Cigarettes After Sex – X’s

Review

'X's' by Cigarettes After Sex is a journey through the labyrinth of love, loss, and the human condition. This third studio album, released in 2024, is a testament to the band's ability to create a world where emotion and sound intertwine like smoke and mirrors. As Friedrich Nietzsche once said, "There is always some madness in love. But there is also always some reason in madness." This album embodies that paradox, exploring the irrational depths of passion and the cold logic of heartbreak.

The album's sonic palette remains true to the band's ethereal style, with tracks like 'Tejano Blue' and 'Hideaway' serving as portals to intimate moments frozen in time. These songs don't just tell stories; they create emotional landscapes that listeners can inhabit. The subtle shift towards 80's pop influences in tracks like 'Baby Blue Movie' adds a new dimension to their sound, reminiscent of Roland Barthes' concept of 'punctum' - that detail which pricks us, bruises us, is poignant to us.

As the album progresses, it delves into the aftermath of love lost. 'Dark Vacay' and 'Ambien Slide' paint a picture of emotional desolation that calls to mind Sartre's exploration of nothingness. Yet, even in its darkest moments, the album maintains a hypnotic allure, inviting listeners to find beauty in melancholy. What does this duality say about our relationship with pain? How does music serve as a medium for processing complex emotions? And ultimately, can art transform personal tragedy into universal truth? - Maura