Jamie XX has dropped another stunning record titled “Girl” and we’ve had it on repeat since. Jamie XX will be headlining at the Union BBQ in June which makes this even more sweet!
“Girl” begins with a man clearly trying to seduce a woman with the words, “you are the most beautiful girl in Hackney, you know?” in a strong London rude boy accent. This cues an exploding bass-heavy beat, sonic keys and deliberate, yet light, drums. It is a brilliant start. The vocals come up slowly and get louder singing: “I want you back,” sounding distorted and spooky. The track is spacious, with every part given room to breathe, lulling the listener with its intensity, before abruptly beginning again, this time with more power and energy. With similarities to Burial or The Cinematic Orchestra in its down tempo cerebral sound and dream-like nature, Jamie XX has certainly stepped up with this track. It is a more subtle affair than his previous singles and feels like a dance track that expects you to sit and listen rather than get up and move.
“Girl” joins the heavier sounding single “Sleep Sound,” which did the rounds about a month ago. The two tracks mark his first solo release since 2011’s Far Nearer and We’re New Here. “Sleep Sound” is as much of an audio delight as “Girl,” in its electronically trippy sound, but is made much more for the dance floor. Jamie XX seems to be brilliant at creating tracks that push things forward and yet sound more and more like his contemporaries such as Massive Attack. This feels like a musical baton of sorts, like how Massive Attack came up via the Bristol soundsystem club scene and into the mainstream with Blue Lines, I feel this is the beginning for Jamie XX as he moves from being the cool beat-making Producer into a respected popular artist, and free from the XX ‘band’ tag.
“Girl” and “Sleep Sound” will be released on the 5th of May via Young Turks.