X's

On X’s, Cigarettes After Sex stretch their hazy, heartbroken pop to cinematic new depths. Greg Gonzalez trades whispered confessions for something heavier and more exposed — a soundtrack to the slow ache of lost love, rendered in soft focus and late-night neon.

Recorded between 2020 and 2022, X’s leans further into ambient pop and shoegaze textures, but with a pulse drawn straight from the slow-dance ballads of the ’70s and ’80s. “Tejano Blue” nods to Gonzalez’s El Paso roots, blending the shimmer of Cocteau Twins with the bittersweet romance of Selena. “Dark Vacay” and “Hideaway” unfold like blurred snapshots of love lost and briefly found, while “Baby Blue Movie” slips between tenderness and quiet hedonism.

There’s a deeper sadness here — a bruised sincerity that lingers long after the final note of “Ambien Slide” fades. X’s is a gorgeously wounded record, inviting you to wallow, to remember, and maybe even to heal.