“Fuck Art, Let’s Dance!” was a slogan found on t-shirts during the 1980s, serving as a credo that sought to liberate music from intellectual pretensions that had grown in certain quarters during the 1970s. Referencing punk, though less bellicose in manner, it called for a back-to-basics approach to return to the original intention of music. Why make music if it didn’t fundamentally move you physically and emotionally?
That spirit inhabits In Waves, the long-awaited sophomore release of Jamie xx (James Thomas Smith), also of the feted indie electronic outfit, the xx. For sure, there is an abundance of intelligence on this album through its savvy club beats, intermingled guest vocals by musicians like Panda Bear and the Avalanches, and its pop and soul references dropped here and there like breadcrumbs on a fairy tale trail. But none of these elements would matter if they didn’t come together to project a rich sensory world of poly-sourced rhythms, dancefloor strobe lighting, and cigarette breaks.
Released nearly a decade ago in 2015, Jamie xx’s debut, In Colour, received widespread acclaim for its mood-setting confidence and tonal range that could juxtapose adrenaline-raising tracks like “Hold Tight” alongside exuberant, soul-soothing numbers like “Loud Places”. Nominated for a Grammy in the US and the Mercury Prize in Britain, In Colour built upon the foundation he had established with his bandmates, Romy Madley Croft (vocals, guitar) and Oliver Sim (vocals, bass), with the xx. While the xx drew from and updated the art punk minimalism of Wire and the post-punk sound of bands like Sisters of Mercy and Siouxsie and the Banshees, Jamie xx has since branched out into soul, R&B, and jungle that feel more aligned with our present moment.
In Waves begins on a surprisingly sentimental note with a piano chord progression at the center of “Wanna” before launching into the dance single, “Treat Each Other Right”, followed by the addictive “Waited All Night”, which has his xx mates, Romy and Sim, on vocals. The fourth track is the single “Baddy on the Floor”, which he released several months ago in April. Featuring fellow DJ Honey Dijon (Honey Redmond), it continues the LP’s momentum before things shift once more in a multivocal direction on “Dafodil”, involving Kelsey Lu, John Glacier, and Panda Bear. Then, another beat-heavy, instrumental interlude arrives with “Still Summer”.
In this way, true to its name, In Waves is constructed in waves of cameo-driven compositions balanced by immersive sonic set pieces. This approach works well, and though the aforementioned singles stand out, In Waves consists of a carefully curated whole meant to be listened to in sequence. “All You Children” presents something of a climax for the LP with its opening lines, “All you children gather round / We will dance, and we will whirl / All you children gather round, we will dance together.” The different variations of these lyrics throughout the song amount to being In Waves’ summary statement.
In Waves lasts 44 minutes with 12 tracks, but it goes by quickly. Though modulated, Jamie xx makes everything sound seamless. Exuding sex and romanticism, the best song is “Waited All Night”, which recalls how good the xx were on compositions like “Crystalised” from their debut, xx (2009), and “Angels” and “Fiction” from Coexist (2012). Though Jamie xx has branched out as a producer and DJ (Drake; Tyler, the Creator), his chemistry with his former bandmates is still undeniable.
In Waves has the calculated restraint of the xx, too. As mentioned, the music stylishly swells and retreats with considered deliberation. This album also has moments that evoke Moby‘s Play (1999) from 25 years ago with its tasteful sampling of soul and R&B of the past. Like Moby, Jamie xx comfortably inhabits the background, letting his perfected music stand in the place of any public-facing role. Not quite the death of the author, as Roland Barthes would have it, but a sense of circumspection about the frontman archetype is tangible. Jamie xx favors collaboration and the greater sense of artistic possibility allowed when musical creation is nurtured through a collective approach.
This attitude is the essence of DJing. Indeed, In Waves ends on an introspective note, with Oona Doherty imparting the lines, “Look again / This is a very small stage in a vast cosmic arеna / A little pile of dust suspended in a light-beam struggling for significance / But what’s it about?”
Jamie xx appears to be communicating a more profound message here about the artist’s purpose and music more generally at present. There is a sincerity to In Waves. Jamie xx may not have all the answers, but he intuitively knows that feeling, rather than overthinking, our way forward may bring us closer to certain essential truths.