Sometimes, whispers speak louder than shouts, and a lone, unadorned guitar can express more than the most dramatic climax. The members of The xx came to their hushed sound naturally: as teenagers, writing songs in their bedrooms in the dead of night. As they've grown, they've built upon that urgent sense of intimacy. Romy Madley Croft and Oliver Sim trade verses that play out like conversations inside your own head, braiding skeletal bass and guitar lines across Jamie xx's inky atmospheres. It's as faithful a glimpse of the pre-dawn stillness as you'll find this side of your alarm clock.