Love/Hate

Pitchfork Media is one of the most read and respected sources for info on the independent music scene. Notorious for their ratings of the most recent record releases, many a band has seen their popularity fizzle or skyrocket simply due to how the editors at Pitchfork felt about their sound. I frequent the site to see what they consider to be the best new music, and after a couple years of visiting, I can tell you it has become the epitome of a love/hate relationship. This stems from my experience in the last month. Two different records, both considered to be the "Best New Music", one I loved, and one I wanted to, but couldn't.


Love - The Xx (Self Titled)


Rated 8.7 out of 10 on Pitchfork, The Xx's debut self-titled album is quickly becoming one of the most talked about records this fall. Four 20-year-olds from the south of London have put together an album so polished and confident in their own sound, that it sounds like they've existed for ages. Quick comparisons can be drawn to Radiohead, Interpol, even Explosions in the Sky. Crystalised is the first single off the album and undoubtably one of the best tracks.





Hate - Yacht (See Mystery Lights)


Rated 8.5 on Pitchfork I had high hopes for this album. See Mystery Lights is showered with praise by Pitchfork, much like The Xx. Yacht also features a male female vocal duo and independent sound, but thats about where the comparisons end. The album plays out like a child got a sound of a sound effect board and just started mashing buttons. Where the female vocals of The Xx are haunting and mysterious, Yacht's are grating and unwanted. This song doesn't make any sense to me.