Mercury Prize Winning Band, 'The xx'. Did they deserve it??
 

This year 'The xx' won a Barclays Mercury Prize award for their eponymous 2009 album. I personally love The xx, and although I didn't see the other nominees, I assume they deserved the award. I've had the album for around a year now and I still haven't really stopped listening to it. But I've seen posts around the internet saying that they should not have won, and that 'the underdogs always get the award'.

What do you guys think? Do you like 'The xx'? Should they have won the award?

Yes.

/thread

That is good to hear :) ...somebody must have an interesting view on this?

I think they did.
An interesting band that can still appeal to the masses.

The fact that it appeals to the masses suprised me at first, but then I could see how after a while. When I first heard them I though that it would the type of band that stays unpopular for a while. Do you think their sound is more indie than mainstream or vice-versa?

I think it's more mainstream tb. But that's quite a good thing, I have a few friends who like them so it's good medium ground. The other candidates this year were **** anyway.

Yeah I suppose it's probably because of the acceptability of their sound... it isn't like metal where you need a certain level of tolerance before you can begin to appreciate it. I remember hearing one of their songs used in a video on the bbc website sometime last year, and now their songs are on a few tv adverts... channel 4 I think?

They may be "mainstream", but damn me if they don't deserve it. If only for the fact they manage to pull off sounding so good with such minimalistic arrangements.

They did to rock music what Yann Tiersen did to the piano.

Yes yes yes.

I wouldn't say so. They weren't my least favourite of the nominees by far, but I think Laura Marling, Mumford and Sons and Biffy Clyro had stronger, more consistent albums. I only like half of The XX.

I don't live in the UK, but I definitely am familiar with all artists I see that were nominated for the Mercury Prize.

I will say that I would have The xx in my top five.

I will not say that theirs was my favorite of the albums on the list, however. I would have picked Mumford and Sons, Corinne Bailey Rae, or Villagers, personally.

Astoundingly I haven't listened to any album from the other nominees, but I really enjoyed the XX. (Aside: I saw them live a couple of months ago and they put on a very powerful, intimate performance)

You obviously havent heard the Villagers debut then. That album should have won in my opinion.

Forgot it was nominated :) it's a good album.

The xx's debut actually didn't do much for me at first. But after several listens I became hooked to the sheer simplicity of their music. Compared to Mumford and Sons, who I don't mind, but lack in the technical shine - and this is what the Mecury prize strives for.

Personally I would of gone with Mumford and Sons, or maybe Villagers.

That being said I really like the xx's album but I'm still not convinced it/they will be something I'll listen to for too long, depending on their next release.

I agree, I don't think anything they will publish can be as good as their debut while still keeping the same style and tone. The downside of this simplicity is that there is only so much you can do with it before repeating yourself, and the first album already has songs that sound very much alike.