X are a band whose fans display a passion that runs deep and narrow. Arguably the most critically celebrated band to emerge from the West Coast punk scene, X have been trading for years on the excellence of their first four albums, released between 1980 and 1984. However, if you ask their audience about 1985's metal-infused Ain't Love Grand, or anything they made with guitarist Tony Gilkyson after original picker Billy Zoom left in 1986, you'll probably get a dismissive shrug or a look of puzzlement. The original lineup of X reunited in 1998 for live work, and they've been touring regularly ever since, delivering a generous mix of songs from the first four albums and pretending the rest of their catalog doesn't exist. When X dropped a new album, Alphabetland, with little advance notice on April 22, 2020, it came as a surprise to nearly everyone with an interest in the group, being the first LP in 35 years from the definitive lineup of John Doe (bass, vocals), Exene Cervenka (vocals), Billy Zoom (guitar), and D.J. Bonebrake (drums). The bigger shock, though, is just how good Alphabetland happens to be.
After more than two decades of touring, it's a given that this band still knows how to summon their singular blend of punk, rockabilly, blues, and country, and the performances feel tight and fresh. They also sound passionate and inspired, not as easy to pull off, and the elements that made X memorable in 1980 are still right here. The ragged but right harmonies of Doe and Cervenka are superb, Zoom's balance between chug and twang remains faultless, and Doe and Bonebrake are among the most potent and imaginative rhythm sections in American rock. And the physical impact and aggression of these songs confirm this is a band that's in no way tired. X have hedged their bets on new material for Alphabetland -- of the ten tracks, one is a spoken word piece and three came from their archives ("I Gotta Fever" and "Delta 88 Nightmare" are revised versions of songs X demoed in the '80s but never put on an album, and Doe previously recorded "Cyrano deBerger's Back" with the Flesh Eaters). However, the new songs never disappoint; "Angel on the Road" and "Goodbye Year, Goodbye" are as furious as anything in X's catalog, and "Water and Wine," "Strange Life," and the title cut are full-bodied depictions of a world gone mad, something that was always X's strong suit and seems unfortunately timely in 2020. At just 28 minutes, Alphabetland fires on all cylinders throughout and bows out before it can wear out its welcome; it's a nearly miraculous example of a band returning to the studio after a long layoff and delivering at full strength. If those folks who only want to hear X's first four albums pass on Alphabetland, it says more about the listeners than the band, as this is proudly on a par with their most celebrated music.