Smoke & Fiction

Smoke & Fiction
Smoke & Fiction
Studio album by X
Released	August 2, 2024
Studio	MANT, Eagle Rock, Los Angeles, California, US; Sunset Sound, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, US;
Genre	Punk rock
Length	28:31
Label	Fat Possum
Producer	Rob Schnapf
X chronology

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,^[2] slated to last into 2025.^[3]

"[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^[1]

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".^[3] 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".^[4]

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

References

^ Chick, Stevie (July 17, 2024). "LA punk legends X: 'The violence didn't bother me as much as the spitting!'". Music. The Guardian. ISSN 1756-3224. OCLC 60623878. Retrieved July 23, 2024.
^ Brannigan, Paul (June 26, 2024). "Los Angeles punk veterans X announce final album Smoke & Fiction". Louder Sound. Future plc. Retrieved July 23, 2024.
^ ^a ^b Larsen, Peter (July 17, 2024). "For legendary LA punk band X, there's a final album and tour, but not a farewell". Things to Do > Music + Concerts. Los Angeles Daily News. Retrieved July 23, 2024.
^ Breihan, Tom (June 25, 2024). "X Announce Final Album & Farewell Tour". New Music. Stereogum. Retrieved July 23, 2024.

External links

Smoke & Fiction at MusicBrainz (list of releases)

[guardint-1] Chick, Stevie (July 17, 2024). "LA punk legends X: 'The violence didn't bother me as much as the spitting!'". Music. The Guardian. ISSN 1756-3224. OCLC 60623878. Retrieved July 23, 2024.

[tour-2] Brannigan, Paul (June 26, 2024). "Los Angeles punk veterans X announce final album Smoke & Fiction". Louder Sound. Future plc. Retrieved July 23, 2024.

[ladn-3] Larsen, Peter (July 17, 2024). "For legendary LA punk band X, there's a final album and tour, but not a farewell". Things to Do > Music + Concerts. Los Angeles Daily News. Retrieved July 23, 2024.

[sgbbx-4] Breihan, Tom (June 25, 2024). "X Announce Final Album & Farewell Tour". New Music. Stereogum. Retrieved July 23, 2024.

[2]

[3]

[1]

[4]