X

Alphabetland FAT POSSUM/BANDCAMP

This is a glorious good sound.

This is the sound of lost Los Angeles; of excitement; of wildness; of a deep-rooted passion for biting rockabilly riffs, for life itself. This is beautiful, urgent and, frankly, unlooked for. Alphabetland is the first album in 35 years from the classic line-up of X – Exene Cervenka, John Doe, Billy Zoom, and DJ Bonebrake – but it sure as hell don’t sound like it.

Or rather it does: Doe and

Cervenka in fine vocal form, the key lyrical concerns (punk = freedom; freedom = more important than anything) to the fore on Free and the blistering Strange Life. Vintage X track Delta 88 Nightmare is given a decent recording and sounds like… vintage X – fast, furious and no room for prisoners. Cervenka’s downbeat beat poetry on the jazzy All The Time In The World (guitar from The Doors’ Robby Krieger) finishes up what is a riotous, righteous return to form. After 35 years away, the chemistry is still there. The whole album is over in just 27 minutes.

Alphabetland has been released early via Bandcamp for quarantined X fans. ■■■■■■■■■■