X – Ruby Church
Description
In early 2019 Fat Possum Records released two new X songs as a single, followed by the “genuinely good” (per BrooklynVegan) new album Alphabetland on April 22, 2020. On February 9, 2021, Fat Possum released Xtras: two more tracks from the same recording sessions, one being an alternate version. Robby Krieger, of the Doors, played slide guitar on one track each of Alphabetland and of Xtras.
In June 2024, John Doe announced on Facebook that a new X album Smoke & Fiction would be released on August 2, 2024, by Fat Possum Records. A subsequent announcement stated that this would be X’s final album. The album reflects on the band’s early history and the broader world events of those years. The release will be accompanied by an extensive US farewell tour starting July 6, 2024.
| Smoke & Fiction | ||||
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| Released | August 2, 2024 | |||
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| Genre | Punk rock | |||
| Length | 28:31 | |||
| Label | Fat Possum | |||
| Producer | Rob Schnapf | |||
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“[Recording Smoke & Fiction] was taxing. I’m not sure we have the will or energy to do another. As for touring, I never want us to be a shadow of what we were, I want us to go out on top.”
—X bassist and vocalist John Doe on the decision to end recording and touring
Smoke & Fiction is the ninth and final studio album by American punk rock band X. It was released on August 2, 2024. The band also promoted this release with the farewell tour The End Is Near, slated to last into 2025. The album was preceded by the singles “Big Black X” and “Ruby Church”.
Reception
Peter Larsen of Los Angeles Daily News called this release “a terrific record… with the band sounding as strong and inspired as ever, its 10 songs harking back lyrically to the band’s early history, its sound closely following suit”. Discussing lead single “Big Black X” at Stereogum, Tom Breihan stated that it “flashes back to the freewheeling, rockabilly-infused punk rock of their early records” and that “Exene Cervenka‘s voice sounds as intense and titanic as ever”.
Track listing
- “Ruby Church” – 2:07
- “Sweet Til the Bitter End” – 2:31
- “The Way It Is” – 3:29
- “Flipside” – 3:00
- “Big Black X” – 3:34
- “Smoke & Fiction” – 3:04
- “Surreal” – 2:19
- “Winding Up the Time” – 2:52
- “Face in the Moon” – 3:04
- “Baby & All” – 2:31
Personnel
X
- DJ Bonebrake – drums, percussion
- Exene Cervenka – vocals
- John Doe – bass guitar, vocals
- Billy Zoom – guitar, bass guitar
Additional personnel
- Mark Chalecki – audio mastering at Little Red Book Mastering, Los Angeles, California, United States
- Rob Schnapf – production
- Matt Schuessler – audio engineering
