LA’s seminal punk rockers, of course, surprised us all four years ago with the release of their first album in twenty seven years. Alphabetland was a formidable comeback, full of the hallmarks of their heyday, and now, in 2024, I am extremely happy to report that Smoke & Fiction not only continues its predecessor’s rich vein of form, but somehow manages to surpass it.
Some bands age more gracefully than others. Without naming any names, there are quite a few who not only are pensioners but actually sound like they are too. Not a bit of it with X. After all, Smoke & Fiction is delightfully brash, vibrant and full of the fervour of youth, Exena Cervenka’s vocals most notable in their exuberance.
It’s hard to pick a favourite track, as the record is simply one of the most fun releases you’ll hear this year. There are ten songs here, and every one of them leaves you on a high, as though you’ve just had one of the best nights out, ever.
Starting with the Ramones meets Beach Boys ‘Ruby Church‘ by way of Dr. Feelgood, R.E.M. and perhaps even Green On Red, Smoke & Fiction never really lets up throughout, each track dripping with the sweat and shimmer of Billy Zoom‘s irresistibly grungy guitar, almost surf punk in places. In fact, ‘The Way It Is‘ contains a brief instrumental passage that brings to mind Neil Young and Crazy Horse‘s superb ‘Powderfinger‘. It doesn’t take long to learn how these songs go, and it takes even less time to love them. It’s one of the most immediate long players I’ve heard in a long time.
Hints of early Blondie aren’t really a massive surprise. In fact, nothing is, really, as X sound exactly how you’d expect them to, but the one major revelation here is just how strong the songs are this time around. If Alphabetland was the theme park, Smoke & Mirrors is the white knuckle thrill ride. ‘Struggle‘ and ‘Winding Up The Time‘ in particular are both about two and a half minutes of defiant, rip-roaring ebullience.
It’s taken me ages to write this review because I just have to keep getting up and jumping around while it plays. You can’t just sit there while this is on.
Consistently brilliant, exciting and an absolute tonic. This is the band’s final album and they simply could not have ended their career on a better note. Fabulous.
