After dropping the knockout one-two early last month that they had a new album, Coexist, completed as well as the surprise announcement of an Australian tour with tickets selling out almost immediately through a ballot system; The XX have now released the first official taste of their forthcoming second record – one of the most anticipated album releases of the year.
Releasing a statement on their Facebook this morning, the London trio write, “It’s been a long time since we’ve played you anything new,” before unveiling ‘Angels’, the opening track and first single from Coexist. “We’ve been playing this song live recently,” they add, “so it feels good to share with you the version we’ve been working on for so long. We hope you like it.”
It’s been three years since we’ve had new material from the British indie trio, when their self-titled debut stormed the music world, including a Mercury Music Prize win – but this September will see the release of its highly-anticipated follow-up.
‘Angels’ contains the glacial, echoing guitars and minimalist production of their debut, as well as a tender emotional centre as singer/guitarist Romy Madley Croft intones the phrase “being as in love with you as I am” like a mantra.
Speaking of the new material to NME , Croft remarked how the record reflects the band’s evolution, “I’ve been thinking that I hope people enjoy it as a separate thing. The first album exists – we’re not trying to make it again. We’ve just grown up, and although this isn’t a ‘grown up’ album, we’ve evolved.” Adding that she’s “happy we’ve progressed.”
Coexist was self-produced by the band’s own Jamie Smith (aka Jamie XX), recorded between November 2011 and May 2012 in the band’s own home studio in London, with the band first announcing their second LP over Facebook, writing: “We took a break, created our own studio and wrote these new songs that we’re so looking forward to playing to you. We will be touring throughout the summer and beyond, and hope to play somewhere near you soon.”
Australian fans lucky enough to get tickets in the ballot will be seeing them very soon, when The XX play two sold out shows in Melbourne and Sydney in July as part of a whirlwind visit, along with a pair of Jamie XX solo shows.
Coexist will be released in Australia on Friday 7 September 2012 via Young Turks/Remote Control,
Have a listen to The XX’s new single “Angels’ below ahead of its official release on September 10:
