words//stephanie cafarella

It was a particularly chilly December night as the xx entered the Newbury Comics store on Newbury Street in the Back Bay district of Boston.  Once I had gotten past their low key entrance, free of any amount of attitude or entitlement that I had expected from anyone of their status, I waited patiently as the store cleared out. After about twenty minutes of prep, Sim, Croft and Smith made their way back into the cramped corner of the store where they began to rehearse. The haunting sound of raspy-sweet vocals filled the room almost instantaneously. The harmony between Croft and Sim’s voices even during those brief rehearsals was remarkable.

Once the doors opened to the public, the store was immediately flooded with people of all ages. The line outside had even been too long to fit the quota allotted within the given space. The band opened with “Intro”, also the first track on the album, an ideal opening. During their approximately seven-song set that they cascaded through, without breaks, the xx apologetically and beautifully flowed through the lyrics as if they were spilling from their mouths. Croft’s fragile vocals ejected sweet apologies and simplistic words of content when combined with with Sim’s slightly rasping vocals; undeniably memorable drum beats both delivered and produced by Smith created a harmonious accompaniment over strong bass and guitar tones. The band does not only deliver the lyrics, they are evidently near and dear to them, easily read by their facial expressions. Watching the performance was quite possibly equivalent to being present as Croft or Sim were to read their diary aloud. Each and every lyric sounds secretive and real, unlike anything comparable. I honestly did not know what to expect after their unanticipated request that the cardboard characters from Twilight would be displayed behind them during their performance. Without a doubt, Sim, Croft and Smith have something going for them, and I foresee many more sold out venues to come in the near future.