ALBUM REVIEW: CIGARETTES AFTER SEX - CIGARETTES AFTER SEX

CIGARETTES AFTER SEX
CIGARETTES AFTER SEX
Indie Rock, Slowcore, Dream Pop
Partisan Records.
Listening Format: CD










Cigarettes After Sex are a Texan formed Indie Rock band who are releasing their proper full length debut album. The band have actually been around for a while now, with their self released demo appearing in 2011 which didn't make such an impact. However their 2012 EP fared much better, with the track 'Nothing's Gonna Hurt You Baby' becoming a slow-burning hit. The band kind of went dormant for quite a few years, but a reissue of said EP last year renewed interest in the band who had started touring once more. Cigarettes After Sex now seem to be picking up their momentum faster than ever before and are starting to see the attention they have been looking for.

For those who have known of the band's work before this album, you'll hear that almost nothing has changed in their sound. Even in the years following that 2012 EP, Cigarettes After Sex haven't added or subtracted anything. Their sound has that 90s throwback that is especially popular this decade. In particular they seem to take influences from the lesser known "Slowcore" movement of the early 90s. Their stark, stripped down and bare-bones sound is especially reminiscent of early Red House Painters and Low records (particularly 'Down Colorful Hill' and 'I Could Live In Hope' respectively). However Cigarettes After Sex are nowhere near as harrowing, melancholic or doom-ridden sonically or lyrically. But the comparison comes from their slow jangly music that is so bare it has nothing to hide. There also seems to be a strong influence of early 90s 4AD acts such as This Mortal Coil and Cocteau Twins too (in fact 'Each Time You Fall In Love' has a very similar sound and melody to Cocteau Twins' 'Pitch the Baby'). Cigarettes After Sex admirably have nothing flashy about their sound. The drums are mostly hi-hat and snare, the guitars slightly reverberated, but their sound is just as raw in approach as it would be on stage or in the studio. Absolutely no studio trickery or effects sound like they have been added in post. In many ways this makes the band sound completely genuine and honest, but such starkness could be a turn off for some listeners.

The album has a few really strong songs, kicking off with 'K.' which is as strong an opener as their best known hit 'Nothing's Gonna Hurt You Baby'. As I said before, they sound EXACTLY as they did when they released that song 5 years prior. Greg Gonzalez's androgynous voice is just as bittersweet and inviting as always. Perhaps the true star of this record. His vocals are just so warm, emotive and passionate without really even trying. He rarely feels to the need to elevate his voice or push his vocal chords in anyway, always revelling in a laid back, chilled out hush, much like the band as a whole. Cigarettes After Sex are a band that never introduce a heavy riff or even a loud build up in their songs. Their music is almost calculatedly brittle and laid back, like the band sat down the entire time they wrote and recorded these songs. Single 'Apocalypse' is another huge hitting and emotive song that was effectively released as a promotional single. I particularly enjoy 'Flash'. A rare time where the band mix up the formula a bit. The song revolves around a beat similar to Massive Attack's 'Teardrop' and shows a dub influenced bassline.

The problem with Cigarettes After Sex being so strictly chained to a specific sound is that the album really lacks any variation. Even if I think back on Red House Painters' debut as a sonic comparison, they also had a fairly strict vision for their sound and approach, yet still managed to hit us with a curveball with the brilliant 'Lord Kill the Pain', a faster tempo song reminiscent of REM. All ten tracks on this album have almost the same approach, structure and aesthetic running through them. I feel like even just one or two curveballs or surprises would have benefited this record. After multiple listens, my excitement for this record started to wane. Their 2012 EP lasted 18 minutes long and was built on 4 incredibly strong tracks. But transitioning over to an entire full length record and keeping the same strict aesthetic has made for a much more difficult listening experience running at 45 minutes. Unless this is your absolute favourite band or sound in the world, enjoying the entire duration is going to be tough. In fact the longest and slowest song 'Opera House' is the lowest point on the album.

'Cigarettes After Sex' is ultimately a solid, passionate and very focused debut. The band have clearly made no compromises in their sound and their vision and delivered more of exactly what made their 2012 EP so popular. There are a few genuinely stunning tracks, and they certainly have a down to earth sound and delivery that will hopefully tug at your heartstrings. But I can't deny that I really wanted to like this album more than I did. It really is a one-dimensional affair that just about pulls through into moments of greatness, although the overall consistency of their EP was better. If you are new to this band though, it's definitely one I would recommend. They are certainly one of the more interesting Indie Rock bands I have heard this decade. For a debut full length, it just about works, but I'd like to see this band think more outside of the box in the future and take me to different places with their sound. 7/10.