The xx Get Intimate At Lincoln Hall

By Jake Guidry in Arts & Entertainment on Apr 9, 2010 9:20PM

Last night The xx were in town for a set of shows at Lincoln Hall. We were fortunate enough to catch the first of two sold out shows, and while the early 7 p.m. start time didn't quite feel right, we were excited nonetheless. The xx's path to success most readily reminds us of Phoenix, gaining most of their initial exposure through blogs fawning over the dreamy melodies and even dreamier vocals. What's even more impressive is that the band is younger than most of its listeners, having recently graduated from a high school with notable alumni Hot Chip, Burial and Four Tet. The xx quickly dashes any thoughts that they might be inexperienced or unwise--their debut LP xx sounds as refined as any work we've heard in a long time. So how does it translate on stage?

Just as beautifully, mind you. The youngsters took the stage with confidence and, in front of a tightly-packed crowd, seduced each and every soul in that place. They predictably opened with "Intro", the ethereal instrumental piece that opens the album. They then played their single "Crystalise" and singers Romy Croft and Oliver Sim's voices oozed out of the sound system with unending sweetness. As much of a tight squeeze Lincoln Hall can be, the show was intimate and mellow with spurts of dancey jamming in between songs. This jamming ended up being the most exciting part, as the trio went into experimental and dubby segments that put everyone into a trance. This spells out good things for The xx's future work, or at least we hope so.

The show was rather abrupt at a shade under an hour, but we can't complain. The entire hour was romantic and sexy, for lack of better words. The future is bright for these Londoners.