Best bets

The xx - I See You 2018

Date: Feb 3 - 7:30 pm

Venue: Beijing Exhibition Theater

Price: 480-1,680 yuan

The xx are RomyMadley Croft (guitar, vocals), Oliver Sim (bass, vocals) and Jamie Smith (beats, MPC, production), also known as Jamie xx. Their latest Mercury prize nominated release I See You (out now through Young Turks) incorporates all three members' talents into a new version of their sound, one true to their roots but richer and more varied. Icy synthesizers meld with distorted guitars, creating an advanced electro-pop experiment mixed with indie rock and R&B. Praise and accolades for the new album add to the momentum already created by their earlier work. Their 2009 debut xx was met with critical and commercial acclaim, appearing on countless critics' lists of the year's best albums, including NME, Uncut, Pitchfork and Rolling Stone. xx won the prestigious Mercury Music Prize in 2010 and was certified platinum in the UK and Gold in Australia. Sophomore LP Coexist (2012) saw The xx strip their already-naked sound, with so few elements to each song that manage to deepen without intruding.