Jamie xx
In Waves
YOUNG
Not many artists can claim to have two different projects that have influenced two different corners of dance music across two different decades, but Jamie xx certainly fits within that exclusive club. His work with Oliver Sim and Romy Madley Croft as The xx saw the trio melding intimate R&B with clubby electronic-pop sounds to create three deftly engrossing records. Then, in 2015, Jamie xx released his debut solo album of UK bass and deep-house compositions, In Colour, which was met with an equal amount of global acclaim. It was a breath of fresh air, cherry picking from a wide range of genres and putting them under a spell of lucidity. The message was one of mutual transcendence, and this debut statement provided a much-needed space for inclusivity in dance music.
Now, nearly a decade later, its follow up In Waves features a host of guests and familiar messages regarding the communal power gained from nights out raving until the early hours. One of the record’s earliest highlights sees the band get back together, as Sim and Romy once again appear on “Waited All Night.” The alchemy between the trio has shown little sign of dissipating, with Romy providing an air of tender intimacy which is soon contrasted by the confident and neon-lit sense of danger surrounding Sim. It’s a tantalizing prospect, considering the news from earlier this year that The xx have returned to the studio together. Elsewhere, early single “Baddy on the Floor” is the most buoyant moment you’ll find across In Waves, its bouncing, funk-laden melody made of piano and percussion (and, later, blaring brass instruments) demands to be stepped to.
Amongst other joyous odes to nightlife, “Dafodil” featuring Kelsey Lu, John Glacier, and Panda Bear provides a sweet portrayal of romantic connection. Two concurrent narratives see lovers finding each other, with vintage vinyl-static samples contrasting with the steaminess of modern club sounds to paint a picture of generational love. “Treat Each Other Right” feels like a direct descendent of The Avalanches’ Since I Left You, a plunderphonic masterclass which brought new life to older recordings. On the track, Jamie xx brings in a host of voices and surrounds them with strobe-like synths, galloping drums, and sharp jolts of electricity. It’s fitting, then, that The Avalanches and xx connect later in the album with “All You Children,” which marries the latter’s penchant for euphoric house music with The Avalanches’ controlled chaos, creating a kaleidoscopic symphony from a children’s chorus.
The collaborations for the most part feel like natural extensions of Jamie xx’s world, one in which all voices are equal and relevant. The only real blemish is the final track, “Falling Together,” featuring Oona Doherty. In trying to summarize the album’s themes of connection and understanding in spite of a sense of existential insignificance, it can only really adhere to tried-and-tested platitudes. Yet that can’t dissipate the highs experienced on In Waves, across which xx carries on his crusade to use as many compelling facets of dance-music genres as he can to encapsulate a sense of togetherness. It may not quite reach the high bar he set with his debut, but there’s an abundance of joy to be found here.
