STREAM: Angels by the xx

It’s been about three years since the xx broke out and ravaged the music scene with their near-perfect brand of sparse and spacey lovelorn pop. Now we have the first taste of the band’s follow-up to their critically acclaimed self-titled debut in the form of “Angels”. The aural progression from the first album to this are extremely subtle, but for a band that shows as much restraint as the xx, any forward movement in songwriting and production sort of has to be subtle. The guitar tone is a little warmer, a little more melty. The open space between notes still feels huge, but not quite so isolating. Romy’s voice is still hushed, but it’s more emotive this time around. For those that wondered how a band that had perfected its sound so effortlessly on its debut could possibly progress, I think they have their answer. Good things ahead.

Chris aims to expose viewers to some of the most legit tunes of the times, peeling back the layers of what’s relevant in current music events, with up-to-date posts of new artists and releases. Living in Chicago, Chris manages his own blog Brown Bear Wants Honey dedicated to new music releases, clips of new musicians, and announcements of upcoming shows at cool venues.

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