CIGARETTES AFTER SEX
This is the first post I’ve done on an artist I don’t usually listen to, but it was at the request of a dear friend, and who am I to say no to that. However, as a result the format of this post has had to be adapted, but hey sometimes change is a good thing.
I can’t open this post with my favourite Cigarettes after Sex song or lyric, mainly because I don’t have one of either. I did just try to find a cool quote from someone about how not all music is for everyone but unfortunately I return empty handed. Also slight tangent here but I always find it slightly strange when websites give lists of quotes from famous people without any references, how do I know for sure that Confucius said ‘ “Music produces a kind of pleasure which human nature cannot do without” hmm?
Now, with that out of the way, I’m going to start off the rest of this post by outwardly stating that I don’t love Cigarettes After Sex. I find most of the releases to be repetitive and at times, boring, however that is not to say I think they are bad. Each member of the band is clearly talented, though instrumentation within their songs sounds somewhat simplistic and repetitive their music is carefully layered to create a deliberate overall effect. There’s a lazy, kind of languid feel to the songs, both in Gonzalez’s voice and the repetitive note sequences; the music seems to embody the idea of cigarettes after sex, the relaxed aftermath of something strenuous.
Cigarettes after Sex, for me, served more as background noise than being a form of music that I had, or indeed wanted, to actively listen to. There is something to be said for this kind of music, music that you can put on as background noise, which lacks the intrusive quality that requires intense listening or focus. There is a complete lack of any suffocating elements to the sound of the music alone, which at times can be just as nice as more immersive listening. I guess the categorisation of the band as being ‘ambient pop’ is particularly fitting, the overall sound of Cigarettes after Sex is more atmospheric, fitting into their somewhat shoegaze-y, dreamy, style and Gonzalez’ vocals clearly highlight this, and are clearly the focus point of each track.
This isn’t something I tend to overly focus on when it comes to music, but due to the instrumental aspects of this artist’s releases I feel focus on the lyrics is necessary. When talking to my friend about it they specified it was the ‘raw emotion’ of the songs, evident in the lyrics, that they particularly connected to. From my understanding Cigarettes after Sex largely deal with the topic of love, and relationships, which is most noticeable in their lyrics, and this appeals to some people.
I guess the entire message of this post is that Cigarettes after Sex isn’t the band for me, I listened to their whole discography and didn’t really feel anything about them, but some people like them a lot, and that is very okay.















