Album Review: The xx - Coexist

To say that hordes are frothing over this second album from the Mercury-winning Brits The xx would be a complete understatement. The airplay garnered for stunning ballad and first single Angels certainly hasn't discouraged the public's enthusiasm – it's not your typical radio single, but its sentiment would most certainly speak to, well, anyone with a pulse.

And with that, Coexist picks up right where the trio's 2009 self-titled debut left off. Jamie Smith's production work has evolved incredibly – he's now an in-demand remixer and producer – and certainly challenges the focus point of record one, the vocal interplay between Romy Madley Croft and Oliver Sim. He's managed to master simplicity, hone the minimalist vibe and capture the silence like no other. In fact, so meticulously-crafted is the sound, it makes Croft and Sim seem a little sterile lyrically and a little separate in their deliveries, not so much sexy interplay anymore but more vocalising their own parts and telling their own part of the story. This ain't entirely a bad thing though, as both possess a hell of a lot of soul.

Chained feels R&B flavoured and is most well-placed to be another radio single, while Reunion and the subsequent Sunset pulse almost enough to qualify as “club” if there wasn't just so much space, so much atmosphere. Aside from the beats, little else exists besides a guitar that echoes The Edge and a sampled Jamaican steel pan.

In the end, Coexist is stunning, compelling in delivery, simple and beautiful. It's a hot summer night romance that perhaps wasn't the dirty romp of the debut, but still most definitely brings the heat.