Come on, did The xx run out of album covers already? Anyway, Coexist isn’t much of a departure from their first album—I don’t know how you could have expected it to be. Likewise, it’s just as inoffensive, overly self-conscious indie-pandering with token “chill” minimalist beats and lyrics about Sad Things that express genuine emotion just about as well as I do with this review; i.e., not at all.

That’s not to say I think Coexist is a bad album, because I don’t. I think it’s slightly better than its predecessor. There are a number of catchy beats and resonant chords drenched in reverb like before, but they hooks are stronger this time around. That’s about it for improvements. I’m personally left unimpressed and feeling hollow. But whatever, I wasn’t super into The xx to begin with. I think people who loved their self-titled debut will also love Coexist, if not more.