For forty-seven years, X has been a cornerstone of American punk rock, and their new album, Smoke & Fiction, serves as a potent reminder of why they became exactly that. The release of this final studio album is both a celebration of their storied past and a defiant roar from one of punk’s original trailblazers. With Smoke & Fiction, X offer a fitting valedictory, brimming with the raw energy and irreverent spirit that have defined their career, and as usual do it all on their own terms.

Following the critical acclaim of Alphabetland (2020), Smoke & Fiction continues in the vein of its predecessor, delivering both the ferocity and the fun that fans expect from X. The album is laced with reflections on their journey, captured in tracks like “Big Black X,” which serves as a tribute to their punk odyssey. Then there’s the cinematic imagery of “Ruby Church,” which captures the essence of X's ability to blend lyrical depth with a punk sensibility. Exene Cervenka, the band’s always enigmatic frontwoman, describes her experience recording the song as a deeply personal journey. “John [Doe] wrote the lyrics so I made up my own story on what it is about. I see it like a foreign film from the '60s: starring Anna Magnani, drenched in deep red stained glass light,” she muses.

The band’s influence is undeniable, with their music always retaining a groundbreaking edge decades after they started. X emerged from the Los Angeles punk explosion of the late '70s, and their relevance has not only endured but grown, evolving with each decade while maintaining their unique voice. Songs from their early days remain as fresh and provocative today as they did in 1977.

X's origin story is as compelling as their music. The band was born out of a serendipitous twist of fate. Guitarist Billy Zoom and bassist John Doe placed almost identical ads in a local music rag, leading them to each other in a perfect musical convergence. Zoom, a rockabilly rebel, was inspired by the Ramones' raw simplicity, while Doe, an East Coast punk aficionado, was ready for a new chapter. What they became seemed destined from the start. The band’s lineup was completed with the addition of Exene Cervenka, discovered at a Venice Beach poetry reading. Initially skeptical of having a poet in the band, Zoom was soon captivated by Cervenka’s unique presence. This transformative moment solidified X’s lineup and set the stage for their ascent in the punk scene. Drummer D.J. Bonebrake, recruited from the underground punk club the Masque, brought the final piece of the puzzle, propelling X from local heroes to punk legends.

X's early albums - Los Angeles (1980), Wild Gift (1981), and Under The Big Black Sun (1982) - captured a dark, unflinching vision of L.A. life, while their later releases, More Fun In The New World (1983) and Ain’t Love Grand (1985), expanded their sound. Though X’s members ventured into acting, art, and other creative fields, the band never truly disbanded. By the early '90s, they were back together, exciting old fans and gaining new ones. Smoke & Fiction represents their final chapter, a final bow from a band that helped shape punk rock as we know it. As X closes this book, their legacy remains unchallenged, a symbol of punk’s raw, relentless spirit.