Jamie xx: “Loud Places” [ft. Romy]
Photo by Jamie-James Medina
The xx don’t do loud. They whisper. They turn down. They make you come to them. They don’t do loud places, either; the last time I saw them at a big venue—Manhattan concrete thunderdome Terminal 5—their minimalism was swallowed up by chattering barflies trying to channel wallflower sensuality into a Tuesday night hookup. I left early.
On “Loud Places”, xx frontwoman Romy Madley-Croft is once again singing softly into a less-than-rapt crowd, but now that audience includes someone with whom she once enjoyed peace and quiet. So as she wallows in silence, her ex takes to the noise, using it as a kind of anesthesia—what you don’t hear can’t hurt you. All of which is gloriously sad and emotional… and also somewhat expected from Madley-Croft and xx producer Jamie Smith by now. What’s less likely is how Smith structures this song not to emphasize its loneliness but to buoy his singer’s pin-drop insecurities; right when it seems like all hope is dashed, a chorus of rousing voices arises from the background, big drums kick up, and gospel handclaps turn what would be a bathroom confessional into a full-on pub communion. As the track fades for the last time, Madley-Croft is ready to deliver a devastating low-key kiss-off that speaks volumes: “You’re in ecstasy without me/ When you come down, I won’t be around.”
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