“I found that within those gutting feelings, the more I leaned into the longing and became witness to the uncontrollable, I was brought closer to peace.”
Brijean Murphy
“I have to confront everything I went through, that’s just how I make peace.”
Greg Gonzalez
The two albums I reviewed for July 12th have a couple of similarities. X’s by Cigarettes After Sex and Macro by Brijean were both recorded in southern California, and both albums focus on the theme of allowing oneself to be consumed by heartbreak to overcome it. However, Brijean used their day disco psychedelia pop to “Get Lost” on “Euphoric Ave” and take their listeners on a “Roller Coaster” of emotions while they are “Workin’ On It.” Cigarettes After Sex goes in another direction; they “Hideaway,” “Holding You, Holding Me,” while the “Dreams From Bunker Hill” are liked a “Hot,” “Dark Vacay.”
The Cigarettes After Sex Stats
Cigarettes After Sex has over 24 million monthly listeners on Spotify, and their most popular song, “Apocalypse,” has over 1.3 billion listens.
I shared these stats because I have never listened to the band. That does not surprise me because I listen to a very regular set of music, especially lately: Live Phish from 1998, LCD Soundsystem songs radio, Brijean, WRTI a broadcast of Temple University, and songs related to the Kendrick Lamar and Drake beef. Also, for those of you who have read my reviews before, you know that I am looking for songs and sounds for my summer playlist at this point in the year. However, with all that being stated, I have to admit that if my writing had a first cousin, it would be the music of Cigarettes After Sex. Let me give you a little more background.
A Quick Background Comment or Two
I am going to paraphrase the band’s PR bio.
The creation of Cigarettes After Sex came after a hopeless breakup. Along a two-hour drive to play a show, Greg Gonzalez, the frontman, listened to Sade’s “By Your Side” on repeat. He found that the song shared emotions he wanted to capture in his music. Hence, Cigarettes After Sex.
Unfortunately, we’ve all been there. Maybe not with that song. One of mine from my high school years was “Damn I Wish I Was Your Lover” by Sophie B. Hawkins. I also owned a cassette single of “(Everything I Do) I Do It For You” by Bryan Adams that I played on my boombox over and over again.
However, I want you to notice two significant differences. Firstly, both of my songs led to somewhat upbeat and fiery moments. I needed that hope; it was like a musical defibrillator, restoring my natural tenacity and resilience. Secondly, nothing came from those moments besides the memories and possibly a stronger connection to music.
Reason For That Background Info
In the 80s and 90s, I listened to R&B, Soul, and whatever Frente! was, but Sade was a little too soft, a little too jazz for me at the time. I wasn’t ready for her. However, Greg Gonzalez connected with her musically, lyrically, and emotionally. He saw growth from it. And X’s is a continuation of what he started.
X’s
Somehow, I made it here. Yet, if you have been listening and reading between the lines, you will have seen the composition of this album. It is sitting on the couch, alone, in an empty home, looking through the photos on your phone. You are feeling the emotions that each picture brings as you decide which ones you can keep. Although you want every one of them, deep within your heart, you know that some, if not all, must be deleted. Yet, alone in your own world of reflection and reminiscing, you allow yourself to feel each of those emotions one more time.
Musically, X’s is like watching old home movies shot on a Super 8 camera while you are hidden away in an attic. It is slow and nostalgic. The guitars are a giant pillow you lie on; the percussion is your heartbeat. Gonzalez’s androgynous vocals are your thoughts speaking to you. It is a mood, a vibe. Internal. Dreamy. Time is slowed. If you are not careful, you will live there forever.
Final Thought
I admit my review seems somewhat scattered, but I suggested that it emulates the timelessness of X’s as a collection of thoughts that live in the ethereality. They are there to be selected in no formal order. Yet the question remains, “Did any of it really happen?”
Favorite Songs: “Tejano Blue,” “Hideaway,” and “Ambien Slide”
Rating - 4.9 out of 5.0 (because I think this album is going to be loved by their millions of monthly listeners.)
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