X’s is the third album from Cigarettes After Sex and it begins with the title track, setting off the out-of-body journey I was taken on while listening to the record. Lead vocalist and writer Greg Gonzalez’s whispery vocals combine with gentle guitar riffs in a track of utter yearning. The raw lyrics and vulnerability from Gonzalez are heart-breaking at points throughout the record, yet it would not be a Cigarettes After Sex album if it doesn’t completely shatter your soul in ways unimaginable.

One of my favourite aspects of the record is the minimalistic approach to arrangements, each opening contains light piano work and gentle guitar riffs which slowly increase as we reach the chorus. ‘Tejano Blue’ is a perfect example of this as it finds the perfect level of ambience; each chorus ending with a beautiful riff as Gonzalez repeats “forever and always”’. If I closed my eyes and heard a sound to describe the yearning of heartbreak this track is precisely what it would sound like.

X’s follows a unique narrative of longing and pain of the past, each song addressing a different aspect. ‘Silver Sable’ discusses the sort of telepathy felt between two people in love with “I know how you feel from the way that you hold me” sticking to me. Listening to this track genuinely just made me want to be in love and reminded me yet again that I am not;  thank god for this record to sooth my soul. This album is definitely one for the melancholic, serial overthinkers and those who have never gotten over anything, ever.

Gonzalez’s androgynous vocals are integral to the band’s sound with each new song uncovering another layer of intimacy and creates that cinematic feel, as though a new time and place of vulnerability is revealed due to careful layering and emotionally charged vocals. That said, my only fault with the album is that it doesn’t feel extremely new in the sense that although this is a deeply talented band, each song sounds very similar to me. With only slight changes in instrumentals and new lyrics I cannot decipher any key differences from their previous albums.

Upon listening, I was transcended into what felt like another dimension of dream pop; it’s easy to get lost in the album without any sense of what track I was listening to. The ability to completely transcend into another realm whilst listening to this record is a unique strength of the band, though the lack of variation is frustrating.