X - Smoke & Fiction (2024) (Hi-Res)

Formed in 1977, X is pushing up against a half century as a band, watching their friends in the Germs, the Bags, Black Flag and even chart toppers the Go-Go's come and go. Sure, X hasn't been totally active that entire time, but no one, especially the band themselves, expected their run to last as long as it has. If you've read this far, you're more than likely familiar with X—the Los Angeles band with a now-classic debut LP named after their hometown that helped set the standard for arty punk and influenced a generation, expanding the movement in SoCal to the far reaches of the world in the late '70s and early '80s. Between the duelling John Doe and Exene Cervenka vocals, the Americana-influenced early punk riffs and the great songwriting, X cemented their place as a key band of the early punk movement, one that could be said in the same breath as Talking Heads, Ramones, and Television.

Smoke & Fiction is the final record from X, which will be accompanied by the band's final tour. It's a record that has no business being as good as it is, especially for a band this late in their career and especially after 2020's similarly excellent Alphabetland. Smoke & Fiction is an album written by a band that is showing their age in the best of ways—through maturity, decades of songwriting, and inter-band harmony—creating a cohesive whole and a fun ride throughout. They haven't forgotten how to rock (see "Big Black X," "Baby & All"), can gallop and rip just as hard as these whippersnappers ("Sweet Til the Bitter End") and aren't afraid to shy away from loud guitars when the occasion calls ("Face in the Moon"). This is a band on a roll, producing some of their most memorable songs in decades in a style that they own, not a band struggling for relevance in the twilight of their career.

X had no need to release a final record, and certainly not one executed with the level of care and fun put into Smoke & Fiction. In fact, no one would have blamed them if they did the same thing as every legacy band and just sailed away with a W during a final tour. But X is different. X is not here to remind you of how good they used to be, they're here to remind you how good they are—just before they call it all off—with one of the best records of their career. © Fred Pessaro

Tracklist
1. Ruby Church (02:07)
2. Sweet Til The Bitter End (02:31)
3. The Way It Is (03:29)
4. Flipside (03:00)
5. Big Black X (03:35)
6. Smoke & Fiction (03:04)
7. Struggle (02:19)
8. Winding Up the Time (02:52)
9. Face in the Moon (03:04)
10. Baby & All (02:31)