XX is something of an enigma. They neither look nor sounds like a pop band, and a good 70% of this eponymous debut is a stripped, atmospheric, slow-tempo duet of decidedly non-pop music. Yet, their best efforts, like "Crystallized" "Basic Space" and "Islands" are top-notch pop. This is a deceptively deep album that improves on repeated listening. I'm curious to see how it translates live as much of its appeal comes forth as a headphones album. It is nevertheless one of the more intreguing releases of the year. B+
