Cigarettes After Sex

Cigarettes After Sex (2017)

eatdogs

I finally took a chance on something new and I came to that

decision based solely on the name of a band and the cover of an album.

Cigarettes After Sex…

So yeah, I jammed the self-titled debut from this little

known, but seems to be blowing up now, band from Brooklyn, NY by way of El

Paso, TX. The cover of the album, stark black with grey lettering, was

intriguing in its minimalism. Sorta reminded me of something Anton Corbijin

would have done as well as the graphic design work of Peter Saville during his

Factory Records days. I like this kind of stuff really.

This music is best described by using an older genre term

named Slow-Core. One of those niche genres that seems to blend in with other

stuff like Dream-Pop and Shoegaze, or even Lo-Fi. You really cannot pinpoint an

exact style because like I said, it is severely blendable, but the Slow-Core

moniker fits best because the music is very much on the mellow end of the

spectrum.

This is for fans of Red House Painters and American Music

Club. If you have never jammed the rollercoaster album by RHP or Everclear by AMC you are missing out on

some the most melon collie stuff out there from Indie Rock 101. In particular,

the exquisite music of RHP who are led by the brilliant Mark Kozelek (also of

Sun Kill Moon).

So to begin, you start playing this album and track one, "K.",

enters with a slow crawl laced with guitar echo that would not be out of place

on some Post-Rock album. Acoustics seep through then bandleader Greg Gonzalez

begins singing and right away, you should get an overall picture of where this

is going; the lonesome sound of anger, pain, and anguish… Prepare yourself,

it does not seem to ever end. It’s like an IV bag drip-feeding grape Robitussin

into your veins and you slowly become numb to the outside all the while

hallucinating on the robo. Moreover, when I say it never ends, it really does

never end. A repetitive style should be a mark against it if not for the very

well done atmosphere upon which the album is built. This is like that background

noise in a dark room sorta thing. Again, I like that kind of stuff.

Gonzalez’s vocals also remind me of Dean Wareham from cult

band Galaxy 500* which is awesome. They are soft, but higher pitched. This

could be a total Goth album if Gonzalez sang with a baritone crooning style and

the band used a drum machine. Man… Galaxy 500 were soooo good!

Picking individual tracks is hard when all seem same-ish,

but a few stand out. There is the track “Apocalypse” where the band has a huge

Mazzy Star feel crossed with perhaps the Cowboy Junkies. The lyrical lush of

lovelorn guilt is nothing new in music, but done ok here. This is not on the

level of say, Disintegration or Blood on the Tracks, but is nice and not

entirely cheesy as most things go when bands try the ol’e heart on sleeve

escape.

“Flash” is a song which actually brings a changeup briefly

to the album. Synths and the flow of the vocals crossed with dreamy guitars are

a nice contrast to the colors drawn up. If you had to present this to someone

who is hearing-impaired, you would maybe have to use swaths of black and dark

purple with a slight mix of grey and a flickering of white to help get the feeling

expressed to the individual through sensory sight. If you have Synesthesia, I

hope you enjoy the experience!

Tracks “Truly” and “John Wayne” both have similar

soundscapes that pitter-patter along with a river like flow and the reverb on

both guitars and vocals are soothing. The accompaniment of acoustics gives them

a bit more of a crunch and the ending fadeouts are good bookends. As well, closing

track “Young & Dumb” is funny to hear with its snarky lyrics fighting

against the backdrop of the seriousness you have been hearing this whole time.

It’s a slap in the face if you are paying attention and that’s hilarious to me.

Time to go!

This album was apparently recorded in just a few days in an

isolated space. The music seems to bounce off the walls and that’s one of the

nice touches that can only come from the surroundings of a unique ambient setting.

While the album could have used a bit more change-ups in overall tone and flow,

it is still welcoming and would be nice to listen with good headphones while

trying to sleep. Autonomous sensory meridian response junkies should give this

a listen.

I cannot say much more about the album, it is too samey

same. However, for once that is ok. The band gets one free pass this time. This

is a fresh return to a more strung along style of music that hasn’t been great

since the 90’s. With all the exposure they are currently getting, and the

analyzing, I am hopeful it will encourage the band to step out a bit more and

shuffle their style.

Dig it…

(*Listen

to Galaxy 500 please. Just do it!)