After a few Spotify listens, I decided I did in fact like The xx and bought their album. It's nice, I like it and I imagine that it will go down as one of my favourites of the year.

But all this 'as equally influenced by Rihanna as they are by The Cure' stuff is a load of shit really, isn't it? I mean they might like Rihanna as much as they do The Cure and maybe take direction from her aesthically or otherwise but this modern RnB sound that so many music journalists (see The Observer and NME) have claimed is readily and overtly prevalent in their music just isn't there as far as I'm concerned. There's a few samples and beats, sure, but the press seem to overplayed that card because the idea of two (or more) genres and sounds converging makes for much more interesting reading.

Not really meant as a pop at anyone, just interested to know if anyone else genuinely hears the RnB sound in The xx or if they other, perhaps better examples of what I'm driving at.