of suddle passion that can drive you mad. Close your eyes next time & really feel the music. You might get more out of it. If you don't like them that's your right. But if you can't open yourself up to feel the raw emotion they put across there may be more than reviews you need to worry about. Making subdued sound good is a hell of a lot harder than it seems.
Huuuh they are still a young band don't be too mean with them !
I think we can found the passion in their lyrics even if the atmospher is melancholic and the riffs simple it's a sweet atmosphere to me.Now there are not my favorite band one the earth but i still like them.Arf i wish i had more confidance in my opinons to defend them more.Your blogtv is a great school ah ah.
I don't understand how Mr. Fantano is a corporate sellout for delivering an anti-corporate message. Also, everyone is entitled to display opinions about music. Mr. Fantano actually deserves it more than anyone. He's so eloquent. I could not do this in one take. I love The xx, but I totally understand where this guy is coming from and I respect his opinion. The xx can be frustratingly sparse.
This comment has received too many negative votesshow
i just stumbled across your review and clearly you know nothing about music. it's amazing how nowadays everyone who has internet and a youtube account feels like they have the right to opinate and to talk about stuff they do not dominate at all. i'm shocked by the hipocrisy of your review, saying the xx are "fashionable" when obviously you're the one who is following a "fashion". either by talking shit on the internet or just by well... just look at yourself. you're a sell-out corporate whore.
for a change i really disagree with you. i think this was among the best albums of 09, if not the best. i think the dynamic between the two vocals gives a very nice listen, and i really can't think of any other album that has this kind of thing going on between two people singing, though i guess that says a lot more about a lack of it in general rather than equaling with quality....at least it made for a really refreshing listen i think.
the passion is very evident, i don't know how you couldn't pick it up. when ever i hear this song, i go some where else, the atmosphere they create is the passion.
passion doesn't always have to be painted brightly my friend
and comparing them to a blank canvas is a little harsh
oh my god i love you for this even more than i did before. i felt so alone thinking these guys are nothing to be talked about! i felt like i dont understand the world anymore. and youre right! theres music much more calm and quiet that communicates so much more emotions... this stuff doesnt move... it cant decide or waht ever...
Wowsa........horrible review!
ron7beck23 1 week ago in playlist Uploaded videos
man, the song is so beutiful, imho
AndreWakaMel 1 month ago
the xx are terrible.
helloitsandrew 1 month ago
@helloitsandrew coming from the guy who did a 2 min rant on the cover of the album and rated arctic monkeys latest album , you know fuck all ginger.
chanceie12 1 month ago 5
ive been going back and forth to the new and old vids. gotta say, you seem more energized in the old vids. i like them more. just saying
gsboss 2 months ago 2
... And don't call it rock
cambodia95 2 months ago
Seriously, the xx are not boring.
cambodia95 2 months ago
try listening to it in a car at night. i think you might recant your opinion if you give it a more careful listen. 'sounds fashionable'? dude, i do not agree.
pinkybill2003 2 months ago 4
@pinkybill2003 well said , when you are on a long drive at night perfect time to listen.
chanceie12 2 months ago
Minimanihilism
retrospectroverted 3 months ago
All I've got to say is: BITCH PLEASE.
evmercury 3 months ago
at first when i listened to it, i didnt like it either. but i listened to them more and more, sort of got into it i guess.
buffalopooop 3 months ago
they're actually my favourite band, to me, their music is just atmospheric. It MAY come across bland, it's just not for everyone right?
buffalopooop 3 months ago
I get you I understand you view on it but damn its crazy how better of a reviewer you are these days haha well i guess thats why you've gotten more views
NiteRaveCO 4 months ago 2
Lol this is theyre worse song , try listening to islands , heart skipped a beat , stars .. dont judge a band on one song .
chanceie12 5 months ago 10
I completely agree, bland band, bland album.
LeeFightsDragons 5 months ago 3
love the band but this isnt one of my favs sons tho
chrlskrkl 5 months ago
Yeah because they're bad yeah because the won the MERCURY PRIZE. -.-
connorbrowne 6 months ago
I guess it is also a geographic/cultural thing which some don't identify with much like the variants of humour over geographic boundaries or how someone could read a book and not get a single trace of the nuances that "make" the book.
TheLionTalk 6 months ago
Bro, every single music critic adores the xx! THEY FRIGGN WON A MERCURY PRIZE FOR THEIR ALBUL DUMBASS!!!
theshizzer05 6 months ago
Holy shit the album does live up to the hype and acclaim. I love the xx and I'm surprised to see Anthony didn't like the song.
PsychoNinjaFreak 7 months ago
I completely understand where you're coming from, but I hear it differently. I don't listen to their music to become excited, I listen to it for the overall sound and it's rich, realistic, dim feeling.
2010rollwithit 7 months ago
Its an opinion guys calm down.
iShanus 7 months ago 10
do a track review on mille - crysteena, i know it's old but i would like to hear your take on house music
grunntalll 7 months ago
I like 2 tracks by them other than that. Fuck it.
TheQwerty92x 7 months ago
yes if your buzzing on ecstacy this might not be 'fun' and 'exiting' enough but it is a fantastic piece of music and the album as a whole is just so well put together
StokeCityFC44 7 months ago
listening to the record now since my girlfriend loves it after discarding it a couple years back for the reasons you state, and i couldn't agree more. it lacks any kind of emotion for the most part and as a result comes off as sterile. sorry sarah, this one's not for me
daddyfatsaxohten 8 months ago
i couldn t agree with u more.
that song is fricken boring
thedude9099 8 months ago
I respect the fact that you dislike the song, however I think you've made your views on this a bit too objective. Going into this, you already had a preconceived notion that for music to be good, it must have a drop or crescendo or something that's more "enthusiastic". I listen to a wide variety of music and I love The XX for their musicality, and the melancholy they bring to their music. To have this erupt or "scream" like you said would ruin their music.
DJIGGZ92 8 months ago 2
@DJIGGZ92 I listen to them when I want some down time, and when I don't want cheerful, over the top music. I can relate to their music and really enjoy it when I'm in the mood for it. I just think your ideals on music were never going to give them a chance anyway, and to say that this is "fashionable" is really quite naive of you. Music is subjective, and the fact you don't enjoy this music is completely cool, but calling the music some pseudo-artistic fad says more about you than their sound.
DJIGGZ92 8 months ago
Lets face it. The xx is an overrated indie band. I mean I like their work but its just good-tier. If The xx puts out a god-tier album I'll buy it on vinyl. I respect Anthony's views but I'd give this track a 6/10 and 6,5/10 for the album.
fishnet4media 9 months ago 2
Referencing posts by "holyfrog" and "kiddR0B0tt".
Passion is nowhere near. I do not need screaming or loud guitars to ahve passion, no, this is just gerenic. Fashionable? Yes. As much as I like indie, is it not fashionable to have quiet vocals set to deep smart lyrics, which here sound like a bad attempt at Radiohead?
But my biggest gripe with the album is that it NEVER leaves its comfort zone. Every track is JUST LIKE the last one, except a little bit of shoegaze in the middle.
MoonchildMindaugas2 9 months ago
Have you not heard 'Fantasy'?
TheCausation 9 months ago
I really think you got them wrong before you even heard them haha, "A rock group" is not really what they are at all...
IceB59 9 months ago
The LP cover somewhat resembles Costello's This Year's model, doesn't it?
MoonchildMindaugas2 9 months ago
There seems to be quite a few closed minded people here.. and I bet they think that they're really open minded.
You can't tell someone that their opinion is 'shit'. He gave reasons for not liking the track and that's fair enough. You need to chillll!!
twp1692 9 months ago
*troll face*
PwnUser815 10 months ago
Main problem with Crystalised is that it isn't catchy enough. But if your wondering why they may sound apathetic to you, it's because of their minimalist style.
Hockyluv21 10 months ago
Your review is shit. Crystalised would grow on you.
cherrypielovers 10 months ago
Although I believe the band are overrated following their Mercury Prize, I thought this track was a stand-out on the album and a very very emotive song with gorgeous instrumentation.
dgmcl3284 11 months ago
I agree
TehChiken 11 months ago
What an awful review.
sophiesayswhut 11 months ago
This is the first video I've seen where I've completely disagreed with Anthony. I sort of understand his opinion, but I'm surprised that he didn't hear what I heard in the track.
PrivateBuckwheat 11 months ago
nihilist apathy
LfunkeyA 11 months ago
I was with you 'till this shit breh.
loverofts 11 months ago
the only song I enjoyed was the" wicked game" ripoff infinity.
gonzido2 1 year ago
The xx are soooo overrated. Can everyone just crawl out of their collective ass now?
XVonGrimmX 1 year ago
they aren't very challenging. The music is bland as possible. Even for dreamy music, there is better.
benjaminkinkaidiris 1 year ago
I still think this band is over-rated. Very decent, but over-rated.
Even by Pitchfork. Such a shame!
galactyk 1 year ago
ehh it is really boring.
benjaminkinkaidiris 1 year ago
i like how damon sang it
VegetableHero 1 year ago
i usually agree with your reviews but i couldnt disagree more on this one. their whole album is fucking good. one of my favorite bands
Naytinfinity 1 year ago
I. love. the. xx.
L0veepanicc 1 year ago
I like the xx
But there not THAT great.
This album just kinda.. feels too empty to minimal.
DoctorWha 1 year ago
maybe it's an american thing but i'm sure you've missed something in the xx's music. If you haven't listened to their album you should, because i've never heard anything as intimate in my whole life, up there with my favourite albums of the decade, and until watching this i've never heard a bad word about them. Their sound is unique, instantly accessible yet also grows stronger with every listen, and now in 2011, their influence is dominant in British pop music
MikeMcCub 1 year ago 2
@MikeMcCub did you seriously just say maybe it's an "american thing" lol how ignorant
bubblepopelictric 1 year ago
I actually find myself really in love with these guys. Cant fault you for you opinion though, music is almost completely subjective
bubbaisfat7 1 year ago
"Is this minimalism or nihilism?" Hilarious.
Both.
PorroFirst 1 year ago
theres nothing particularly bad about this group, but theres nothing special about them either. although they arent particularly innovative they do produce an accessible post punk sound that many newcomers to the genre can appreciate. but a 3? that song got 10 million views, something many post punk and shoegazing groups wish they could achieve. so clearly they did something right. as for the album, take another listen to "intro" and "infinity". they seem to give some life to the album. but a 3?
FlyyPanAm 1 year ago
that was a hilarious ending what you said.
another thing i find funny is how ANGRY people get because someone doesn't like a band they like. chill people. it's ALL subjective.
jfitz1431 1 year ago
i agree with you anthony. Their whole album is SOOOOO F***** safe that its insane.
jakenumbah1 1 year ago
You should, like, review the album.
TheSchimmi 1 year ago
the style of the song, as simple as it is, is cool.
i like the style
anoniemsecret 1 year ago 4
I cannot find anything I like about The XX personally either, just a lot of boring singing that it sounds like they cannot actually be bothered themselves. I like ambient music but this is just too uneventful, I seriously cannot understand how these have got so much praise, I love the way that the main fanbase for this band are just people who always watch music channels haha.
23lFrench 1 year ago
I totally agree with you. I didn't understand either why they became that famous. Now I know I'm not the only one.
raythe8th 1 year ago
I disagree with you on this one. I thought it had a very nice gloomy atmosphere more than just an apathetic feel. But I can understand how you could feel the way you do about it. It took me a while to really "get" it. But once you do it's really excellent.
JeremyxFisher 1 year ago
@JeremyxFisher completely agree
buffalopooop 3 months ago
anbsolutely agree with you
xx sucks
father042 1 year ago
I understand exactly what you're saying, Anthony, but I do like this track and most of this album. However, I strongly believe Foals with Total Life Forever should have won the Mercury Prize.
BigKahunaShake 1 year ago
"Fashionable?" This review was really bad, not because you disliked the artist, but because your criticism of the music just wasn't there.
kiddR0B0tt 1 year ago 27
It's funny because all the other songs are more boring. (Except for Basic Space I still love that song)
VanillaExtractz 1 year ago
never really got into the album. I mean, when I first heard it I thought I liked it because I heard so much praise about it, but when I tried to play it over again I couldn't really get into it. Is Islands good? ehhh Is Crystalized good? ehhh. Is VCR good? maybe. I can say that it is just as clean as that perfectly square X on the cover (production wise and use of space sonically)
Kubiak04 1 year ago
this album is really good but you gotta listen to it a couple of times to get their vibe.
after that u will not be able to take it out of you're cd player.
chavo1177 1 year ago
mileism
Thismeaningtoitall 1 year ago
I'm 100% with Anthony on this. I just can't get into this band despite all of the hype.
arcticmonkeykook 1 year ago
Everyone is so angry at you - I still love you Anthony
FappingEaglee 1 year ago 4
americans......................
ellisgurung 1 year ago 2
It's hard to believe that this is the most aggressive track on the album -_-
TheWhiteNoiseNation 1 year ago
Think about them in context of something along the lines of "Joy Division"...or maybe as the embodiment T.S. Eliot's idea of "modern society" (wow, that reference is a bit pretentious)...empty, hollow, without substance, bleak.
carloberti 1 year ago
i totally agree. its as if liking the xx immediately makes you unique and lo-fi and appreciative of bands that dont have alot of songwriting talent or musicality. call it genius but it just sounds empty and dull and dry to me. its just so blatantly uninteresting
cphines1 1 year ago
the vocals suck on that track
only redeeming thing that song has is its catchy guitar lines
ramunesin 1 year ago
I think the fact they don't show much passion in their music really does connect with certain people... not that i don't mind the track!
kingsleykinglin 1 year ago
But what if I like apathy?
no7926 1 year ago
i don´t like the xx, i love them. In a way he´s right. Everybody has an opinion in this world. The first time that i heared the xx, with crystalised, i didn´t really like them, but then i heared the song island, and i was fashionate. Some things needs time, people think that the ocean is boring? the xx is the same as the ocean
alonsosoroa 1 year ago
LOL "bringing you apathetic bands from the UK forever" thats pretty much how i feel about the UK music scene at the moment.
hey anthony! can you recommend one good UK band/artist/droid on the UK scene right now?
slickmeisterp 1 year ago
I'm not raving to this stuff, but I don't mind their music.
FcBow 1 year ago
Yeah you called it, you made enemies. I'm going to be honest your an ignorant American. I mean what pretentious, bogan tattoo sleeve sporting ass hole can't get past the beauty of the XX. You're reviews on bands such as Arcade Fire and Vampire Weekend are ignorant, THEY are far far more "fashionable" than the XX and make the same sound as every other Indie band. The worlds music scene is conforming to this ideal of "indie bands" just as you are. The XX (in my opinion) have broken that.
Clithero 1 year ago
@Clithero So, if I don't like The xx and yet enjoy Arcade Fire and Vampire Weekend, does that make me an ignorant American? Should I pretend to like them, just to feel important? Or, should I go with my honest opinion, and respect others whose opinions differ from mine?
Movielover87 1 year ago
@Movielover87 Are you American? Or ignorant? If the answers no to both then obviously not. I like Arcade Fire and Vampire Weekend probably just as much as you and this douche bag, but for this guy to slander off the XX as "fashionable" is a huge contradiction. And no, obviously fuck peoples opinions who differ from yours. But as of yet I don't know YOUR opinion
Clithero 1 year ago
@Clithero i wouldnt even compare this band to arcade fire. Win Butler's voice is the epitome of passion, whereas the xx singer sounds like he isnt even enjoying singing his own songs. And xx sucked really bad live at lollapalooza this year while arcade fire was incredible. very telling of the difference in talent of the two bands.
cphines1 1 year ago
i just wanna say that i think the point of the song was to create simplicity and a tantalizing tune that encompasses the listener, or at least thats what happened to me, thought they are great and i loved the song, my only gripe is the drum machine
iBomb24 1 year ago
I totally agree with you, anthony, the XX suffer from some form of musical narcolepsy, where all there music seems yawned out, which stands in contrast with a band like Grizzly Bear, a band that is at the same tempo or in some case slower, but has enough musical ideas to warrant moving at that pace. this song just gives off the feeling of shopping at the Gap, its fits into that niche of sounds to hear while wasting your money
doublethink921 1 year ago
I love how everybody seems to love attacking you when you dislike an album they like. It's as if having an opinion is a terrible thing, and that everybody should just think the same way (imagine how boring that would be). But, I completely agree with you on The xx. One of the most overrated bands to come out in the past couple years.
Movielover87 1 year ago
Go back and listen to it again. your an idiot.
Nashy932 1 year ago
Just stumbled across this. I think the xx are great but it's pretty easy to see why you think that. More of an acquired taste.
Phobia017 1 year ago
i just think they are ok... its nice to hear passinless songs sometimes, but it would have been a lot nicer if the song was going somewhere.
natrat888 1 year ago
Reviews are supposed to save time by telling you what to bother with and what not to. I could have listened to the song 3 times and decided for myself in the time its taken you to ramble on about it.
And, after all that, you got it wrong.
stretchlightning 1 year ago
listen to the way you're carrying on about them before you've even listened you idiot
i bet you dont even need glasses
thegeetakid 1 year ago
the cover? its black and white much like, it seems, your worldview. passion, drive? i like those-as well as subtlety and understatement.
there is a time for everything-the xx, even animal collective, even the most inane tripe to which one may take a fleeting shine(i will always love weird al's recordings). making and listening to music isnt about winning or raising the bar with every album. thats what the "industry" does and its committing a cultural holocaust while you tag along for the ride.
shrivalup 1 year ago
How can you place Gentlemen Jesse over The xx?
joesbeforebros 1 year ago
minimalism. just like with their music. simple vocal. simple chords. but they make it sound good.
GrembyTheWalrus 1 year ago
The XX = Apathy. Beautiful.
andrewhime 1 year ago
Don't defend it as art. It's not. Its visual analogue would be a safety notice on a toilet door - "Now wash your hands". It's bland shite for people who don't want to be challenged or excited by music - who treat music as an audio commodity - where they can buy the poster, impress their trendy friends and pretend they've discovered something edgy and new. Coldplay for hipsters.
pidgin 1 year ago
I'm glad someone else just doesn't get what everyone loves about this band. I spend the entire song waiting for the song to get going and then it's over.
badfish989 1 year ago
@badfish989 -true,the album is very good,different,but then again overly hyped,and all the songs on the album sound the same,very dull and aloof.
parkerphil20 1 year ago
Dreadfully dreary band. Music made by and for people with no imagination. Music for people who don't so much like music as like the idea of it. Backward looking and insincere. Happily for The XX most folks fit this category.
believersroast 1 year ago
Completely disagree with this review. Usually, I find your reviews to be pretty on-point but I think you're completely off with this one. This is an excellent track off of their incredible album. Give the entire album a couple listens and do a review of it.
naisax 1 year ago
I agree fully with this review. Some of my friends are fans of this album, and I just don't get it at all. Their sound reminds me of a room temperature vanilla milkshake.
multard 1 year ago
It's funny cos when I first heard the XX I kind of found them boring and I kept coming back to it and now I can't stop listening to it ... I find it really beautiful and melancholic
pierreerichexum 1 year ago
I dont know. I actually really like the xx. I cant wait to see them in august haha
andyxkaragiozi 1 year ago
Its innovative and progressive.
Jeser118 1 year ago
Couldn't disagree more. The passion is there. To me, it feels like it could explode at any moment. But it doesn't. The passion is bridled. It's pent up. You want them to just start screaming, but it never happens - not because (as you think) the passion is lacking, but because they refuse to gratify the audience's needs.
It is cool, but while you see them as trying to be cool, I see them as something smouldering hot, but with the lid kept on at all times.
holyfrog 1 year ago 14
@holyfrog
I agree, less is more.
RachaelPie 1 year ago
@holyfrog Just because a band doesn't gratify the audience's needs, doesn't mean that their cool or even making interesting music for that matter. I could record myself taking a shit because it's not what the audience wants, but that doesn't necessarily mean it will sound cool or appealing in anyway. Not trying to compare shit to this track but just using it to justify my point.
IWantSky 11 months ago
@IWantSky I'm afraid you've missed the point. I do not say that the lack of gratification makes the song cool or interesting. You have taken a very small part of my comment and treated it as though that is the basis of my opinion.To me, what makes the song cool and interesting is the (bridled) passion, voices and rawness. Your shit analogy is just that: a shit analogy.
holyfrog 11 months ago
@holyfrog Why is my analogy shit? Sure, maybe you're right, I did exploit a very small part of your comment, but you don't seem to have much a of defense for why my opinion being wrong.
And why the hell is the lack of passion interesting? That's exactly what makes music interesting! Listening to a bunch of hipsters play boring music with no soul is no fun. People should want to hear musicians with excitement and emotion. This is one of the reasons why the music industry is turning to shit.
IWantSky 10 months ago
@IWantSky hipsters don't exist in england, here we just have indie kids, and these are by no means indie kids...
IceB59 9 months ago
I guess it's just not your kind of song. Not every song is supposed to be "dangerous" or "exciting". I think it's the way you see it. I think it's full of emotion. Sorry, you're missin out 'cause this song is brilliant!
L0veepanicc 1 year ago
also, I wasn't aware of this whole 'trendy' portion of the xx that their fans seem to epitomize before I started listening to the xx. One of my friends, a huge music nerd like me, said that the reason she was so turned off by the xx at first was because the person who referred the band to her was a "trendy douche bag".
The album means so much more to me because I didn't have any of that messy 'scene' stuff to deal with in my mind as I went through my first few listens.
benevolentelephant 1 year ago
Being a pretty big fan of the xx since I first started listening, I should note that a part of what i think makes them so great is that their music has this sort of 'apathetic', 'middle-class suburbanite' feel.
If I was asked to describe the album visually, it would be something along the lines of 'lying on the couch staring at television snow at 3 in the morning', sort of this intimate, contemplative stuff with a slight hint of apathy.
benevolentelephant 1 year ago
I can agree with you while I do and have listened to the xx a lot after a while it just kind of falls flat for me on repeated listens.
wtficantgetanamewtf 1 year ago
nihilism
PeterKeffer 1 year ago
If I remember correctly, I didn't find The xx interesting at first listen.
This was the first song I heard. A few of there songs sat in my iTunes for a couple months. I decided to take the "hang it in the bathroom, I'll learn to like it" approach
About four weeks ago I decided to give them another listen before deleting them.
Something was different about them the second time. I fell in love with them. Give them another chance, listen to more than one song. And listen with a neutral mind.
firesidefun18 1 year ago
Why don't you like The XX?... I just don't GET IT. :'(
ImKuuler 1 year ago
have you listen to there album?
supermanJOEL2 1 year ago
not all music has to have an "energic drive" behind it, along with the minimalist instrumentation, the "bleak" atmosphere that it creates they made their vocal intonation to match that, sadness, hopelessness, this is pop drone my man :D, that's how i call it anyways
try their Fantasy track off the same debut album
suffocated 1 year ago
I don't agree with you about the xx, but at least your criticism is honest and thoughtful.
billybilo999 1 year ago
I see where your coming from, personally, I don't like this particular single. Their album, however, is amazing. I think you may be missing the point with this band, their music is dreamy, sleepy pop. There's not much energy in it as that would ruin the relaxing feel of it. Listen to 'Heart Skipped a Beat', 'Night Time' and 'Shelter' to really get what their on about. I think you should review their album!
Stoxie15994 1 year ago
i agree on the passion part, but still... i love this song :)
and the cover art to me is just... nice :) i'd go for minimalistic although they look kinda nihilistic...
knaepsimon 1 year ago
they're not boring, they're just playing slower songs than others. i don't think that this makes their music boring. i think their whole album is awesome. they grabbed me and i love them.
zsoja 1 year ago
the XX is good you suck Unsubscribed!
TopSoul13 1 year ago
Album cover is neither. its creative.
Beretta479 1 year ago
Anthony your wastin your time man. Its nice to hear your opinion with all 248 videos but really? If you wanna talk about extremely bleak entertainment, watch yourself. And learn somethin about music.
slick1029 1 year ago
After reading this comment page i can only conclude that most fans of The XX suck. Why can't you let a band you like take criticism? Why are you guys taking this so personally? It's an opinion which is backed up with valid arguments. Most you people have done nothing but beef Anthony. Why not tell us why the xx don't suck?
123PullOut321 1 year ago 2
I think the opposing comments and 3,801,952 views on 'crystalised' disagree with you on this one buddy :-)
Hradbu04 1 year ago
God... How can you say it is boring and they have no passion? It is just that apathy, that sober kind of music, if you know what I mean.THAT is just what we love about the XX!!!! I think you didn't get that.
JennyKravitz 1 year ago
"BackPorchPoet4" is completely right. Fuck you and your narrow minded opinion. The XX put on an incredible live show and there album was amazing. If you dont like the song, thats fine, but dont go on about how you think they're "fashionable" go eat a dick. Some people can connect with it, and just because you don't, doesn't give you the right to say they arent a good band. Go do something useful with your time and stop trying to get famous off of youtube prick.
jerusalemmeat 1 year ago
3.
And that's why The XX are so inspiring for me. This music does not apply any kind of preasure on you. This is the space. For me this space in is something incredibly beautiful and truly fascinating. It makes me analyse this simple black line again and again.
CarycaKatarzynaIV 1 year ago
2.
You may actually say it's boring. In fact I like your metaphor of white papar and one simple line drawn on it. I do believe it's true. Actually nowadays so many artists is willing to shock you or impress you: I mean for instance L.Gaga forcing people to watch her pussy. I have an impression that being so very weird and colourful is a must.
CarycaKatarzynaIV 1 year ago
1.
I do understand the point of view of people who claim that The XX's staff is boring. Indeed, it's just not that kind of "catchy music" which makes you dance, sing, jump and so on.
I'd say that this music is SPACIOUS. For me it's the word which describes this staff perfectly.
The simplicity of music, lyrics and their image leaves you space for your own thoughts and feelings, your own interpretations. It just brings calm.
CarycaKatarzynaIV 1 year ago
i think its a pretty good album 7.5
joemunkey30 1 year ago
i got this album from a distributer and everytime i listened to it i thought its gonna grow on me.
nothing. trashed it
who the fuck are the xx anyways?
cornpopsandacid 1 year ago
I agree...I don't understand this sound that everyone makes over "The xx"...
The best song on their album is "Intro". lol
Gaga4Parma 1 year ago
Agree with this review. Their music is okay. It just sounds uninspired and boring overall.
TriEdge36 1 year ago
the xx music is not the taste of anyone, but i think that it's really fucked up to talk so much stupid shit about them. just because you hear one track and the see pic of their lp. i think you should buy yourself a brain and get a life, dickhead.
wolf90 1 year ago
They're better than YACHT, at least these guys have some variance in their voice. Definitely a flash in the pan though.
Their still hipster too.
Vihrea 1 year ago
minimalism
19948 1 year ago
Can't stop listening to this band. Doesn't happen very often. The passion is simmering. It's more powerful.
Echobelly10 2 years ago 28
@Echobelly10 the xx are for pretentious idiots like you
revolutiongeorge 1 year ago
I've tried to like this album but I can't get into it either
Bigassrobot 2 years ago
minimalism. hands down. lol.
drockmuthafucka 2 years ago
Agree completely with anthony on this one. can't seem to find anything i like about this band.
jakethesnake620 2 years ago
Hah. Glad we can agree. Although, every time I get a hater comment about this review, it makes me wanna go back and find out if I'm missing something. :-p
theneedledrop 2 years ago
@theneedledrop
Our species needs and uses music in myriad ways. it inspires and stimulates, comforts and commiserates, etc.
Ever dig something you didn't like before or "outgrow" something you once liked? It happens-over weeks, months, even years. You might find that je ne sais quoi you overlooked or it may elude you to death.
shrivalup 1 year ago
I kinda feel like you didn't listen. Yes they're a pretty new band, but if you 'really' listen and watch they radiate the type of suddle passion that can drive you mad. Close your eyes next time & really feel the music. You might get more out of it. If you don't like them that's your right. But if you can't open yourself up to feel the raw emotion they put across there may be more than reviews you need to worry about. Making subdued sound good is a hell of a lot harder than it seems.
Syndurpixie 2 years ago
Huuuh they are still a young band don't be too mean with them !
I think we can found the passion in their lyrics even if the atmospher is melancholic and the riffs simple it's a sweet atmosphere to me.Now there are not my favorite band one the earth but i still like them.Arf i wish i had more confidance in my opinons to defend them more.Your blogtv is a great school ah ah.
MmeBlatte 2 years ago
I don't understand how Mr. Fantano is a corporate sellout for delivering an anti-corporate message. Also, everyone is entitled to display opinions about music. Mr. Fantano actually deserves it more than anyone. He's so eloquent. I could not do this in one take. I love The xx, but I totally understand where this guy is coming from and I respect his opinion. The xx can be frustratingly sparse.
catfoodnews 2 years ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
i just stumbled across your review and clearly you know nothing about music. it's amazing how nowadays everyone who has internet and a youtube account feels like they have the right to opinate and to talk about stuff they do not dominate at all. i'm shocked by the hipocrisy of your review, saying the xx are "fashionable" when obviously you're the one who is following a "fashion". either by talking shit on the internet or just by well... just look at yourself. you're a sell-out corporate whore.
BackPorchPoet4 2 years ago
Well, if you have an opposing view, I'd love to hear it in a video response. Otherwise, this is just a block of text.
theneedledrop 2 years ago 21
@theneedledrop oh sorry. forgot you can't read.
BackPorchPoet4 1 year ago
What does this say? I can't read it.
theneedledrop 1 year ago 24
This has been flagged as spam show
@theneedledrop it says: "I can see why you'd feel that way. you come of really douche-y in this review, and you apologize."
BackPorchPoet4 1 year ago
@BackPorchPoet4 why is he a corporate whore?
fourges1 1 year ago
for a change i really disagree with you. i think this was among the best albums of 09, if not the best. i think the dynamic between the two vocals gives a very nice listen, and i really can't think of any other album that has this kind of thing going on between two people singing, though i guess that says a lot more about a lack of it in general rather than equaling with quality....at least it made for a really refreshing listen i think.
nikkolamur 2 years ago
lol do you still think this?
KingWi11 2 years ago
are you kidding me dude
where was the passion?
the passion is very evident, i don't know how you couldn't pick it up. when ever i hear this song, i go some where else, the atmosphere they create is the passion.
passion doesn't always have to be painted brightly my friend
and comparing them to a blank canvas is a little harsh
don't you think?
sjin93 2 years ago
Its all about the atmosphere for me.
lostit2bostik 2 years ago
oh my god i love you for this even more than i did before. i felt so alone thinking these guys are nothing to be talked about! i felt like i dont understand the world anymore. and youre right! theres music much more calm and quiet that communicates so much more emotions... this stuff doesnt move... it cant decide or waht ever...
FickscheisseOfficial 2 years ago
you say their music is "fashionable", but i don't see the link with "fashion". I think these kids are just doing what they want to do...
pamplora 2 years ago
aww, I really love this album, but to each his own I guess :(...i still love you anthony...
BlackVirusxz 2 years ago