Cigarettes After Sex

Released in 2018 via Partisan Records, Cigarettes After Sex’s X’s is a dreamy, intimate, and atmospherically lush album that solidifies the band’s signature blend of ambient pop and slowcore. The record envelops listeners in a haze of reverb-drenched guitars, soft percussion, and Greg Gonzalez’s whispery, emotive vocals, creating a meditative and deeply romantic listening experience.

The album opens with Heavenly, immediately immersing the listener in shimmering guitars and Gonzalez’s delicate, breathy delivery. Throughout X’s, tracks such as K. and You’re All I Want explore themes of love, desire, and longing, maintaining a consistent mood of introspection and ethereal melancholy.

Instrumentation is minimalist yet evocative. Gentle guitar lines, subtle bass, and restrained percussion combine to form immersive textures, allowing Gonzalez’s vocals to float above the arrangements. The slow pacing and careful layering of instruments enhance the dreamlike quality of the album, emphasizing mood over traditional song structure.

Production is lush and immersive, highlighting the warmth and intimacy of the performances. Reverb and delay create a sense of space that draws the listener into the album’s emotional world, while the clarity ensures that each note and vocal nuance is felt.

X’s is not an album for urgency; it is contemplative, soothing, and romantic, rewarding listeners with its subtle textures and emotional depth.

Ultimately, X’s stands as a definitive statement from Cigarettes After Sex, capturing their ability to transform minimalism, atmosphere, and delicate songwriting into a profoundly immersive and intimate sonic experience.