Jamie xx's new solo album, “In Waves,” arrives nine years after his debut album In Colour.
Almost a decade in which he dedicated himself to his band, The xx (three albums released) but also to production and DJing around the world.
In “In Waves“Jamie seems to take down the strobes, the mirror ball and the psychedelic lights from the shelf, pumping the music back from behind his console in a continuum with “In Colour” (starting from the same cover, but in black and white), resuming a sonic discourse that never seems to have stopped, as if the nine years had never passed.
The opening, Wantreleases two instantly recognisable UK vintage garage samples (Rip Groove of Double 99 and Never Gonna Let You Go by Tina Moore) mounted on majestic piano chords for a rhythmic track that never quite starts, but creates anticipation and tension, resulting in the explosion of the next Treat Each Other Rightwhich keeps changing pace and seems to be a strong breakbeat anthem that meets futuristic soul with samples of Almeta Lattimore's voice.
An album full of samples, influences, fragments, details and intuitions, which seems to have its essence in the clubs, but also within the walls of home. Many friends participated in the party.
In Baddie On The Floorthe first single is the collaboration with Honey Dijon. There is Robyn instead in Lifea hymn to the affirmation of nu-disco, seasoned with a triumph of wind instruments and filtered loops, with one of the most iconic voices of recent times. There are The Avalanches in All You Children and Kelsey Lu, Panda Bear and John Glacier in Divine Dafodil. There is spoken word from dancer Oona Doherty in Falling Together and reunited are xx bandmates Romy and Oliver Sim, in Waited All Night.
A super cool album: 44 minutes to be listened to strictly after 1 am, dancing non-stop…
SCORE: 8.00
1. Wanna –
2. Treat Each Other Right – Rating 7.50
3. Waited All Night (ft. Romy & Oliver Sim) – Rating 8.00
4. Baddy On The Floor (ft. Honey Dijon) – Rating 7.50
5. Dafodil (ft. Kelsey Lu, John Glacier & Panda Bear) – Rating 8.00
6. Still Summer – Score 7.00
7. Life (ft. Robyn) – Rating 7.50
8. The Feeling I Get From You – Rating 7.50
9. Breather – Score 7.00
10. All You Children (ft. The Avalanches) – Rating 8.00
11. Every Single Weekend (Interlude)
12. Falling Together (ft. Oona Doherty) – Rating 7.50
THE VOTES OF OTHERS
Variety – Score 9.70
Clash Music – Vote 9.00
Mojo – Rating 8.00
Uncut – Rating 8.00
The Guardian – Score 8.00
Nme – Vote 8.00
Pitchfork – Score 7.30
MUST LISTEN NOW
Waited All Night – Dafodil – All You Children
MUST SKIPP NOW
The strobes come on and for 44 minutes we dance… no more skipping!
