The XX came onto my radar mid-2009 by whispers of enthusiasm that would propel them to be labelled as the next big thing to come out of the indie rock scene. Most of Britain agreed with this, so much so that the London trio recently took home the Barclaycard Mercury Prize.  To Americans it doesn’t mean much, but essentially they were given a large some of money (close to $40,000) for producing the Album of the Year, a high honour to earn.

The sprout of success the XX has experienced has happened to many before them but what makes this band different is that for once; the hype over a band is correct and necessary. And it seems the audience at Fox Theatre thought the same. As the trio appeared on stage, screaming fans eagerly awaited to hear the pillow soft voiced lyrics of songs centred round romantic notions, urges and setbacks that have made them so famous.

The XX comprise of three members who each bring a strong role to the band. Lead singer and bassist Oliver Sim with his deep, mumbling but alluring voice acted as the spokesperson as well as showcased the most moves out of the three. He mentioned he was humbled by the crowd screaming at any spare moment and was quick to mention that in 2009 the XX were playing at the Fox Theatre supporting the Hot Chips and here they were as the primary act. Guitarist/Vocalist Romy Madley Croft although lacking charisma on stage makes up for it with her husky, effortless voice that has that unbelievable sex appeal that is a key characteristic of the band. She knows exactly what to do on stage and performs it well. The synthesizing beats performed by Jamie Smith, the third and sometimes forgotten member holds the most responsibility. The surprisingly infectious beats of the XX are due to these man’s hands and not only that, he’s fun to watch.

The band’s melodious songs were able to transcend onto stage by their ability to perform and sound perfect with echoing harmonizing and individual accuracy despite their minimalistic music approach. The show utilized fluorescent and dark coloured lights to catch the audience’s attention during low key moments and also help the songs drift from soft pop dance to interesting, minimalistic tunes. Many are not able to cross these two extreme categories but the XX somehow achieve this.

The band played all the favourites, including their most popular, Islands, as well as the mellow and howling yet dancey Crystallized and Basic Space. Night time was an example of a song retelling romantic aches in a refreshing and haunting manner that got the crowd bopping and swaying. That is the affect of the XX. They are understated, mellow with noteworthy lyrics but somehow also able to get a crowd moving- a hard achievement in today’s indie pop scene. If only they played the remix of Florence and the Machine’s You’ve Got the Love and I would have been complete, but you can’t have it all.

With such high acclaim on their debut album, it is no surprise that fans will be awaiting the next wave of the XX but you might have to wait awhile. As Sims said, they been on tour for almost two years and will be taking a break. So those that attended their show at the Fox Theatre, count yourself lucky!

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