Last Updated on 2025-11-08 by a-indie
In the stillness of the night, a hazy guitar tone begins to drift.
It is sweet, yet carries an air of danger. As if inviting you into a realm you should not enter.
This irresistibly precarious sensation is what makes Cigarettes After Sex so captivating.
The new song “Anna Karenina” is a track that perfectly encapsulates their worldview.
As the title suggests, this is inspired by Tolstoy’s masterpiece Anna Karenina.
The story of Anna, a woman who throws herself into a passionate affair and ultimately throws herself in front of a train. They have brilliantly reinterpreted this intense tragedy as a modern destructive romance with their distinctive sound.
The album X’s, released in 2024, received tremendous acclaim.
It’s only natural that this track would garner attention as the band’s first new expression since that fervent reception.
It’s not just sweet.
We invite you to immerse yourself once more in the sweet yet shadowy world that Cigarettes After Sex depicts.
About Cigarettes After Sex
A dream pop band formed in El Paso, Texas, USA in 2008, centered around frontman Greg Gonzalez.
Initially starting as a solo project, after nearly 20 member changes, the current lineup consists of three members: Gonzalez (Vo., Gt.), Jacob Tomsky (Dr.), and Randall Miller (Ba.).
The EP I. released in 2012 suddenly gained attention, and they were selected as one of Rolling Stone’s “10 Artists You Need to Know in 2016.”
Notably, “Apocalypse” has surpassed 2 billion streams on Spotify.
Their music is characterized by Gonzalez’s androgynous, whispered vocals, ambient guitar sounds, and intimate, sensual lyrics.
“Anna Karenina” Depicts Love of Secrets and Bondage
“Anna Karenina,” which we’re discussing today, is the B-side of a double single—their first release since X’s in 2024.
This track represents the essence of Cigarettes After Sex. It’s a sensual, slow-burning, emotionally overwhelming epic with confessional lyrics that leave a lasting impression.
Most notably, the spoken word section brings a new dimension of expression to Greg Gonzalez’s world.
While previous Cigarettes After Sex tracks featured characteristic whispered vocals, “Anna Karenina” employs a narrative approach, greatly expanding the band’s intimate expressive range.
About Tolstoy’s Novel Anna Karenina
This work draws direct inspiration from Tolstoy’s novel Anna Karenina.
The story of Anna, a woman who abandons social norms for a passionate affair and ultimately throws herself in despair in front of a train, is both a 19th-century Russian tragedy and a timeless, universal portrayal of love.
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