Music reviews: Jamie XX, Florence and the Machine, Major Lazer

Electronic music producer Jamie Smith, better known as Jamie xx and one-third of London indie band The xx, was not even born when rave music emerged in Britain in the late 1980s, yet the 25-year-old’s fascination with the culture certainly runs deep.

If we can judge by his previous remix work and this long-awaited debut solo album, In Colour, his understanding of the genres that make up the underground scene is extensive. Blending bleeps, bloops and breakbeats, with euphoric synth runs and hushed vocals from his xx bandmates, the album sounds simple on first listen, but dig beneath the surface of layered melodies, and there’s a lot going on.

Opener Gosh sounds like a proper dance-floor banger, but in fact it’s a cleverly gathered collection of garage elements mixed with a long melancholic groove that sounds strangely fresh and nostalgic. The feeling continues throughout, as Smith shows a unique talent for producing an album that transports you back to those glorious heady days, when dance music was truly dance music, and yet still sounds so invigorating.

Jamie xx In Colour (Young Turks)