Cigarettes After Sex's third studio album, X's (released July 12, 2024), is widely regarded as their most cohesive and personal work to date. Centered on a single four-year relationship, it maintains the band's signature "slowcore" and dream-pop atmosphere while exploring the "bruised beauty" of heartbreak. Critical Consensus
Critics generally gave the album favorable reviews, noting that while it doesn't deviate from the band's established formula, it refines it into a "consistent little comfy album".
Strengths: Many reviewers praised the "impeccable production" and "tranquilizing" atmosphere, calling it a "moody masterpiece" perfect for late-night listening.
Weaknesses: Some critics pointed out a lack of musical variety and "lyrical redundancies," with a few noting heavy vocal compression that can make lyrics hard to decipher. Key Tracks & Sound
The album blends 1970s and '80s slow-dance pop ballads with signature heavy reverb and Greg Gonzalez's androgynous, hushed vocals.
"Tejano Blue": A standout lead single inspired by Gonzalez's Texas roots, featuring bright arpeggios and a "Southern swing".
"X's": The title track and opener, described as a "mirrorball slow dance" through memories of new love.
"Baby Blue Movie": Noted for its soft-grunge riffs and raw vulnerability.
"Ambien Slide": The closing track, which uses a "moody riff" and "punchy bassline" to capture the helplessness of a breakup. User Sentiment Cigarettes After Sex – X's - The Wee Review
It was the kind of gray afternoon that made you want to press your forehead against cold glass and watch the world blur. I found the zip drive tucked inside a cracked copy of Blue Bell Knoll at a thrift store on Sunset. Not hidden, exactly—more like abandoned. A small silver thing, no bigger than a key, with "X-39" scratched into the metal in uneven strokes.
Back in my apartment, I held it like a grenade. The air outside smelled of rain and old asphalt. I plugged it into my laptop, and a single folder appeared, named songs for the end of the night.
Inside were nine audio files. No titles, just timestamps. The first one started with a hiss—the sound of a room, a distant highway, a breath. Then a guitar, slow and dripping reverb like honey off a spoon. A voice, barely above a whisper, began to sing:
"You held my hand in the back of the taxi / You said forever tastes like smoke / Now I’m standing in your empty closet / Counting the buttons you left broke."
I played it three times. Then the second. Then the third. Each song was a small funeral for something unnamed—a touch, a lie, a motel room at 3 a.m. The music felt like the band Cigarettes After Sex if they’d recorded inside a sinking ship. Slow. Wet. Devastating.
I did what anyone would do. I searched the name. X-39. Nothing. No artist, no label, no forum thread. It was as if the songs had been pressed directly into the zip drive from a dream.
Two weeks later, I got an email. No subject. No name. Just a line: “You found the drive. Play track seven at midnight in a parked car. Any car. Send me the recording.” No return address. The metadata on the email showed only a timestamp: 3:14 a.m., same as the length of track four.
I should have deleted it. Instead, that night I sat in my 1997 Honda Civic outside a 24-hour laundromat, the windows fogged, the radio off. Track seven was different. No guitar. Just a piano, one note held down until it shivered into overtones, and then that voice again, closer now, as if kneeling beside my seat:
"You were the cigarette after sex / The smoke I didn’t want to exhale / Now you’re just the ash on my jacket / And I wear you everywhere I fail."
I recorded it on my phone. Sent it to the address.
The next morning, the zip drive was gone from my desk. In its place, a single Polaroid: a woman’s hand holding a cassette tape labeled X-39. The background was my bedroom. The timestamp on the photo read the exact minute I’d sent the email.
I never heard the songs again. But sometimes, late at night, when the freeway sounds like a distant ocean, I catch myself humming the melody to track seven. And for a second, I swear I feel someone exhale next to me, warm and gone.
Cigarettes After Sex — X–39’s Zip
He carries the cigarette lighter like a relic, a slim metal heart that remembers other fires. It clicks open with a sound like regret, and for a moment the streetlight pools around his hand, turning asphalt into a soft, indifferent sea.
She folds her coat around the moon of her shoulders, a brittle calm beneath which the city hums. They stand close enough that their shadows braid, not touching, but learning the outline of each other as if mapping a coastline neither plans to cross.
The smoke moves between them in careful grammar— a slow, blue apology that says what lips cannot: that longing is a thing that fits in small containers, that memory can be passed hand to hand like a charged coin, warm and dangerous.
He remembers the zip—X–39—etched in code, a locker of past confessions, names folded into numbers. An address for surrender that never quite takes form, where soft vowels were traded for the hard currency of silence. She knows the number by the way his thumb hesitates, as if certain numerals could hold back tides.
Night presses in, and the city exhales a distant train. Their conversation is mostly whitespace: the space between inhale and answer, the thin ledger where "maybe" and "not yet" are logged. Underneath, something patient and enormous keeps time— a tide that does not demand reunion, only recognition. Cigarettes After Sex X--39-s Zip
He lights another cigarette. The flame is small and honest. She watches the smoke arrange itself into a script that neither of them can read but both interpret. They are archivists of what they refuse to name, cataloguing breaches of the heart with polite, exacting hands.
When they finally move apart, the night retains their shape: an imprint in the dark, a soft cartography of nearlys. The lighter goes back into his pocket like a promise unkept, the zip—X–39—left unopened between palm and memory. And in the space where they separated, a single cigarette burns slower, as if unwilling to end the sentence that started with them.
refers to the third studio album by American dream-pop band Cigarettes After Sex , released on July 12, 2024
. The title specifically references the famous "Last Sitting" photographs of Marilyn Monroe taken by Bert Stern, where she marked "X's" over images she didn't want published. Partisan Records Album Overview Produced and written by frontman Greg Gonzalez
, the album was recorded in Los Angeles between August 2020 and February 2022. While the band's previous work often drew from various relationships,
is a concept album focusing on the narrative of a single four-year relationship and its eventual end. Blinded by the Floodlights
The album consists of 10 tracks, maintaining the band's signature ambient pop and slowcore sound: (Titular track) Tejano Blue (Lead single) Silver Sable Holding you, Holding me Dark Vacay Baby Blue Movie Dreams From Bunker Hill Ambien Slide Themes and Lyrics
Cigarettes After Sex — X's (2024) Dream Pop / Slowcore ... - VK
The album X’s by Cigarettes After Sex, released on July 12, 2024, marks a significant evolution for the ambient pop band, moving from a collection of various vignettes to a concentrated exploration of a single, four-year relationship. The Vision and Title Behind "X's"
The title of the album and its opening track, "X's," is a direct homage to the famous "Crucifix in a Death Chest" photographs of Marilyn Monroe taken by Bert Stern for Vogue in 1962. These images, captured just weeks before her death, featured red "X's" marked over the negatives Monroe did not approve of, symbolizing a mix of beauty, rejection, and finality.
Frontman Greg Gonzalez chose this title to reflect the "sweetness and sadness" of a romance that occurred in his Hollywood Hills home, where most of the album was recorded. The album serves as a cinematic haze of memories, capturing the trajectory of a doomed romance from its "love-drunk" early days to its eventual collapse. Musical Style and Production
Consistent with their established sound, X's features the band's signature slow-burn pop and heavy reverb, often likened to 1970s and 1980s slow-dance ballads.
Dreamy Atmosphere: The production is designed to feel like a "warm, scented bath," blending dusky electric guitar beats with Gonzalez's hushed, androgynous vocals.
Shoegaze Influence: Tracks like “Silver Sable” showcase melancholic melodies and pensive lyrics, typical of the shoegaze genre.
Raw Honesty: While some critics find the lyrics "unoriginal," others praise the dark sense of honesty and raw vignettes that capture the emotional arc of a romantic partnership. Key Tracks and Themes
The album's 10-track journey explores various facets of intimacy and longing: Review: X's - Cigarettes After Sex - Forge Press
The keyword "Cigarettes After Sex X--39-s Zip" appears to be a search-engine-friendly variation for the band's third studio album, X's, often searched by fans looking for digital downloads or leaked "zip" files. Released on July 12, 2024, through Partisan Records, the album marks a significant thematic shift for the El Paso-formed dream pop group. The Concept: A Post-Mortem of a Relationship
Unlike the band’s previous records, which often drew from a collection of different romantic encounters, X's is a conceptual deep dive into a single four-year relationship. Frontman Greg Gonzalez has described the record as "brutal," serving as a musical autopsy that captures the raw, imagistic arc of a love story from its golden beginnings to its final, melancholic end. Sonic Evolution and Influences
While the album maintains the band's signature "slow-burn pop" style—characterized by hushed, androgynous vocals and heavy reverb—it introduces new sonic territories: Cigarettes After Sex X--39-s Zip ((better))
X’s is the third studio album by the American ambient pop band Cigarettes After Sex, released on July 12, 2024.
The album marks a continuation of the band's signature "slowcore" and dream pop sound, characterized by Greg Gonzalez's hushed vocals and ethereal, reverb-drenched instrumentation. Album Overview Release Date: July 12, 2024.
Lead Singles: "Tejano Blue," "Dark Vacay," and "Baby Blue Movie".
Themes: The album explores themes of intimacy, romance, and hedonism, often using vivid metaphors and direct, conversational lyrics.
Format: Available on streaming platforms, CD, and various vinyl editions, including a limited edition transparent color vinyl and a deluxe edition. Tracklist
The album consists of 10 tracks, totaling approximately 34 minutes: X's (3:03) Tejano Blue (3:54) Silver Sable (3:51) Hideaway (4:36) Holding you, Holding me (3:30) Dark Vacay (3:33) Baby Blue Movie (4:04) Hot (3:57) Dreams From Bunker Hill (3:39) Ambien Slide (3:33) Key Musical Elements
Cigarettes After Sex - X's: Виниловая пластинка на ... - OZON Cigarettes After Sex's third studio album, X's (released
While there is no official product specifically titled "Cigarettes After Sex X--39-s Zip," the band released their third studio album, titled
, in July 2024. Official merchandise for this album includes various apparel items like hoodies and crop tops available through the Cigarettes After Sex Official Store
If you are looking to draft a promotional text or social media caption for a zip-up hoodie or related item from the
collection, here are a few options tailored to the band’s aesthetic: Option 1: Dreamy & Atmospheric (Instagram/Social Media) "Lost in a cinematic haze. 🖤 The new
collection captures the sweetness and sadness of a doomed romance. Wrap yourself in the slow-burn energy of the new album. Explore the official apparel at the Cigarettes After Sex Store Option 2: Short & Minimalist Cigarettes After Sex // X's. New album. New merch.
Featuring minimal designs inspired by the raw, romantic vignettes of the latest record. Cigarettes After Sex Official Apparel Option 3: Fan-Focused (For a gift or review) "Finally wearing the
hoodie. It perfectly matches the breathy, ethereal vibes of the new album. If you've been reliving every stage of heartbreak through Greg Gonzalez's lyrics, this is the essential layer for your next 'main character' moment." Key Product Details from the Collection: Official Items : The current store features an X's Ladies Crop T-Shirt and various Unisex Pullover Hoodies Album Inspiration : The title
was inspired by the famous "crucifix" photos of Marilyn Monroe taken by Bert Stern in 1962. Availability : You can find official merchandise at Forward Merch or browse fan-made designs on platforms like Cigarettes After Sex Store
The air in the room was thick with the scent of rain and stale smoke, a hazy gray that matched the mood of the Cigarettes After Sex record spinning on the turntable. Elias sat by the window, the glow of the streetlights reflecting off a crumpled envelope on the table. Written in a frantic, almost illegible hand across the front was a cryptic sequence: X--39-s Zip.
He had found it tucked into the sleeve of a secondhand vinyl he’d bought at a shop in El Paso. It wasn’t a code, but a feeling—a fragmented memory of a girl named Elena who used to say her soul lived in a "zip file" of unplayed songs and late-night drives.
"X" was the intersection where they first met under a flickering neon sign. "39" was the number of cigarettes they shared on the night they decided to run away, only to realize they had nowhere to go. And the "Zip"? That was the silence between the notes of "K.," the way the world seemed to compress into a single, breathless moment whenever her hand touched his.
As Greg Gonzalez’s androgynous, velvet voice filled the apartment, Elias finally opened the envelope. Inside was no letter, just a small, silver flash drive. When he plugged it in, a single folder appeared, titled with that same string of characters.
He clicked. There were no files—just a live recording of the wind whistling through an open car window and a whispered voice, barely audible over the ambient hum of a highway: "Don't let the music stop, Elias. Some things are meant to be kept in the dark."
He leaned back, lighting a cigarette as the record reached its end. The needle began to scratch against the inner groove, a rhythmic, haunting click that sounded like a heartbeat. He didn't turn it off. In the velvet shadow of the room, the zip wasn't just a file; it was the only way he knew how to hold onto a ghost.
When exploring the "X--39-s Zip" in the context of the band Cigarettes After Sex, we are almost certainly looking at a specific, highly sought-after file designation for their 2012 debut EP, often referred to by fans as the "X-39" sessions or simply the "Blue EP."
While the band is now famous for their 2017 self-titled album and 2019’s Cry, this early EP holds a mythic status in their discography. The "Zip" refers to the digital file folder traded among audiophiles and collectors.
Here is a deep dive into the aesthetic, the mythology, and the sonic architecture of that specific era of Cigarettes After Sex.
For years, the "X-39" tag has been a digital fingerprint for the band’s formative work. The EP, officially self-titled but distinct from their later LP, features the tracks that built their empire: "Apocalypse," "Keep On Loving You," "K." and "Sweet."
In the age of streaming, we take access to these songs for granted. However, the "Zip" represents a time when Cigarettes After Sex was a closely guarded secret of the blogosphere and the darker corners of SoundCloud. Downloading that folder felt like uncovering a hidden tome. It wasn't just a collection of MP3s; it was a mood board for a specific kind of nocturnal loneliness.
Moving past the file name and into the actual content of a band like Cigarettes After Sex, we find "deep features" in the production itself. Gonzalez’s production style is deceptively simple. He utilizes a "deep feature" of the guitar: the volume swell.
In a typical rock song, the attack of the note is the most prominent feature. In CAS, the attack is erased. The guitar sound is compressed and swelled to the point where it resembles a synthesizer or a cello. This is a deep feature of the instrument—an aspect of its physics that is usually ignored or suppressed, brought to the forefront.
The "X--39-s Zip" serves as a metaphor for this production style. Just as the file name is obscured and coded, the guitar signal is obscured by reverb and delay. The listener has to "unzip" the sound, peeling back layers of echo to find the melody underneath.
Long before Greg Gonzalez became the king of melancholic make-out music on TikTok, the band was a cult project circulating through blogs, Soulseek, and early Reddit threads. In the late 2010s, a user on a now-defunct music forum posted a link titled: "Cigarettes After Sex - Complete Rarities & Demos (ZIP)."
For fans who joined during the Cry (2019) or X's (2024) eras, this file is a holy grail. The "Zip" allegedly contains:
Here is the ironic conclusion. Cigarettes After Sex is best experienced in the flow, not the archive.
While hunting for the mythical "Zip" is a fun treasure hunt, the band’s genius lies in their uniformity. X's sounds exactly like Cry, which sounds exactly like their debut. They don't change. Searching for rare demos often ruins the magic—hearing a flat, out-of-tune demo of Apocalypse might actually cheapen the cathedral-like reverb of the real thing. The 2011 EP (Pre-fame): Rawer versions of Nothing's
If you really need the "Zip," simply open Spotify, queue up X's, and press play. The raw, unzipped emotion is already right there in the quiet spaces between the snare hits.
Final SEO Note for Webmasters: To rank for "Cigarettes After Sex's Zip," ensure you embed the official music videos for "X's" and "Tejano Blue" on the page. Also, consider linking to the official CAS Bandcamp where users can legally download high-quality audio files (which are technically .zip downloads). This satisfies user intent for "download" while avoiding pirated content.
The phenomenon of Cigarettes After Sex (CAS) is often described not just as music, but as a specific atmospheric "zip"—a self-contained, compressed aesthetic that has remained remarkably consistent since Greg Gonzalez founded the band. To understand this "zip" is to understand the power of sonic minimalism and the allure of curated melancholy. The Sonic Architecture: Stillness as Substance
At the core of the CAS "zip" is a refusal to move. While most modern music thrives on dynamic shifts and high-octane production, CAS operates within a narrow, monochromatic frequency. The instrumentation is sparse: a slow-thumping bass, a reverb-heavy guitar that feels like it’s drifting through fog, and Gonzalez’s androgynous, whispered vocals. This compression of sound creates an immediate sense of intimacy. It’s the musical equivalent of a Polaroid photo—faded, slightly blurred, but capturing a moment that feels more "real" because of its imperfections. The Visual and Lyrical Synergy
The "zip" extends beyond the ears to the eyes. The band’s strict adherence to black-and-white noir aesthetics—from album covers featuring grainy cinematic stills to their stage lighting—acts as a visual boundary for their world. Lyrically, Gonzalez writes like a voyeur. His songs are vignettes of quiet moments: a look shared in a hallway, the smell of a specific perfume, the silence after a confession. By keeping the lyrics grounded in mundane yet hyper-romantic details, the band allows the listener to project their own memories into the gaps. The Appeal of the Monoculture
In a digital age defined by chaotic "content," Cigarettes After Sex offers a rare constant. Critics sometimes knock the band for their lack of stylistic evolution, but this "zip"—this airtight consistency—is exactly why they have a global cult following. Whether it’s their 2012 EP or their latest release, you know the emotional temperature of the room you’re walking into. They aren't trying to reinvent the wheel; they are trying to perfect a specific mood of longing and late-night reflection. Conclusion
The "Cigarettes After Sex Zip" is a masterclass in branding and emotional resonance. By shrinking their musical world down to its most essential elements, the band has created a vast emotional space for their audience. They prove that you don’t need a wall of sound to make an impact; sometimes, a whisper in a dark room is the loudest thing in the world.
The phrase "Cigarettes After Sex X's" refers to a viral aesthetic and social media trend centered around the ambient pop band Cigarettes After Sex
. The "X" typically serves as a placeholder for a specific mood, a person, or a curated collection of visual and auditory experiences—most notably encapsulated in the "Zip" file culture of the early 2020s. The Sonic Atmosphere
To understand the essay of "Cigarettes After Sex," one must understand their sound. Led by Greg Gonzalez’s androgynous, whisper-soft vocals, the music is characterized by reverb-heavy guitars and slow, deliberate tempos. It is "liminal space" music—it exists in the transition between waking and dreaming. The "X" represents the listeners' own projection onto this blank, smoky canvas. Whether it’s a romanticized heartbreak or a quiet late-night drive, the music provides a soundtrack for intimacy and melancholy. The "Zip" and Digital Curation
The mention of "Zip" often refers to the way this subculture was shared in digital spaces like Tumblr, Pinterest, and TikTok. A "Zip" wasn't just a compressed file of MP3s; it was a curated vibe
Monochromatic, noir-style photography, flickering streetlights, and unmade beds.
A specific brand of "sad girl/boy" aesthetic that prioritizes atmosphere over energy. Accessibility:
In an era of overstimulation, the "X's Zip" represents a desire to downshift into a world that is grainy, lo-fi, and deeply personal. Cultural Impact: Why "X"?
The "X" symbolizes the anonymity and universality of the band’s themes. Because the lyrics are often minimalist and the melodies repetitive, the listener can insert their own "X"—their own muse or memory—into the song. This has made the band a staple of "slowed + reverb" YouTube remixes and "aesthetic" playlists. Conclusion
"Cigarettes After Sex X's Zip" is more than a search term; it is a digital time capsule for a generation that finds beauty in the muted and the melancholic. It represents a shift away from the loud, polished production of mainstream pop toward something that feels whispered directly into the ear. In the "Zip" of this subculture, one finds a sanctuary of monochrome romance and quiet introspection. How would you like to explore this aesthetic further—perhaps through a playlist curation or looking into similar ambient artists
Cigarettes After Sex is known for their dreamy, ethereal soundscapes and often introspective lyrics. Their music frequently explores themes of love, intimacy, and existential musings. If "X--39-s Zip" is indeed a track by them, it likely follows these thematic traditions.
If you're looking for information on how to properly listen to or understand the post you're referring to:
Streaming Platforms: You can search for Cigarettes After Sex on music streaming platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, or YouTube Music. Their discographies are available, including singles, EPs, and full-length albums.
Official Channels: Checking the band's official website or social media channels might lead you to more information about specific releases, upcoming tours, or behind-the-scenes insights.
Music Blogs and Reviews: Websites like Pitchfork, Stereogum, and NME often feature reviews and interviews with artists, which can provide deeper insights into their work.
Here is the crucial warning label. When you search for "Cigarettes After Sex's Zip," you are often traversing the dark gray area of music piracy.
Most of the original "Rarities Zip" files from 2015-2018 were illegal rips. The band has never officially released a "B-sides" or "Demos" compilation. Greg Gonzalez is known for being a perfectionist; if a track didn't make the album, he often prefers it stay in the vault.
However, in 2023, the band leaned into the archive culture. They began releasing Official Bootleg Series via Bandcamp. While not called "Zip," these digital downloads essentially serve the same purpose: selling high-quality live recordings directly to the hardcore fan.
Pro-tip: Before hunting for a shady mediafire link, check the band’s official Bandcamp page. You can often purchase a digital "Zip" of a live show legally, ensuring the money goes toward more ethereal reverb pedals for Greg.
The music inside that zip file is not standard indie rock. It is a masterclass in what critics eventually termed "ambient pop" or "haze pop."
Greg Gonzalez, the band's frontman and creative engine, constructed a sound on these tracks that is paradoxically massive and intimate.