On its surface, the notion of taking the dreamy melodies found on The XXs 2009 debut xx and mixing them with The Notorious B.I.Gs effortless flow perhaps sounds a little barmy. The late rappers aggressive flows and violent lyrics seem the complete antithesis of The XXs calming indie soundtrack and yet somehow Wait Whats hybrid of the two vastly differing styles is perhaps the most innovative release of 2010 thus far, and also one of the best. One listen to The Curious Incident Of Big Poppa In The Nighttime and it is evident that although the two styles are vastly different, they can mix almost flawlessly. OK so it doesnt always work. Infinite Victory is far too skittish and lacks the flow of what was the best track on xx. Likewise Suicidal Fantasy teeters perilously close to boring, nearly killing the mood. However these moments are few and far between and overall The Notorious xx manages to be both a fitting reminder of the untimely death of the former and of the meteoric rise to fame of the latter. Long may it continue.
Bump |
