How Jamie xx's In Waves Proved Patience Pays Off

Jamie xx released his debut solo album In Colour in 2015 to universal acclaim. Then he essentially disappeared for nine years. No solo releases. Minimal public presence. In Waves arrived in 2024 and justified every day of that wait with an album that refined and expanded his sonic vision.

The nine-year framing needs a correction. He was not silent. He mixed and produced The xx's I See You in 2017, put out Idontknow and Let's Do It Again in 2020 and Kill Dem in 2021, and he never stopped DJing. What he did not do was release an album before it was finished, which is a different and rarer discipline than disappearing.

In Colour was a landmark in electronic music, fusing UK rave nostalgia with Caribbean rhythms and digital-age emotion. Loud Places with Romy became a modern classic. The album defined a particular mid-2010s feeling of euphoria tinged with melancholy. Following it was a high-pressure proposition.

His method is built on digging. Loud Places is constructed around a lift from Idris Muhammad's 1977 track Could Heaven Ever Be Like This. I Know There's Gonna Be (Good Times) takes its hook from The Persuasions' a cappella Good Times. He treats a sample as a subject rather than a shortcut: the source stays recognisable, and the weight comes from you hearing two eras collide inside one bar.

If In Colour is the entry point, We're New Here is the record that explains him. In 2011 he was handed the multitracks to Gil Scott-Heron's final album, I'm New Here, and rebuilt it from the ground up, putting that voice over UK bass weight, dubstep space and garage shuffle. He was 22. It remains the best argument for what he actually does, which is arrangement.

In Waves doesn't repeat In Colour's formula. Instead, it pushes deeper into the dance floor while maintaining emotional resonance. Tracks like Treat Each Other Right and Baddy on the Floor are more explicitly club-oriented, while Life and Still Summer show he can still build atmosphere with minimalist restraint.

The collaborator list reflects his taste: Robyn, The Avalanches, Honey Dijon, Kelsey Lu, and Panda Bear all appear. Each feature serves the song rather than the brand, with Jamie's production maintaining cohesion across diverse vocal styles.

On In Waves the features are placed rather than stacked. Waited All Night brings back both Romy and Oliver Sim, making it an xx record in everything but name. Honey Dijon carries Baddy on the Floor into Chicago house. The Avalanches turn up on All You Children. None of them get a verse-shaped guest slot. Each one gets a job.

The nine-year gap matters because it demonstrates a rare commitment to quality over content cycles. In an era where artists release constantly to maintain algorithmic relevance, Jamie xx's patience is a statement. The album sounds like it took nine years because the artist refused to release anything that wasn't right.

In Waves is the rare album that satisfies high expectations while surprising the listener. It proves that the emotional sincerity of In Colour wasn't a moment but a disposition, that Jamie xx's ability to make electronic music feel personal and communal is a permanent gift.

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