The moment Jamie xx’s thundering drum and horn samples on “Dangerous” open up The xx’s long-awaited third album, I See You, we instantly forget the sullen basement laments of the band’s lackluster sophomore release, Coexist. “Dangerous” teems with life and a vibrancy that the band dug deep to extract. Allowing Jamie to have a more central role in the production of I See You was a necessary move for a band that had to deliver on this album in order to stay relevant. While I See You maintains a palpable energy through 10 excellent tracks, it’s the way “Dangerous” explodes from the get-go, and how Oliver Sim and Romy Madley-Croft find a symbiotic balance within Jamie’s canvas, that makes this the most goosebump-raising moment on the record. —Adrian Spinelli
