The xx have released the second official single from their upcoming album I See You. The soothing new single "Say Something Loving" features yet another sample, this time they use a part from the Alessi Brothers' 1978 track "Do You Feel It?"
"Say Something Loving" features vocal interplay between Oliver Sim and the recently engaged Romy Madley Croft. They sing the choruses together and each handle short verses back to back, while Croft's signature guitar plucks permeate through the mix.
The sensual love ballad explores the new feeling of love and opening up one self, despite being insecure and not used to others loving you.
"You say something loving / It's so overwhelming, the thrill of affection / Feels so unfamiliar / You say something loving / Without hesitation it hits me, hits me / It feels so unfamiliar," sing Sim and Croft in the second hook.
The group hinted at a new song on New Years Day, where they included a short video of the group singing the song on karaoke in Tokyo.
This is the second single to emerge from The xx's upcoming album I See You. Their single "On Hold" also features a different sample -- cutting up a small vocal bit from Hall & Oates "I Can't Go For that (No Can Do)" in the hook. They also premiered a new song "I Dare You" during their Nov. 20 Saturday Night Live gig.
Stream "Say Something Loving" below and pre-order the 10-track LP on iTunes.