More about: The xx

On the second night of a sold out seven night residency at Brixton Academy, The xx were joined by Ben UFO, Beatrice Dillon and Kelela. The excitement was palpable as The xx took to the stage and kicked off the proceedings with their latest single, 'Say Something Loving', the audience erupted into song.

Ben UFO and Beatrice Dillon played a back to back set full of electronic and dance tracks, ensuring that the night got off to an energetic start. Kelela's voice perfectly compliments her ambient RnB sound, which reverberated around the room, and certainly built anticipation for the main event. It is clear that all parties involved were excited to be a part of such a special night.

For The xx, Night + Day is a homecoming and the ethereal quality of Brixton Academy lent itself well to this occasion. The stage ensured that all of the focus was on Romy Madley Croft and Oliver Sim up front, with Jamie xx behind blending and crafting the show. Mirrors rotated in the background and a rainbow of lights glittered the stage as they held the audience captive with their roster of tunes from xx, Coexist, and I See You.

Each song in this set was performed to perfection with thanks to the fine-tuning of Jamie xx and the precision by which Romy and Oliver play their instruments, however this didn’t take away from the heart of the show, which was prevalent throughout. I See You is their most honest work to date and is perfectly suited to Romy’s voice which prevents the vulnerability in songs such as 'Brave For You' and 'Performance' from sounding saccharine and instead, heartfelt and captivating.

The set list was mostly a mix of xx and I See You and this blend of old and new worked well to showcase both how their previous work has become classic and how they have grown as a band, given that their last release was 2012, they have lived their lives and it shows in their new music. 'Loud Places' from Jamie xx’s 'In Colour' was woven into the set, a personal favourite and clearly a fan favourite as the audience erupted into applause and then sang along avidly.

This residency is a celebration and The xx have excelled at creating a great atmosphere, exceeding the times I have seen them before. Aside from a week of gigs, they have arranged after parties, a radio station and film viewings, this project was not taken lightly and it is clear that it has been a labour of love.

More about: The xx