Media

The xx: "Shelter" (Them Jeans Drum Edit) (MP3)

5:56 p.m. · August 20, 2009 · by Matthew Richardson

The xx's original cut of "Shelter" is all about vocalist Romy Madley Croft's voice, and the spaces around it. Dim Mak artist Them Jeans fills up that space in the best way possible: drums. The addition of percussion changes "Shelter" from an ambient, down-tempo rock track, into a sultry bit of R&B-ish pop. Instead of indulging in the space around Croft's vocals, this remix highlights her most effective melodic moments; they are mostly little things, like when she decides to make the word "on" in the chorus last two syllables instead of one. A small choice, definitely, but any good song is full of them.