TOP NEW SONGS: CIGARETTES AFTER SEX - JOHN WAYNE

Have you ever been serenaded in the middle of a candle-lit room, by a man whose voice is as earnest as his fingers strumming his guitar? Well neither have I, because I have yet to know the true love that resonates from such romantic and baffling gestures. That’s where Texas-based band Cigarettes After Sex comes into play. We Are: The Guard can only imagine, close our eyes, and pretend that lead singer Greg Gonzalez is really just singing to us on their translucent love ballad, “John Wayne.” Listen below:

CIGARETTES AFTER SEX - JOHN WAYNE

“John Wayne” possesses the quintessential Cigarettes After Sex sound; it’s part-the xx, part-Beach House. Or better yet, imagine a male counterpart to Lana del Rey’s dreamy (though often nihilistic) pop music and we’ll only begin to scratch the surface of the mystic appeal of this band. “John Wayne” is a dream pop love song, emoting infatuation through its reverb and Greg Gonzalez’ quiet, humble croonings.

“Baby, he’s got to be crazy,” Gonzalez sings. Is this a celebration of love, or a song full of regret for reaching that vulnerability in the first place? Is it romantic? Desperate? Depressing? Or all of the above? Love is a complicated emotion, but listening to the surreal and lucid “John Wayne” somehow helps simplify it.

Like what you’re hearing? I got some great news for you because Cigarettes After Sex has just so happened to release a self-titled album this summer. Stream it on full blast, lie on some grass, and gaze at the sky.