This Is Our Jam: The xx, “Angels”

Since The xx debuted in 2009 a lot has changed. Jamie xx has become a sought-after producer, his remix of Gil Scott-Heron’s “I’ll Take Care of You” provided the groundwork for Drake and Rihanna's "Take Care." Meanwhile, The xx’s debut only looks better with age, causing fans to wonder how the band would follow up such a definite statement. Would Jamie xx’s beloved steel drums make an appearance? Would the new album be more of the same (not necessarily a bad thing)? As it turns out, the answers are “nope” and “not really”. A delicate song even by The xx’s standards, “Angels” puts the spotlight on Romy Madley Croft’s voice as it floats over a spare guitar and fidgety percussion. Jamie xx handles production with a deft hand, taking the cavernous sound of the first record and increasing its definition. "Angels" is a love song, but one also filled with loss: “And the end comes too soon / Like dreaming of angels / And leaving without them,” sings Madley Croft. This is the same band as before — just a little older and a little wiser.