When X released Alphabetland in 2020, it was the influential LA punk rock band’s first new studio album in more than a quarter century. Now a mere four years later, fans can revel in the excellent follow-up effort Smoke & Fiction. But it comes with a tinge of sadness because singer Exene Cervenka, singer/bassist John Doe, guitarist Billy Zoom and drummer DJ Bonebrake have confirmed Smoke & Fiction is their ninth and final album (with an accompanying national farewell tour).

Clocking in at just under a half hour, Smoke & Fiction - out now via Fat Possum Records – saw X team up again with producer Rob Schnapf (Beck, Guided by Voices). Some of the quintessential L.A. songs were road tested last year. Basic tracks were recorded in three days on the self-funded project. The album rocks in the way longtime X enthusiasts have come to expect. No sonic detours, just good old melodic punk rock that’s instantly identifiably X from the get-go.

“Big Black X” refers to the group’s logo on a marquee and deftly paints a picture of band’s early history. Here Cervenka sings about the old Masque club, a then-deteriorating Hollywood sign, Errol Flynn’s abandoned mansion, bikers on the 101, and more. The hard-charging title track, led by Zoom’s taut guitar work, delves into the state of the world and recalls past X classics like “The Unheard Music” and “In This House That I Call Home.” Odd noises crop up during the eerie, midtempo “Face in the Moon” which references “this tin can city” and heading down the Hollywood freeway.  

Other standouts include fast and furious album opener “Ruby Church,” with Doe and Cervenka’s distinct harmonies and Zoom’s ripping solo; the pile-driving “Sweet ‘Til the Bitter End”; a moody “The Way it Is,” where the singers frankly recall how “we did what we did to get along.” Bonebrake’s drums thrash in all the right places, while Zoom’s frequent tremelo effects are enthralling. All told, Smoke & Fiction is a solid swan song. Highly recommended.