X's Clear + Deluxe Vinyl + CD + Cassette

With Xrsquos, Cigarettes After Sex finally takes center stage as not just one of todayrsquos preeminent indie bands, but as one of the most globally accomplished acts across any genre, whose often unconventional path to superstardom has helped reshape the very definition of success for artists in the modern era.Filled with raw, imagistic, sometimes smutty vignettes set to entrancing, slowburn pop songs, bandleader Greg Gonzalez captures every emotion a romantic arc inspires. But where previous albums have drawn from an amalgam of relationships, for the most part, Xrsquos centralizes on just one relationship that spanned four years. ldquoThe record feels brutal,rdquo admits Gonzalez. ldquoI could sit and talk about this loss to someone, but that wouldnrsquot scratch the surface. I have to really write about it, sing about it, have the music, and then I can start to analyze and learn from it. Or just relive itmdashin a good way. I donrsquot have that Eternal Sunshinething of wanting to forget.rdquoWhile continuing to observe classic pop song structures, Gonzalez has moved away from the prior sonic touchstones of the rsquo50s and rsquo60s, finding himself now drawn to a rsquo70srsquo80s slow dance. While in typical Cigarettes style these changes may be subtle, the overall resulting energy is akin to disco ballrefracted tears on the dance floor.