The XX
“Angels”
Coexist (Young Turks)
Finally, the wait is over. I recently wrote about my hopes/thoughts/expectations for the South Londoners ultra-anticipated sophomore LP, and if you missed it, I’m really fucking excited about it. Yesterday, we got our first real taste of Coexist, in the form of this characteristically vulnerable, crushing new love song. Driven by Romy Madley Croft’s delicate vocal and a single-string guitar line, “Angels” captures much of what made the trio’s debut resonate with so many people in such a penetrating, enduring fashion. While the XX is never going to be a singles band, thanks to the subtly of their work, this is one of the singles that excited me most this year — predominantly because it signals that Coexist is likely going to bark up the same tree as XX, which is one of my favorite albums of the last five years. Roll on September 11.
