On Jamie xx's highly anticipated second solo album, In Waves simply doesn't execute its ideas or songs enough in a creative or successful way that meets the high standard that In Colour previously set. In Waves has all the vibes but not enough substance.
Jamie xx is best known as the core pivotal member behind the indie pop band The xx but has notably made a name for himself as a solo artist over the past decade. His contributions to The xx are absolutely essential in order for the trio to have their signature sound and style. 2009's xx still retains its immediacy and charm still to this day while the other two albums haven't as much in my opinion. His solo output includes a remix album with Gil-Scott Heron We're New Here (which was sampled into a number one hit by Drake and Rhianna), a scatter of numerous singles, and a debut solo album. That debut being titled In Colour was indeed a smash album within popular music and electronic, really encapsulating Jamie xx as one of the hottest and most forward thinking electronic artists and DJ's around today. It's widely considered as one of the best electronic albums of the decade and it still is a gleefully fun ride. He hasn't been too quiet, releasing standalone singles here and there, but he hasn't been in the cultural spotlight or center stage since.
In many ways, In Waves, his second solo album, attempts to ride on the coattails of In Colour or even surpass it. There are more featured guests, more explosiveness, more BPM, more grooves. It's definitely a fun, sweaty good time, whether you're at the pool party or in the jampacked club. There's more of an attempt at cohesion too, with songs flowing into one another seamlessly. There's even a cinematic quality to the album opener "Wanna" with its grand strings and orchestration promising the listener that they're in for a thrill ride. The ambition certainly is there on paper but is it executed successfully in practice, so much so that it lives up to or even surpasses In Colour? In Waves is very hyped and anticipated and deservedly so, but I can't help but feel underwhelmed by the album's lack of creativity, execution, or originality. In Waves has all the vibes but not enough substance. There are moments of promise that could reach the heights of a "Good Times" or "Loud Places" such as "Baddy on the Floor," which is the album's best track hands down. But the majority doesn't reach that at all and instead can come off as something that might as well be faded into the background.
On paper, the record should be fireworks, especially with the guests. Simple by listing off guest features from Animal Collective's Panda Bear, Robyn, and The Avalanches alone would render Album of the Year to electronic music heads without even hearing a single note of it. But these tracks aren't executed to the high standard that In Colour has set nine years ago. Every track is fine, pleasant, and listenable (I mean, Jamie xx can't mess that up) but it results in a glorified DJ mix of an album that comes off as fun, bouncy, and glossy but not exciting enough to return to for multiple listens. Even an xx reunion track with both The xx's Romy and Oliver Sim should also be fireworks but "Waited All Night" simply ends up being a snoozing dud. It certainly waited all night indeed because its dull chorus is the definition of a throwaway. Another issue with this album is its over usage of vocal samples that annoyingly don't add too much to the album. They're just laid out, flat, and repeated almost infinitely. Tracks like "Treat Each Other Right" or "The Feeling I Get From You" come off as absolutely irritating with its repeated vocal samples, repeating phrases at nauseum without creatively incorporating them into something that's interesting. Artists like Nicolas Jaar have done this successfully in the past, especially through his Against All Logic moniker, and Jamie should try to take more inspiration from music such as Jaar's.
I do applaud some moments on In Waves for being more inventive than others. "Daffodil" doesn't work for me due to its awkward vocals, progression, and song structure clashing together but I do appreciate him trying something super weird and obtuse. "Breather" is a six-minute long beast that is reminiscent of "Hold Tight" with its warm synths, energetic beats, and epic progression and I applaud it despite not going harder. And even though I really don't care for the majority of his vocal samples, it's at least something that differs from his previous record. The instrumentation is pretty, groovy, danceable, and I wouldn't turn my head the other way if I heard it playing in the background at a backyard barbeque. That's the big issue here. In Colour is so sharp, full of detail, and needs your attention in the forefront but also works well in the background. In Waves simply doesn't execute its ideas or songs enough in a creative or successful way that meets the high standard that In Colour previously set. It's disappointing, especially how Jamie xx was able to pull off his last album with such great ambition in such a successful and unique manner that truly set him apart from his contemporaries. It felt pretty unanimous. In Waves is loud, fast paced and fun, but it isn't as hard hitting or memorable for me as it really should be.
My Rating: 6 / 10
Favorite Songs: "Baddy on the Floor," "Breather," "Life," "Wanna"
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