The xx awake from their zz

The stampede to get new music out for the new year ("get new music out before Ed Sheeran drops his new single on Friday") continues with The xx, who've just bunged this gem on the internet:


True to form, Say Something Loving is a sparse, haunting ballad - but the lush instrumentation and heartfelt lyrics are a genuine departure for the notorious miserabilists. It really takes off in the last 60 seconds, as Romy Madley-Croft and Oliver Sim twine their voices around an old soft rock sample (I'm itching to identify it, so if anyone can help, send me a tweet.)

The song is taken from the band's third album, I See You, which arrives a week on Friday. According to a press release, it was recorded in New York, Texas, Reykjavik, Los Angeles and London. Which is a bit fancy, isn't it?

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