The sun is dropping behind the mountains. A state of languidity is taking over in that lull that follows a day full of festival festivities. A slight haze — dust, smoke, ether — hangs over the masses as darkness approaches. Appropriately and on cue, The XX step into a lull in the day-long party and take the stage. Enrobed in blackness and strobed in white light, they fit the moment exactly. The chiaroscuro of their clothing is echoed by the breathy contrast between deeply masculine and highly feminine voices. The desert air is punctured by minimal beats and harmonies that sparsely dot the oncoming night like the strings of lighted balloons soaring overhead in the desert breeze. This, this moment…this is why you come to Coachella. From their second album — Coexist — this is “Chained” by The XX.
