the xx I See You

3.5 stars out of 5 -- "The way the vocals are strung between hope and hurt feels especially intense, as if the singers are characters in a modern noir romance. The opening track, 'Dangerous,' begins with heraldic trumpet flares before settling into a skittering, dark-lit groove..."
"I SEE YOU is still distinctly and deeply an xx album, but in the gap between albums the group has found a way to move unmistakably forward while still sounding like themselves."
"It takes only a few seconds for the opening track, "Dangerous," with its blaring horn loop and frenetic drumbeat, to take the xx where they've never gone before: the club." -- Grade: A-
"On I SEE YOU, The xx have expanded their horizons without sacrificing any of the emotional intimacy that makes them one of the most compelling acts around."
"[W]hat makes this xx album work so well is that the British trio hasn't lost sight of what has made them special from their start as teenagers on their 2009 debut: their use of space and silence; the interplay between voices..."
4 stars out of 5 -- "[T]here's a lightness here previously missing in the xx's often sepulchral soundscapes, evident in 'On Hold''s joyful sampling of Hall & Oates' 'I Can't Go For That (No Can Do),' and the slowed dancehall groove of 'Lips.'"
4 stars out of 5 -- "Fragility and self-doubt are still themes. Indeed, the highlight is Romy's pensive, vulnerable ballad 'Performance'."
Pitchfork (Website) - "The delivery of every line is considered, as the pair tug at the edges of lines to get the expression just right."
Clash (Magazine) - "It's a work of incredible balance, one that provides ample space for each member's individual talents while reinforcing their need for this group, this union to exist."