Coexist

Pitchfork 7.5/10 The most appealing thing about this record is that this band, having created a brilliant and moving sound, returns to it again for another 38 minutes.

A.V. Club A- Coexist presents a version of The xx that listeners will recognize, but cleans everything up a bit, subtly stretching and improving the formula that won acclaim.

The Needle Drop 4/10 On their sophomore effort, London dream pop outfit the xx drum up more of the skeletal, emotive style their first album delivered.

The Line of Best Fit 7/10 The basest summation of Coexist is that it’s an xx album on which the songwriting isn’t as good, but the production is better.

NME 4/5 It hides more than ‘xx’ did, sneaking its miserable joys behind bare spaces, surprise time signatures and subtle dramas.

Rolling Stone 3.5/5 On their second LP, as on their 2009 debut, the Londoners are masters of restraint, building songs from simple chord progressions, delicate guitar and keyboard ostinatos, the gentle rub of Romy Madley-Croft and Oliver Sim's his-and-hers croons – and, most of all, from silence.

The Independent 5/5 The world adored the xx's Mercury Prize-winning debut album xx. Coexist is, if anything, an even finer piece of work.

All Music 3.5/5 Coexist's exploration of isolation and intimacy is demanding and rewarding in its bold subtlety and eloquent simplicity.

The Skinny 3/5 Coexist is a more sombre, earnest affair; it’s mostly languid, without any of the dancefloor fodder that made the first such a joy.

Under The Radar 5.0/10 Yes, it's as laid-back and relaxing as pop music can get, but the sparseness has transcended the band's aesthetic and wormed its way into their hitherto impressive creative oeuvre

Clash 8/10 While the lyrics are a little lacking, the sonics remain impressive enough to divert attention.

The Observer 4/5 Coexist is yet another masterpiece of lush asceticism.

Loud and Quiet 8/10 If it sounds a lot like the band’s first album it also sounds like they’ve worked hard to maintain that level of poise.

Slant 3/5 Despite the fact that Coexist is both gorgeous and thoughtful, it’s difficult not to be disappointed by its anticlimactic drift.

Pop Matters 6/10 It’s hard not to feel that one of the year’s most anticipated releases only keeps you waiting and waiting for something more to happen.

The Guardian 4/5 For the most part Coexist's songs are defined as much by space as by sound. The gaps bring greater emphasis to the spidery guitar lines, the occasional steel pan, the distant icicles of piano, and the voices of Romy Madley-Croft and Oliver Sim.

Spectrum Culture 65% If Coexist represents an intention to skip the third record, cool down and head back to putting out hot beats, the xx might still be on to something.

Beats Per Minute 81% The end result is a quieted, more suppressed record that steps delicately from one note to the next and shines even more of a spotlight on the twin vocal sentiments of longing and crumbled romance.

The Telegraph 4/5 Coexist may not sound as dramatically original as their debut but it is every bit as other-worldly, like eavesdropping on intimate conversations between forlorn lovers on a space station orbiting around a distant planet.

Uncut 9/10 So sultry and sensual it makes The xx sound like beginners’ luck, Coexist is going to be the midnight soundtrack to thousands of seductions over the next few decades.