Back from the 80s, foursome still hot

X, “Alphabetland” (Fat Possum, 3 stars): The original four members of pioneering Los Angeles punk band X have been touring semiregularly since reuniting in 1998. But the group — fronted by former spouses John Doe and Exene Cervenka and featuring drummer D J Bonebrake and guitarist Billy Zoom — hadn’t recorded an album of new music together since “Ain’t Love Grand” in 1985.

That is, until they surprise-released the impressively vital “Alphabetland,” giving fans a treat to hold them over until the band can do their postponed 40th anniversary tour for the classic 1980 debut “Los Angeles.”

Teaming on the new album with producer Rob Schnapf (who’s worked with Beck, Guided By Voices and Dr. Dog), the band recaptures the locomotive sound from their urgent, early works, always threatening to careen out of control.

Two songs aren’t actually new: “Delta 88 Nightmare” and “Cyrano de Berger’s Back” (with a saxophone solo by Zoom) were both written in the late 1970s.

But nine others are. Most are marked by a rip-roaring spirit pushed forward by Zoom and Bonebrake’s locked-in, muscular playing.

The tightly compressed tunes — only one is over three minutes — tell tales about class warfare and urban disintegration, with Cervenka and Doe’s overlapping vocals full of sharp wit as they long for escape.

“My bank account is down and out and overdrawn,” Doe sings on “Goodbye Year, Goodbye.” “I could go on and on and on.” Thankfully, he and his X mates don’t. Instead, they keep it short and to the point and sounding remarkably like they did 35 years ago.

“Alphabetland” by X is the band’s first album in 35 years.