In Waves

Nine years on from In Colour, In Waves arrives with a quiet confidence that feels earned rather than overstated. Written and recorded over four years, the album reflects a period of motion and introspection, something Jamie xx himself describes as a series of shared and solitary “waves”. The result is a record that leans into that duality, balancing the immediacy of the dancefloor with something more inward-looking.

From the outset, In Waves is more overtly club-facing than its predecessor. Tracks like “Baddy on the Floor”, featuring Honey Dijon, and “Treat Each Other Right” are built with scale in mind, clearly designed for late-night systems and collective release. Yet what gives the album its shape is not just volume or momentum, but restraint. Even at its most euphoric, there is a sense of control, a producer carefully guiding energy rather than letting it spill over.

That tension carries across the collaborations. Appearances from Romy and Oliver Sim reconnect Jamie xx with the emotional core of his work in The xx, while guests like Robyn, Panda Bear, John Glacier and Kelsey Lu expand the palette without overwhelming it. These moments rarely feel like features for their own sake. Instead, they slot neatly into the album’s architecture, reinforcing its shifting moods rather than disrupting them.

There is also a clear dialogue with dance music’s past. “Wanna” folds in samples from Double 99’s “RipGroove” and Tina Moore’s “Never Gonna Let You Go”, while “Still Summer” draws on “Nights in White Satin”. These references are not nostalgic in a heavy-handed way. They feel absorbed into the record’s language, part of a broader attempt to connect personal memory with shared musical history.

The wider rollout reinforces that intention. A residency at Venue MOT in London, a Glastonbury performance featuring collaborators, and a run of intimate record store shows all point towards an artist thinking as much about experience as output. This is music designed to exist in physical spaces, to be felt as much as heard.

Critically, In Waves has been received with consistent praise, earning a Metacritic score of 84. Much of that acclaim centres on its ability to deliver on its own premise. It is, as intended, fun, joyful and introspective, often within the same track. When it falters, it does so gently, never straying far from its core.

If In Colour captured a moment, In Waves feels more reflective. It is less about discovery and more about refinement, an artist returning with a clearer understanding of what makes their music resonate. The dancefloor remains central, but here it is framed as a space for memory, emotion and connection as much as release.